Osaka and a few observations.

One week in Japan and I’ve seen a lot, and this week is going to be even busier before I head north to Sapporo and Ashoro to see Hannah and Mitch.
I arrived yesterday in Osaka on the Shinkansen and then the metro line to my hotel, a very nice hotel I got a room on the 29th floor on the executive level thinking I was going to have a big luxurious room I was sadly mistaken. The room was nice but man oh man are they small and compact.
Next to the hotel was the Japan Science Museum I checked it out it was really good with a lot of displays about Japan’s industrial base and it wasn’t very busy about the only place I’ve been to that wasn’t busting with people. I then headed to the Namba district a big market and entertainment area, being a Sunday it was really busy, Black Friday is a big thing here too and everyone hanging out and checking  out things.
Osaka has a Main Street about 5 miles long that is decorated with Christmas lights on all the trees it was quite impressive.
So after a week in Japan here are a few of my observations;

• Vending machines are everywhere, from street fronts , back alleys, parking lots, train stations and they most  drinks from pop  to hot coffee in a can which is really good
• Clean no litter or graffiti cars and trucks are all clean too.
• Japanese people take great pride in there footwear, everybody’s shoes are polished or new.
• Sunglasses while in Hiroshima and Osaka it was a beautiful sunny days and the only people that wear sunglasses are the tourists for the most part.
• The transit system is amazing and encompasses most of big cities I have only got lost a couple of times, the subway stations are huge.
• Restaurants and coffee shops are everywhere with every food type you want, grandpa Heck would be happy KFC is abundant and even open for breakfast.
• North american type Breakfast foods are pretty limited lots of pastries and snacks but you won’t see  bacon and eggs except at a Macdonald’s.
• The thermostats in most of my  Hotel rooms are in Japanese and you need a engineering degree to figure it out. Last night it must of been 28 degrees in my room.

So far it’s been a great trip today I get into Nagoya and will tour the train/Shinkansen museum and tomorrow I have a reservation for a tour of the Toyota assembly plant and museum near Nagoya.

My room view in Osaka