Kansai International Airport - Man-made Island in Osaka Bay

I got to meet my penpal, Hiroe, and my ex-boyfriend, Yasu... and we all went to Rinku Park for part of the day!

Quick Tips:

If you're at the airport, and want something to do that's not too far away... check out Rinku Park!

It's only one train stop away, and you get to go on the cool Japanese public transport system... and be back in time for your flight, too!

Best Way To Get Around:

The train is the best way to get around. As you're on an island, there's not too many other choices. There are ferries going to and from the airport... but IMO, the train, is the ideal choice.

Fantastic accommodation! Flying JAL on my way to LA, I got a stopover at the Kansai International Airport with a free night at the Nikko Kansai. JAL provided!

The rooms were small, but not cramped. Large beds, with all the usual amenities, and an ocean view! (Though as I arrived at 11pm in the evening, I saw blackness out the window. It wasn''t till the morning that I realised it was a beautiful ocean view out there!)

The bathroom even had a mirror with a fog-free surface, and a little machine so you can listen to the tv from the room! It was so cool!

Go to http://www.kiac.co.jp/english/hotel/hotel.htm for more information.

Rinku Park is a nice amusement park, more like Luna Park in Melbourne than say Warner Brothers Movie World - it's not a theme park.

It does have a giant ferris wheel, roller coaster, merry-go-round, a bungee ride and a ghost house.

We went into the ghost house and I was a little surprised that it wasn't a little train... it was one you walked around yourself! Anyway, we started going around and poor Hiroe was somewhat nervous, and she was squealing at different things inside.... which made US nervous and jumpy, too! So we were all squealing by the end!! ^_^;

The next ride we went on was the Ferris Wheel. Nothing too different from any other Ferris Wheel, but it gave good views of the surrounding area. I ended up with a photo that looks like it's of the car park... but it was a photo of the mountains in the background. ^^;

When we went, it was a school day, so the park was pretty empty. We got on all the rides we wanted first time!

Eventually we had to check out the food court. It was something of a surprise that they sold alcohol there! But, then, they sell alcohol at the train stations in vending machines...

The other major difference that I noticed between Australia and Japan was how clean everything was. The trains were clean and tidy, and the park itself was clean and tidy! There was no graffiti or anything.

I wish it was that clean, that people cared for their area and public transport that much in Australia.

It was quite a fun time, I must say. ^_^

In the morning I was in Osaka, I needed to find some shorts - I only had a pair of long pants in my overnight bag, and it was too hot for that!!!

Going through Takashimaya Department Store was fun... looking at all the Japanese food and drinks, and lots of Japanese gifts (as it's at an international airport, it's designed to meet the needs of tourists), and clothing.

But could I find shorts, despite the fact that it was the height of summer?

One style, and that was it. With a few sizes. So I took the large size, and went to the change rooms.

Would they fit? No! They were way too small! ;_;

Shorts, it seems, isn't in style in Japan (or wasn't back then!), and that was all they had. They were designed for small Japanese girls, and not me!

The rest of the day was spent in my long pants. :p

But it was a good place to pick up last moment gifts for friends and family back home... and Japanese sweets. Oishii! ^_^

Reaching the Kansai International Airport, my sister and I left the cool of the plane into the humid sweat bath of a Japanese summer night. It was about 10pm and it was over 30°C!

Well, leaving the air-conditioned airport was worse.

At least we only had a bridge to cross before we were at our hotel, the Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport.

It was a high class hotel, and it even had bell boys in their little hats, which I thought was a nice touch. I don't stay at too many hotels like that!

Anyway, the room was small but comfortable, but well appointed. Air conditioning, tea and coffee, television, a bathroom with a bath/shower... and a little device so you can listen to the television from inside the bathroom!!

They even provided little bathroom slippers for you to wear. ^_^

Well, my sister and I left and met up with my ex, Yasu, and we all went to dinner together. There was a number of places to eat, but only a few of them were open. The Japanese-style eating establishments were mostly closed, except for ones more focused on drinking. So we went and had Italian instead - I had pizza!

The service was wonderful, though. I accidentally knocked a fork off of the table, and the waiter rushed to pick it up and brought me a new one straight away! Wow... most places in Australia would leave you to pick it up, and continue using it. ;p

The next morning it was a hot and sunny day, still very humid. I only had some long pants, so we met my pen pan, Hiroe, and we headed to the shops in the Aeroplaza to find some shorts for me to wear. Nothing. Zip. Zilch.

At least I got a few sweets and gifts.

The next stop was the little Japanese video arcade at the Aeroplaza. That was where I first saw (and played) Street Fighter vs X-Men! ^_^

We also did the thing where the machine takes a photo of you all, and prints it out on little stickers. Four people in one photo didn''t make it a great shot, but we all got some stickers each!!

An odd thing (to me) about the arcade was that some of the games were gambling games... like the horse racing game they had. Wow... they seem pretty free with alcohol and gambling games where kids might turn up in Japan!

Maybe their youngsters are just more mature.

Anyway, next was Rinku Park, one station away from the airport. The trains were clean and tidy with no graffiti.

That was the thing about Japan - everything was so clean!!

While waiting for our train (I think a return cost 400 yen), we saw one of the reasons why the trains were so clean - the cleaning ladies went on another train and started work with their little trolley!

Anyway, our train came and it, too, was nice and clean. There was no graffiti on the posters. The train seats weren''t torn. It was really nice. The windows were even clean! And the train seats were really cool - if you didn't like facing one way, you could pull the seat backrest, and get it to swing across, so you can face the other way! ^_^

An odd thing, though, was that I saw next to no animal life. The stations had the sound of birds singing over speakers while you''re waiting at the stations... but I only saw one sparrow.

The other animal life I found while at Rinku Town Station. We went to have some lunch (I got a terriyaki burger!) and we sat down in the little eating area. There was a fly buzzing around at the window, trying to get out.

Other than that, I didn't see any animals at all. Not even insects!

Anyway, too soon it was time to say goodbye to both Hiroe and Yasu, and get on our flight to LA... too bad our time in Japan wasn''t any longer.

One day, I'll go again!