Japan had always been on my bucket list of places to visit with my kids. I was sure they would be fascinated by the Japanese culture like I did the first time I visited Tokyo some twenty years ago. Historically, there were a lot of conflicts between the Japanese and the Chinese. Raised in a British colony (Hong Kong), I honestly didn't feel any anti-Japanese sentiment in my surroundings.
Our first stop in Japan would be Osaka because it is close to our last destination, Busan, South Korea. We also like Osaka because it is a good base for us to explore other cities in Kansai like Nara, Kyoto, and Kobe.
Flight
Initially, we had booked a Korean airline, JinAir, to fly from Busan to Osaka. Unfortunately, the flight was cancelled just a few days before we departed Canada. It was probably due to the rapid dropping of Korean tourists to Japan. Luckily, we managed to buy tickets from the Japanese Peach Aviation instead.
As a budget airline, the Peach airplane was actually quite nice. The only thing missing was the entertainment system. For a short flight like between Busan and Osaka, it was not a big deal. In about 1.5 hours, we arrived at the Kansai International Airport. The airport was a fascinating fleet of engineering especially since it gradually sank every year and countermeasure must be done to keep the airport from being swallowed by the sea.
Walking on the street
The streets of Japan were wide and easy to follow. Most intersections had traffic lights for pedestrian crossing. However, we found that a little overused at times. For example, sometimes a low traffic side street can be served with a stop sign instead of a traffic light for better efficiency.
In any case, everyone followed the traffic lights without exception. It must be one of the most orderly cities in the world. Similar to South Korea, the cars were very quiet even though they were not all electric. Apparently, the average age of cars in Japan is between 7-8 years old. The newer engines do not make as much noise as the older ones.
Since our guesthouse was located inside a residential area, we passed by local residents' houses every day. We were always impressed by what they did to their landscaping in such a small space. It showed how much they loved their homes and their community.
Since Japan was the first country to introduce tactile paving, so it was no surprise to find this applied almost everywhere.
Navigation App
As far as navigation app goes, Google Maps works perfectly here. When it comes to public transit, Google Maps has all of the necessary information, including additional tips like which car of the train is closest to your exit at the destination.
People
To be completely honest with you, I had only limited interaction with the local Japanese. People in general were friendly and we got excellent service in restaurants and train stations. However, in Osaka, when we walked in the neighborhood of our guesthouse, we saw signs that showed the neighborhood did not welcome guesthouse in the vicinity.
On one hand, I felt uneasy knowing that our family (as tourists) were not welcome here. On the other hand, I felt sympathetic towards the Japanese. Japanese were used to sending their kids to school or to run errand alone even when they were very young (we are talking about 5 years old or even smaller). The parents not only had to trust their kids but also the entire community to look after each other. Having strangers in the area would make the parents think twice before they send the kids out.
I had no idea what the plan for the future would be. Japan wanted to increase their number of tourists even more due to the upcoming 2020 Olympics. Conflicts between these guesthouses and the local people will surely continue for some time.
Staying
In Osaka, we stayed at HG Cozy Hotel No 33 森ノ宮駅前. It was a simple service apartment with everything we needed, including a kitchen with usable utensils and a washing machine. This place was especially suited for family with kids. However, since there was no elevator, you would need to make sure you and your family can walk up the stairs with your luggages. The self checkin option was straightforward and easy. I would highly recommend using that instead of going to their office to get the key.
We had planned to stay 9 nights in Osaka, mostly making day trips to discover the neighboring cities, harnessing the almighty power of the Japanese train system. The guesthouse was deep in a residential area and was a very quiet neighborhood. On one hand, it’s a very local experience. On the other hand, you could feel that the locals were not too thrilled about having a guesthouse nearby. Walking from the nearest train station (Morinomiya Station) to the hotel was not straightforward due to construction in the area but we managed to find the place even when it was dark.
Grocery
Since our guesthouse had a usable kitchen, we tried to cook our own meal at night. The local supermarkets (KOHYO JR Morinomiya, ビエラ森ノ宮 and Super Tamade) carried a lot of high quality products for a reasonable price. We especially loved the take out sushi on KOHYO. We had sushi nights and ramen night with local vegetables. It’s a good way to save some money, get some fibres, and enjoy the relax time at dinner.
After dinner, we took turn bathing. Our kids seldom showed any enthusiasm to the idea of bathing but the Osaka guesthouse changed that. They loved the high tech bathtub that auto fill and auto warm itself.