Arriving in Osaka
My flight landed at Kansai International Airport at around 8:10 AM and quickly off the plane and onto a shuttle to get to the luggage collection area. That done it was off to passport control. I’m not sure why, but the inspector wanted me to add the name of my hotel to my disembarkation card as well as it’s address and phone number. Then it was time for the customs inspection where my suitcase was checked (literally: they unpacked it and checked both the contents and the case itself) and I was taken behind a screen for a pat down.
A few questions from the inspector — where am I staying, what am I here for, etc. — and I was through into the arrivals hall. I parked on a bench outside the SoftBank global rental place until they opened at 9:00 AM and rented a USIM card for my phone, just in case I need it. Then I visited the information centre and travel desk to buy a two day Osaka Unlimited pass and a ticket on the Airport Line to 天下茶屋 (てんがちゃや; Tengachaya) from where I’d be able to use my new pass to catch the subway to 長堀橋 (ながほりばし; Nagahoribashi) and then walk a few blocks to my hotel. Unfortunately, I’m not used to navigating without Google Maps on my phone so I walked a few block in the wrong direction.
I didn’t realise how far I was off track until I asked a mailman who happened to be passing (who else would you ask about an address) and he pointed out where I was on my map. I set out to the nearest station to head back to 長堀橋 but a woman from a hotel took pity on a passing gaijin and she helped by writing the address down and putting me in a taxi. A few minutes and a few hundred yen later I was finally at my hotel.
There were still a few hours until checkin opened so I dropped my luggage and set out for some sightseeing.
