As I’ve likely mentioned already, this is my third visit to Japan. On both previous trips I visited Osaka to try its famous food and go to Universal Studios Japan (USJ), one of the country’s most famous theme parks. Nevertheless, I was back again for a 5 day stay and this time I actually saw a lot of new things. The experience was extra memorable as I would be here with two of my Japanese friends from Tokyo; Yakumo and Masa. Here’s what we got up to.

I had a day to myself to begin with, and knowing that Yakumo wasn’t much of a museum guy, I decided to tick these off first. First I went to the Peace Museum, which details how Osaka was completely decimated by air raids in WWII. It really didn’t pull any punches, sharing horrific accounts of the suffering and terror people endured. It was a little disconcerting reading these dreadful stories and getting a bit emotional, while schoolchildren happily ran around screaming and shouting “hello!” at me.

I went to Osaka castle next, which is certainly one of the most impressive castles there is in Japan. As it was raining and I had time, I decided to go inside and check out the museum. However it was packed full of tourists (ergh, can you believe it?) so I didn’t linger. Plus, as interested as I am in Japan, feudal Japanese history doesn’t really do it for me. Reading about shogun’s and samurai killing one another and themselves because of honour and duty or whatever is just… I dunno. All seems pointless to me? I was much more impressed by the Fujita Museum, a private collection of artifacts ranging from beautiful scrolls and calligraphy to delicate little ceramic bowls, curated in a stunning and minimalist space.

Once Yakumo arrived, we spent lots of time sampling the cuisine of the region. We tried takoyaki (octopus balls) and okonomiyaki (fried cabbage pancake) – multiple times in fact. We explored a few different neighbourhoods around the city, including Denden Town, a haven for gadgets and geekery, and America-mura, where young and fashionable Japanese come to go vintage shopping and hang out. This was easily my favourite place in the city and I would have loved to spend more time here!

When Masa arrived, the three of us headed to USJ for the day. Since my last visit, a new area in the park had been built, themed around Super Mario. I was so excited to visit! However, due to a completely bullsh*t lottery system that you have to win to be allowed entry, we didn’t get to go in. I was (and am) so disappointed 😭 We had fun in the rest of the park of course, but I guess I’ll have to come back and pay another £50 to try again. Yay. Oh and we got rained on and absolutely drenched. So. Not the best memory.

I also got a chance to visit a couple of gay bars while here. I met some friendly people and some annoying people, as you are wont to do in any bar. Most venues here double as karaoke bars too; Yakumo was the star of the night with his impressive vocals, while I was celebrated for being able to sing some English songs with an authentic English accent.

Osaka had been super fun. Hanging out with the boys was a riot, and we’d done loads of super fun things, from shopping to eating to visiting Hogwarts to riding a mechanical bull. We all parted ways, excited for our next trip together. As for me, I was heading back on myself to spend some time In Kyoto.