Monday - Day 4

Today was the first day where I was on my own for the bulk of it and it didn't get off to the best of starts! We woke up at 3.45am to watch Germany vs. Poland and then went back to bed, and by the time I woke back up it was almost mid day! After a quick shower I caught the train into Kyobashi station and then caught the JR Loop line a few stops to Umeida which is where we went on the first night. It's a cool little place and I did a bit of wandering around taking photos of random things. I then headed to the arcade and hoped to see some crazy dance dance revolution action but it seems those dudes work in the day and then dance at night when they get the big crowds! I also spied the karaoke place but didn't feel like going back on my own! Just up the road from there is a seven story shopping centre which has a huge ferris wheel on the top level that takes you high over Osaka and has sick views. Today it's a bit hazy but you still get the general idea and at 500 yen (£2.50) and it being full air conditioned I felt like going around a few more times! I had a quick look in Tower Records and Virgin megastores and spotted a few UK bands such as Fast Reaction and Me vs. Hero being sold and then bought the new New Found Glory cd as it was only £7 for the special edition. It's sad that I've gone thousands of miles and I'm still taken in by the "Punk/Emo" signs in music shops!

Thursday night I want to go to see the Orix Buffaloes baseball team at the Osaka Dome and the internet ticket sites are far from clear so I thought I'd head down to the Dome to buy tickets in person. It's only a 15 minute train ride and didn't look too far. Of course I caught the fast train that went right past the Dome and didn't stop for another 6 stops so I had to come back on the slower train. It was a lot of effort and then I found out that the area was dead and they don't have a ticket office! Back to Suminodo to meet Tom it was, just as the heavens opened!