The Diamond Princess arrived in Osaka, Japan by 7 am for a long port stop.

We have not booked tours but decided to tackle the subway for a day.

Japanese immigration requires a finger print check, which is conducted in one of the lounges on board. Everyone is a given a time slot to line up and it is quite efficient. We need to carry a photocopy of our passport which has a Japanese arrival page glued to it. We need to hand this in when we return to the ship after our stop in Yokohama on Friday. After this process we are off the ship by 8.40 am.

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There was a currency exchange booth onshore so we changed $100US for 9700 Japanese Yen. We already had 9000 yen left from Nagasaki. There were some very helpful tour guides there who assisted us with directions tot eh trains etc. We were also able to buy an all day rail pass for $8US before we even got to the train station.

The port is adjacent the large Ferris Wheel and Aquarium so we will leave these until we return in the afternoon.

We walked down the street to find the train station and boarded the Green Chuo line as Station 11. We had done some research before leaving home and we wanted to take the one hour river cruise and see the city from the water. This required a change from the green Chuo line as Station 16 to the red Midosuji line. The change required a long walk up and down stairs but it was well signposted and we made it in about 10 minutes. We only needed to go one station (to 17 Yodoyabash) then get off to find the river cruise terminal. We asked directions as it’s no use picking an exit at random as it is so large. When we were above ground again we were beside the river but the signs were not so clear here. It took us about 15 minutes to find where we could buy tickets for the aqua bus ($17 US each) – then we had a 40 minute wait. So we spent time in a coffee shop ( Café Veloce), watching the locals as they had breakfast on their way to work. We had 2 pastries and one coffee for $4.90 total.

We were the only non Japanese on the river cruise. It was a low boat that fitted under the low bridges. At one stage they demonstrated how the roof of the aqua bus slides down to fit under the lowest of the bridges. Could be quite distressing if you were not warned it was going to happen – the roof just lowers so it’s closer to your head.

We did the loop for an hour. There was a Japanese commentary followed by a shorter English version so we picked up a few things.

The older Japanese onboard were very kind to us, allowing us to get onboard first etc.

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Next we returned to the red line of the subway and got off to explore the ShinSi Bashi shopping area. You can’t call it a mall or centre as it stretches for miles. We walked one way, intending to double back so we would not lose our bearings. However, each time you walked a long city block, it kept going – so we did too. And every side street was also full of shops and stalls. We made a loo stop at MacDonald’s and they had the fancy toilets with all the options (fake flushing sound, water pressure control for washing the rear end etc etc.). Having had no training in these devices I just used the western flush we are used to. I didn’t want to end up wetter then I had planned!!!!

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After about an hour of walking we came to the food area and chose a Japanese Restaurant for lunch. As usual we chose one where the locals were eating. We are not into sushi so we again had some lovely tempura prawns and vegetables. Paul tried another Japanese beer to wash it down. It’s been a bit like the Beer tour of Asia – and usually successful choices!!!

The one type of place that amazed/amused us was what originally looked like pin ball parlours. Then I saw people in their 80s playing the games. So we went inside for better look. We were welcomed but decided not to play. There were hundreds of machines, each with silver ball bearings being poured by the players into the slots and the bearings ran down through pin ball type games – either winning or losing. Later in the day we were told that gambling is illegal in Japan so they win their ball bearings, take them to the counter in baskets to be weighed. They are then traded for a soft toy and a docket. The player then goes to another store where the soft toy is bought back for the amount on the docket. I guess Tom Waterhouse is using similar work-arounds to get into our lounge rooms every day for gambling. Where there is a will there is a way!!! We walked past numerous parlours like this. Some had machines more closely resembling the poker machines we are used to. The aspect that stayed with us the most was the deafening sound of the ball bearings. We only lasted a few minutes to see how people put their money in and to get their original stash of bearings, then sat amid the cacophony and gambled away – not for us – we kept going to see what was next!

When we tired of shops we entered the subway again to return to the ship. It was then we realised we had walked equivalent to one whole subway stop through the shops as we got on at the next station. Again we were on red line and had to change to green line to get back. The all day pass made this very easy.

When we got back to the Harbour we looked for a place to have a drink. I saw teddy bears outside a coffee shop we so went for a look. It was owned by Paul, An Aussie from Sydney who welcomed us in. He had VB in bottles and Bundy so we were set for few hours. There was a Japanese family enjoying late lunch which turned out to be a 6 month birthday party for the baby – cake and all!!! Then Paul (café owner) and his friend started playing guitar and signing – it was great. Paul has been a dancer on Princess cruises and went to Osaka to help set up their Universal Studios and 12 months ago he opened Kuma Kafe. He also has a recording studio and a few other business interests in Osaka.

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Paul (McCosker) then returned to the Diamond Princess and I went to explore the Aquarium. It was fabulous! $23US entry fee. You go up a steep escalator to the 8th floor (777 meters high) then you spiral down the ramps around the central display. The glass is 30cm thick. I recall seeing a documentary on the building of this and how it needed to be tsunami proof. Well is was and is still standing after the 2011 tsunami. You will need to see the photos for the range of creatures on display. Best aquarium I have every visited.

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Sailaway:

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