I awoke after my first night in Osaka with a fresh set of eyes and a roar of excitement. My hotel was in the heart of Osaka, and I wanted to race out into the day, but first I had to face the continual challenge of my trip, breakfast.

The  breakfast  in the states varies by location, but for me it was always a bowl of cereal or a piece of fruit. I’d grown tired to scarfing down rice balls for breakfast, and so I was pleasantly surprised to find the hotel offered breakfast.

Japanese breakfast is really interesting. Rice is a big part of it, but then there was fruit, eggs, salmon, and salad. It was quite delicious and without further ado I headed into the streets of Osaka.

The hustle and bustle were everywhere, but it seemed more personal, more real as if the people I was watching were more than just their job. It was a stark difference between the mornings in Tokyo and the ones in Osaka.  This wall of vending machines was one of the many I spotted. I really wish stuff like this would catch on in the US. So many cool little bits and bobs!

Like these underpants for your phone. 

or whatever this is…do I want to know? 

As my journey wound on I found myself wandering Den Den Town, which is Kyoto’s local electronic and geek district.

Yes, those are all body pillows, and yes the are used by fans to cuddle up to their anime crush. 

Osaka tower! I don’t know why every major city in Japan has some sort of tower, but I am guessing it was a fad at one point. 

uh….wait? I’ll end with something I spotted as I headed out of downtown Osaka in the redlight district, (though at the time I didn’t know it was the red light district.).

Quite a few of the manhole covers in Osaka were painted! They are  a beautiful little example of how even the urbanest areas can add culture to themselves. More tomorrow dear readers!