A Trip to Japan

On January 7, 2025, I traveled to Japan. I should have documented this experience sooner, but upon my return, I was occupied with preparations for Google Summer of Code (GSoC), leaving me with little time. Fortunately, I was eventually chosen for GSoC, so I have decided to pen a blog post to commemorate this unforgettable journey.

I stayed in Japan for about ten days and saw a lot of new things. I visited three cities: Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. Each city has its own unique features and left a deep impression on me.

Osaka #

January 7 #

At noon on January 7th, I landed at Osaka Kansai International Airport. Before landing, I looked out the window and was still amazed to see that Japan truly is an island nation surrounded by the sea. After landing, we needed to take an airport bus to the subway station. Looking out at the ocean from the window on the way there reminded me of Evangelion (EVA), but in EVA, the sea is red.

Afterwards, I took the subway to Namba. My hotel was located nearby, close to many famous landmarks. After a quick and simple exchange with the front desk, I couldn’t wait to head out. Shinsaibashi was right outside my hotel, so that was my first stop.

Shinsaibashi is a bustling and crowded place. It exudes a sense of Showa-era opulence and prosperity, perfectly matching my impression of Osaka’s retro vibe. It was packed with tourists, almost all of whom were Chinese. Later, I grabbed a bite to eat there. The food looked very appetizing, but it didn’t taste quite as good as I had imagined.

Each shop looked very fancy, and what left a deep impression on me was the big crab. That is really huge.

Since I don’t exercise much, I got tired after walking for a while and went back to the hotel to rest. In the evening, I went out for another stroll. Dotonbori is right near Shinsaibashi. I wandered around the area, and it was packed with Izakayas. Osaka at night has a truly unique character. Unlike the daytime atmosphere where people are rushing about, there is a sense of indulgence in the air.

They looked very tempting, but I had already decided what to eat for dinner, so I resisted the temptation and went back. Since I was really hungry, I went straight to my destination for the night—Ichiran Ramen. I waited in a long line, and when I finally got to eat, it was incredibly tasty! The noodles were chewy, the broth was clear but very rich in flavor, the beef slices melted in my mouth, and the soft-boiled egg was perfect. It was so good that after finishing one bowl, I ordered another one!

After eating and drinking enough, I went back to the hotel to rest and prepare for the trip to Universal Studios the next day.

January 8 #

It was also a perfect day. I woke up around 8:00 and went Universal Studios. When I arrived, the doors were already open. Before I even went inside, I heard people screaming from the roller coasters, which was quite shocking.

The first place I visited was the Harry Potter theme park, and it really felt incredibly authentic. Some people were waving their wands, which they had bought from the themed shop, and dramatically reciting spells at specific attractions. I also got to see a magnificent replica of Hogwarts Castle.

Then I visited the much-talked-about Super Nintendo World. Although I ended up waiting in line for quite a while, it wasn’t as fun as I had imagined. That said, the attention to detail in the scenery and set design was truly impressive!

I ate some delicious food at Universal Studios. I ordered the fries and sandwich set at the Jaws-themed restaurant. The slightly salty fries and the delicious, juicy sandwich, paired with an ice-cold coke to cut through the richness—it was standard ‘American white person food’, but it tasted genuinely good.

The classic British dinner at the Harry Potter restaurant was surprisingly mixed. I really didn’t like the mushroom soup and the unseasoned carrots, but the sweet corn, the tender and juicy chicken drumstick, the meat patty covered in delicious sauce, and the moist pie were all quite good.