Woke up at 5:00 a.m. again. Seriously… why does the sun rise so early in Japan, but nothing opens until much later? Maybe locals take that time to enjoy the peace and quiet — something I’m starting to appreciate. I stayed in bed and read until about 6:30, then got up and started getting everything ready for our big day. Today, we ride the bullet train to Osaka!
We finished up our last-minute packing and were out the door by 7:30 a.m. It was raining — more than a drizzle but not quite a downpour — so we packed umbrellas. Carlynn and I shared one, while Tom and Charlie each had their own. Tom and I wore our big backpacks, the kids had their small daypacks, and we had one rolling carry-on suitcase (which Tom had to carry through the neighborhood since you’re supposed to be quiet and respectful before 8 a.m.).
At the train station, Carlynn impressed me by following directions and snagging an open seat on the train. I stood by the door, squished with my backpack on my front. Luckily, we only rode that train for one stop before transferring to another — which was packed. I’m talking “sardines in a can” level packed. We wisely skipped that train and waited for the next one just 3 minutes later. Being first in line for that one was so worth it. I love how orderly and respectful the lines are here!
We arrived at Tokyo Station about 30 minutes earlier than we had the day before — right in the middle of rush hour. Still, we made it! Tom and the kids ran into the convenience store to grab snacks and drinks while I waited outside with the luggage. Then we made our way to the Shinkansen platform and only had to wait about 10 minutes before boarding. Tom drank a little protein drink while we waited.
Let me just say: the bullet train is awesome. It’s more spacious than coach airplane seats, with amazing legroom and even free Wi-Fi. I’m typing this part on the train now! The ride to Osaka has only a few stops. At the first one, a couple got on with four huge suitcases and massive backpacks — and the guy kept smacking people (including me) with a duffel bag tied to his back. Tom thought we had a lot of luggage… I will remind him of this every time we travel and he complains about how much I pack…It could always be worse!
Even with rain and fog, the views from the Shinkansen were beautiful. For breakfast, Carlynn and I each had Japan’s version of an uncrustable — soft, fresh bread with incredible jam in the center. It was way better than the frozen ones at home. I’m convinced everything here just tastes better and fresher.
After arriving in Osaka, we scoped out which train we’d take later to our hotel so we could store our bags close by. Bag lockers here are genius — for 700 yen, we stored our carry-on suitcase and two large backpacks. Super easy and secure. We even spotted the same group of European men from our train at the lockers — small world!
Since we hadn’t packed any jackets, and it was surprisingly chilly and windy, we wandered through a mall connected to the station looking for something warm. That led us straight to Shinsaibashi-suji, a covered shopping street that goes on forever. With tons of stores — from Uniqlo to tiny local shops and sweet stalls — and a glass roof overhead, it’s perfect even when it’s raining.
We ducked into Uniqlo and found lightweight UV jackets for Tom and me. Carlynn opted out (once she realized it was more of a “sun shirt”), and Charlie passed because they didn’t have red. They did pick out some fun shirts though — Hello Kitty for Carlynn and Minecraft for Charlie.
After too long in the store, we were starving and found a little Mexican restaurant tucked upstairs in a building. I was skeptical — trying Mexican food in Japan and cheating on our usual go-to place back home? But I’m so glad we did! This might have been my favorite meal of the trip so far. The food was so good and it was decorated like a Mexican cantina.
I had a lychee margarita, Tom had a matcha margarita (not my thing, so I didn’t try it), and the kids had frozen lychee and strawberry lemon drinks. For food, I went all in — salad, half a cheese quesadilla, meat, beans, rice, and taco shells. The salad dressing was incredible, the beans were rich and flavorful, and the rice… oh my gosh. Sticky Japanese-style Mexican rice?! Heaven.
Later, we stopped at a McDonald’s to use the restroom and grabbed drinks. The kids had melon Fanta floats (of course), and Tom and I had coffee. I got the smallest size, and it was teeny and adorable. Also, noticeably less sweet than U.S. McDonald’s coffee.
We browsed around more resale shops (hello, luxury bags!) where I dragged the family into every second-hand designer store I could find. While I didn’t find my dream handbag, it was fun to browse. Japan’s strict counterfeit laws make it a great place to buy second-hand, high-end items. We also took the kids into a huge gashapon store.
By the evening, we were ready to grab our bags and head to Universal City. Locker pick-up was smooth — just scan the code and open the locker. While trying to find our train platform, we ran into the same group of European guys again. One of them approached us asking if we could make a call for him — he thought his luggage had been stolen from the coin locker. We felt terrible but couldn’t help since our eSIM is data-only (no calls). Fortunately, about an hour later, we saw him again… with his luggage! He had just used the wrong locker number. Crisis averted.
We boarded the train to Universal City and waited in a cozy indoor waiting area. Across the platform, we spotted a Hello Kitty-themed train — pink and adorable inside and out. Naturally, I took Carlynn out to get a picture with it.
When we arrived at Universal City Station, it was chaos — crowds leaving Universal Studios around 8 p.m. It was overwhelming, and we were exhausted. We got checked into our hotel and took a few lobby photos before heading to the on-site restaurant for dinner. Carlynn had a cute kids’ meal, Charlie and I had fried chicken, and Tom tried a grilled rice ball. Everything was solid.
We grabbed a fresh-squeezed orange juice from a vending machine next to the restaurant — and wow, it was amazing. So fresh and delicious!
Finally, we made it to our room, and it felt like a mansion compared to our tiny Tokyo apartment. Spacious, quiet, and comfy. The hotel provided slippers and pajamas, and I was thrilled to find the pajamas actually fit me — something that wouldn’t have happened two years ago!
We didn’t even turn on the TV. We all crashed into our own beds and fell asleep, completely wiped out — but excited for tomorrow’s adventure.
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