Ultra-Detailed Travelogue: Zhaoshang Yidun's 15-Day Japan Loop with Harmonious Breeze and Elegant Rhyme (Part 6)

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July 10, 2023

Day 9: Osaka

On July 10 at 9 a.m., Zhaoshang Yidun arrived in Osaka. Osaka was the only port where we stayed overnight on this trip, but that didn't mean passengers could return to the ship very late, because the gangway would be retracted around 10 p.m. If you didn't want to sleep on the ship, that was also possible, but you needed to inform the ship crew in advance.

The location of Osaka Port was very advantageous, right next to the Tempozan Ferris Wheel and the Kaiyukan Aquarium, with a subway station nearby.

Welcome to Osaka!

Today, the ship also provided shuttle buses with very frequent departures.

Osaka has many tourist attractions. Originally, I planned to spend a whole day at Universal Studios and another day in the city center. But later, when I checked the itinerary carefully, I found that we had to leave Osaka at 1 p.m. the next day, so I could only spend half a day at the studio, which suddenly made the schedule very tight.

Universal Studios was right across from Osaka Port, and the roller coaster in the distance was clearly visible. But because of the sea barrier, we had to take a taxi to get there.

Soon after getting off the ship, we hailed a taxi. I told the driver we wanted to go to Universal Studios. The driver asked if we could take the expressway, costing about 3,000 yen. We gladly agreed. That was the only sentence I understood; as for the rest of what the driver said, we just pretended not to hear...

The taxi doors were automatic, operated by the driver. That was the first time I had seen that.

The age of the taxi was inversely proportional to the driver's attitude.

There are five Universal Studios around the world: in Los Angeles, Orlando, Singapore, Osaka, and Beijing. After successfully checking off Osaka Universal Studios, only Beijing was left to visit – and wouldn't that be a piece of cake?

We had bought tickets in advance on a certain domestic platform. Before entering, we had the staff scan the QR code on our voucher, and we were in. I have to say, there were really a lot of people. Many visitors had already taken good positions along the roadside, ready to watch the No Limit parade.

Doraemon and Nobita – only found at Japan's Universal Studios, right?

The Cyberdyne building from The Terminator – unfortunately, it was currently closed. How great would it be to witness an epic showdown between T-800 and T-1000!

Soon after entering the park, the No Limit parade began. All the familiar themes appeared: Hello Kitty, Minions, Sesame Street, etc. The atmosphere was much livelier than in photos. The staff were very dedicated, dancing enthusiastically under the scorching sun. I was curious how they didn't seem to sweat?

Mario Kart appeared, and at one point it stopped to interact with the crowd. A bunch of big kids were having a great time.

I never expected that the grand finale would be the Pokémon series, full of childhood memories. If they ever open a Pokémon-themed park in the future, I'll definitely come again!

A close-up of Charizard!

The parade ended with the Butterfree from Pokémon, leaving a bit of an unfinished feeling.

Next was Minion Park, with Minions jumping around everywhere. I didn't experience the rides inside – the queues were often one to two hours long, and I didn't have that kind of time.

Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco – nothing special, because the real one is just so-so.

The Jurassic Park-themed rapid ride – perfect for summer.

Every time I visit Universal Studios, I watch the Water World show. Maybe because I've seen it too many times, or maybe because of the Japanese dubbing, I felt it wasn't as exciting as in other locations, and the audience's applause was sparse.

Osaka Universal Studios' most famous hot item – Nintendo World – was right next to the Water World show. To enter, you needed a timed entry ticket. Before the trip, I had read that many people lined up an hour early at the park entrance just to get one. The staff said the available entry time for the day was already at 7 p.m. We thought it was too late, so we gave up and settled for a visit to the adorable Sesame Street.

The last attraction was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Hogwarts was very realistic, but smaller than the one in Orlando Universal Studios, with fewer rides. This time was really tight. Next time I visit, I'll definitely set aside a full day.

After Universal Studios, we planned to take the subway to Tsutenkaku, then walk all the way through Osaka Bridge to Shinsaibashi, and finally take the shuttle bus back to the port. Universal Studios is on Sakurajima, so we first took the Sakurajima Line (blue P line) to Nishikujō Station, then the Osaka Loop Line (red O line) to Shin-Imamiya Station.

The train was full of ads for Nintendo World – so close yet so far. What a pity.

After arriving at Nishikujō Station, we transferred to the Osaka Loop Line. Other line trains also arrived at the station, so don't just board any train you see – chances are you'll get it wrong.

On the train, I noticed the sky had become overcast, and a bad feeling crept in. Sure enough, it later poured rain, and we had to take shelter in the station for half an hour.

Not long after exiting the subway, we reached Shinsekai Hondōri Shopping Street. The restaurant decorations were all very exaggerated, more like artworks than restaurants, attracting many foreign tourists to take photos.

I had read in my research that Tsutenkaku was under renovation, but I didn't expect it to still be under renovation. We just looked at it from the outside.

Then came the power-walking moment! We walked all the way to an important destination of our Japan trip: Super Kids Land in Nipponbashi. Whether you're a Gundam fan, a (pseudo) military enthusiast, or a railway fan, you could always find your dream model.

Various types of Gundam at the store entrance.

China's aircraft carrier Liaoning was also on display.

My loot: Jagdtiger, Challenger, Yamato – this time I returned with a full load. Then we continued walking to Shinsaibashi and took the shuttle bus back to the port.

Before boarding the ship, I had read a food guide on a certain travel platform, saying that at the beginning of a long voyage on Zhaoshang Yidun, many people ate in the Western restaurant, but later everyone's stomach turned Chinese, and they went upstairs to the buffet for noodles. At that point, the Western restaurant hardly needed reservations. So we didn't go to the Western restaurant until Day 9 to try it out. The pre-meal bread was average, nothing special.

The cold dishes were much better – fish and shellfish were fresh and flavorful.

The main courses were all good – steak, fish fillet, and pasta each had their own characteristics. The most amazing was the porcini-flavored steak cooked to only medium-rare. The first bite was unremarkable, but the more I ate, the more I liked it. For the next few days, every time we went to the Western restaurant, this steak was a must-order.

The desserts were just so-so, not a wide variety. I suggest going to the buffet if you want dessert.

After a hearty dinner, we went out on deck to enjoy the sea breeze and admire the colorful Tempozan Ferris Wheel.

July 11, 2023

Day 10: Osaka

On July 10, Zhaoshang Yidun stayed overnight in Osaka, not leaving until 1 p.m. on July 11. So today we still had time to go sightseeing in the city.

Since the group tour guests were visiting Osaka Castle today, the ship did not arrange shuttle buses, so we had to take the subway into the city.

First, we took the Chūō Line (green C line) to Sakaisuji-Honmachi Station, then transferred to the Sakaisuji Line (brown K line) to Kintetsu Nippombashi Station.

Just a few steps from the subway exit was Kuromon Market.

The oyster buffet looked great and was reasonably priced, but unfortunately the ship set sail at 1 p.m., so even if we had lunch there, we wouldn't have enough time.

Since we arrived at Kuromon Market early in the morning, many shops hadn't even opened yet. But Kuromon Market is famous, and even in the morning it attracted quite a few tourists.

The market had all kinds of seafood, and most of the people eating were tourists, so there might be some overcharging. Everyone should be careful.

After leaving Kuromon Market, we went to the nearby Dōtonbori.

We arrived too early again – almost no stores were open, some trucks were unloading, and there were few tourists.

Like Shinsekai yesterday, the decoration styles were flashy. The giant crab sign of Kani Dōraku is said to be good. Next time I visit Osaka, I might check it out.

Don Quijote again, and the uniquely shaped Dōtonbori Ferris Wheel.

Finally, we reached Osaka's iconic landmark – Shinsaibashi. The Glico sign was impressive. I had been here over a decade ago. The biggest change? Merchants now accept Alipay and WeChat Pay. I couldn't help but marvel at the times.

We walked north along Shinsaibashi-suji until we reached Honmachi Station, where we could take the Chūō Line directly back to the port, saving the trouble of transferring.

At noon, we returned to Zhaoshang Yidun. Soon we would say goodbye to Osaka. Overall, this Osaka trip was relatively satisfactory. The reason I say "relatively" is that the second day was really rushed – we had to visit three attractions in one morning, plus commuting. I hope the ship can improve the itinerary in the future, maybe postpone the departure time on the second day, and consider the needs of independent travelers more.

After dinner, I quietly watched the sunset over the Pacific from the deck.

Tomorrow's destination has unique historical significance: Hiroshima, the first city in the world to be hit by an atomic bomb.

Ultra-Detailed Travelogue: Zhaoshang Yidun's 15-Day Japan Loop with Harmonious Breeze and Elegant Rhyme (Part 6) ends here. Stay tuned for the next installment: Zhaoshang Yidun's 15-Day Japan Loop with Harmonious Breeze and Elegant Rhyme (Part 7)