Gaijin Bar Osaka

Sorry I haven't done a post in awhile but i want to talk about the Gaijin Bars in Osaka that I went to. The first bar that I went to was Rock Bar Cherry Bomb.


 This place was great, its an American bar. Cheap food Tuesdays $2 tacos and $2 tequila shots. The place is small maybe 15 seats but such a great atmosphere. Jesse the bartender and owner was very personable and his selection of music was right on. The place got packed about 10:30 pm with many other Americans showing up. I would highly recommend this place since its good food and great people to hang out with.

The next place I went to was a Mexican bar called Mexico. Simple name and simple place. this place was much bigger but still had some great service and food. along with $4 beers and $2 tequila shots the day we went. I cant remember the bartenders name but he was nice and made sure we had good beers and food available whenever we wanted. When I first arrived there was a group of Japanese men drinking and eating after having what seemed like a long day at work. If you looking at taking a date to a place for food and some drinks to start out the night i would recommend this place.


The last place I went to was an Irish Pub called Murphy's Irish Pub. This place was the biggest out of all the places I went to. The Guinness was way expensive, i am talking like $10 for a American pint. Also the bartender was more interested in a girl that came in than making sure the rest of us were having a good time, I guess he was hoping to have a good time later with her. Made it even funnier when she had him pour a pint and bailed on him before he could turn around. The last place I really wouldn't recommend just not as much fun and was way more expensive than any other place.

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Climbing Mt Fuji

One of the main reasons for my trip to Japan was to climb Mt. Fuji. This amazing volcano is 3776m high and is the highest point in all of Japan. There are many websites and blogs about how to climb it so all I'm going to talk about is what I did, and some tips on how I would do it differently.
First thing that you need to do is get to Mt. Fuji. I took the bus from the Shinjuku bus terminal right next to the Shinjuku Train Station. It was a bit hard to find but after you do its very organized. The cost for a round trip was 5200yen ($52). The bus takes about 2 to 3 hours to reach station 5.
Station 5 has tons of stuff for you to get and especially water 300yen. This is also where you will pick up your bus ride back. The people working there are very nice they even gave me a free postcard as a souvenir.
After getting set on all your supplies I decided to take is the Yoshida trail. The Yoshida trail is the most popular trail since if you don't make it to the top you can still see the sun rise. The trail is 3.6 miles up and 4.3 miles down. Going up is very tough since its loose rocks and you slip all the time. Not only that but there are parts where you are climbing up with your arms, and very steep steps on other parts. On the way down its just loose rocks and very steep decline. The decline is so steep many people slip and fall and it does a number on your toes and shoes. I would not use any sort of new shoes if you want to keep them they will get destroyed.
The view at the top is awe inspiring. It definitely something you need to see once in your lifetime its that good. Now saying that I would never climb it again. There is an old saying,  "Ichido noboranu baka, nido noboru baka" "If you don't climb it once your a fool, if you climb it twice you're a fool"

Next Post: Gaijin Bar Osaka

TG

Water Gun Fight

While here in Japan a Jvloger ShiverZ66 orginized an epic water gun fight and we were lucky enough to get invited. The day started out awesome with some drinks and the 12 of us broke into teams guys vs. girls.


As we ran around shooting each other laughing and just getting soaked, her friend started playing some great tunes. Many people in the park were enjoying the perfect weather and watching us go after each other.

Then things got really crazy, another group of about 30 Japanese people started creeping in our territory armed with their water guns. As our group banded together outnumbered 2 to 1 we fended off many attacks.

After some time had past we all got together and had a wonderful picture, and in the end both groups can say it was an amazing time with lots of smiles and new bonds formed.

Rail Workers Hustle

One of the most impressive things since we have gotten here is the willingness of people to help out. Here is an example of how three JR rail workers hustle, so Kevin and I can make the train. After we got threw customs and immigration we needed to pick up our rail passes. It was about 11pm and we didn't know where to go until we saw a small line of people. We got to the counter and said we needed to pick up our rail passes. They handed us some forms that we needed to fill out and asked where we were going. As soon as I said Ikebukuro the guy looked at his watch and asked that we hurry since we only had 4 minutes to get on the train. As we filled out the form he started printing out tickets and filling in some forms hurrying. The lady that was working next to him left her person to help out and helped me fill in the form and help him print out the tickets as well. They really hustled and we got the passes quick. As we hurried to the train platform, another rail worker opened the gates and noticed that Kevin's pass it was not stamped. He then RAN to stamp it, and thanked us so the pass would be valid for our trip and we were able to get on the LAST train of the night with 30 seconds to spare. We both were so impressed on how much they cared about us to make sure we got on that train.

Next Post: Water Gun Fight

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Airbnb Apartment

One of the first things for our trip that we looked for was a place to stay. If you have read my other post we went for the Airbnb route and I can say its a good choice for the price. Our apartment is a bit small but hey your in Japan why are you staying in your room anyways. The apartment is bare minimum but for the price its perfect. We have 2 beds (bunk beds), a stove, toilet, microwave and thats about it. The place is clean a bit older but clean.

Next Post: Rail Workers Hustle

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Surviving a 12 hour flight

One of the biggest concerns about going to japan is the long eleven to twelve hour flight from Los Angeles. Ever since finding out the length of the flight, I started asking people how they do and would handle the flight.
A lot of people talked about getting medication to sleep threw it, but I'm the the medication type so pass. Many other people talked about just watching movies, reading books, playing video games. I went with the movie route and try to sleep as much as I can on the flight without any medications.
After doing some more research some really important thing to do is having comfortable clothing as well as loose or no socks and be sure to walk around on the plane a few times during your flight. The loose socks and walking around will keep your legs from getting blood clots, and keeping you a bit active. The loose clothes will just make you feel comfortable.
This is a good way of surviving a 12 hour flight... wear comfortable clothes, keep yourself entertained when you are not sleeping (watching movies, reading books, playing video games), and last is walking around a bit.

Next Post: Our Airbnb Apartment.

TG

Free Bike Ride and Free Bikes

One of the most used types of transportation in Japan is the bicycle. The Japan Bicycle Promotion Institute is a non profit organization that promotes the Japanese Bicycle industry. They have setup a 3K course by the Imperial Palace where you can borrow bikes and ride the course.


The course is a great way to see the castle from many different viewpoints as well as take in some great scenery. It goes from the Iwaida Bridge to the Hirakawa Gate round trip of 3K. The Japan Bicycle Promotion institute chose a course that is not only surrounded by the castles, moats, and pine trees, but also a quiet place for families to enjoy some fitness and relaxation. They encourage the ideas of preserving nature around the Imperial Palace and protecting it as an invaluable asset.

You are only allowed to use the borrowed bicycles within the Palace Cycling Course. They have only 250 bikes ready for borrowing. There are city bicycles, mountain bikes, tandem bikes, children's bikes and infant's bicycles. If you are not sure what kind of bike would suit you best, The Japan Bicycle Promotion Institute has volunteers to help you choose a bike that fits your needs.

To borrow a bike, all you have to do is fill out and submit an application form that you get at the bicycle reception desk. The desk is is located next to the Kokyo-mae Police box off the Nijubashi Station on the Chiyoda Line Subway. They are open 10:00 am till 3:00 pm every Sunday, but are closed on rainy days and special event days. Be sure to get there early since its a first come first serve basis.

Cost: Free

Next Post: Surviving a 12 hour flight

TG