We took the shinkansen early the next morning in an attempt to maximize our short stay in Osaka. We arrived early afternoon, which left us time to see the main places we wanted to go. Since our check-in at the capsule hotel wasn’t until later, we dropped off our bags and immediately went out exploring. The first area we went was called Ditonbori, a highly recommended shopping and dining scene in central Osaka. We walked through long, covered corridors lined with shops on either side. It didn’t seem extremely different from other shopping areas I’d seen here, but then again, we didn’t really do any shopping. We did make one purchase, however: green tea and strawberry flavored kit-kats. We strolled along the streets of Ditonbori, ate some sushi for lunch, and then made our way to Osaka Castle.

Osaka castle sat on top of a hill, guarded by tall walls built of 100-ton and 50-ton bricks, and a large moat. It’s still a mystery how the builders transported these stones, or how they pieced together more than 500,000 pieces of granite, and potentially ten times as much cobblestone. We toured the castle from the top floor down, the top-most floor offering sweeping views of the surrounding area.

The floor below featured holographic scenes from the life story of Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1537-1598), the founder of Osaka Castle. His story is much like the idea of the American dream— he was born into a poor family and worked his way up the ladder to rule the nation. Although he’s been a controversial figure throughout history for rigidly collecting land tax and invading the Korean peninsula, now his story is romanticized as heroic, and he is well regarded.

On the floor below, a diorama of little soldiers wielding spears waged war, bringing to life a historical piece of art relevant to the castle: a folding screen illustrating the Summer War of Osaka. In this piece of art, there are 5,071 people, 348 horses, 1,387 banners, 974 spears, and 119 bows. In the crowds of warring people, 21 generals can be identified by name. This war was the last decisive battle between the Toyotomi family and the Tokugawa family. The Tokugawa clan was already powerful throughout Japan and wanted to take over Osaka Castle to add onto their empire. When the Tokugawa clan won, there were records of pillaging and mass rapes at the end of the battle. The Tokugawa shogunate beheaded Hideyoshi’s 8-year-old grandson and destroyed Hideyoshi’s grave. Their shogunate lasted for 250 years.

The two floors below featured original artifacts from the castle, like swords, guns, and handwritten notes. A long, folding guidebook explained where it’s best to shoot deer and other animals. Armor and pieces of art depicting the castle in different seasons were also on display. On the last floor, winning students’ artwork from an Osaka Castle contest hung, and they were truly impressive with their detail.

Already it was getting to be late afternoon, so we decided to get moving to our next stop, which was an hour away: Osaka Prefectural Flower Garden. A light display called Okukawachi Illuminage featured 3 million lights decorating the garden. We rode the subway, the train, a bus, and walked to make it there, but it was worth the trip. The gardens were decorated with lit up penguins, dolphins, and Santa Clauses. Lights imitating dripping icicles added a “moving” visual element to the display, which was set to the music of dramatic ballads. We walked through the animal lights filled with giraffes, zebras, flamingos, and polar bears, and made our way to the pond, decorated with blue lights and jumping dolphins. Then we walked through a tunnel of lights, and past a lit-up boat. We also saw a tree decorated with tons of mini Santa Clauses, which made me laugh. And, we spotted a tall Christmas tree, a flying unicorn, and a heart reading: “Will you be my Valentine” along the course. It was very pretty, and since we aren’t big partiers, it was much preferred to other nighttime activities in central Osaka.

We headed back to the city and found a fantastic Japanese curry restaurant. I messed up my order on the machine where you pay, and the cook had to help me get my money back… whoops. I ordered egg, fried chicken, green onions, corn, and cheese as my curry toppings, and they were delivered to me over rice, smothered in a delicious curry sauce. I hope they have a place that serves this in Taiwan. It was great.

Finally, we returned after a long day to the capsule hotel. Brian and I got different room keys and were sent to different floors separated by gender. Each capsule door was a folding screen with magnets on the end to close it. I pulled open the screen door to my capsule, which was larger than I expected— enough room for my suitcase, a bed, and a side table. You could lock your valuables in a small drawer under the bed. I really liked the small, private room. Since I’ve lived with roommates for years, it was nice to have my own space, and I really don’t need much of it. Most of the time I’m in my room, I’m just lying on my bed. I’ve also never had my own room with a TV in it, so that felt pretty cool. Since the screens were open at the top, it was easy to hear other people. There were designated rooms for talking on your cell phone, chatting, and smoking. The bathrooms were shared, and very modern. When you walk into the stall, the toilet lid opens automatically. I also noticed that you could pay for a massage, and there was a lounge for hanging out with friends, eating, or drinking. It reminded me a bit of a glorified college dorm with gendered floors and lounges, and shared bathrooms.

Brian and I hung out in the lounge for a while talking. We exchanged kit-kat bars and Japanese yen. Then we headed off to our capsules to sleep.

I left for the airport the next morning. Thankfully Brian was able to give very specific directions on where to go and what trains to look for. Most of the trip I had just been relying on him to get us places. The woman at the airport information desk must have thought I was really stupid because I asked where Kiwi Air was and she said that airline didn’t have a flight to Taiwan at 11:30 a.m. Turns out, I booked the flight ticket on kiwi.com, and the airline was actually Jet Star. To be fair, I was expecting to have wifi at the airport to double check, but it wasn’t connecting. Anyway, I made it on the plane and back to Taiwan safely.

I absolutely loved Japan, and I hope I can return one day— maybe during the cherry blossom season. While I really enjoyed everything, I think my favorite parts were the interactive lessons for woodblock printing, sushi making, and origami folding, as well as the hot, steamy, sulfuric onsen. It was great to connect with Tammy, and spend so much time adventuring in a foreign country with a high-school friend. While it may be cliché to write, I will remember this trip forever. It’s a wonderful reminder of why I came to Taiwan for a year: to experience other cultures and learn as much as I can while I’m here. I’m already looking forward to future visitors and new destinations. Happy Chinese New Year, celebrate the rooster, and thanks for reading!