Tuesday, March 26, 1991
Do the tourist thing and head to Den Den Machi. In Osaka station, as I'm trying to figure out which subway to take, MJN spots the Information office. "Hey, let's ask them." I'm dubious. So he goes off to do it and comes back with a information map with our route highlighted in yellow. There are obviously advantages to being outgoing and unselfconscious.
As we exit the subway and are staring at the map to orient ourselves, a man comes up and asks, in English, if we need help. I'm surprised at how used to foreigners people in the big cities are. And their English is so much better. You'd hardly know you were in Japan.
About 2:30 head back to Osaka station and have lunch there while waiting for our train to Kobe. In Kobe, we make the requisite stop at Maruzen bookstore in Motomachi. I buy a cookbook and Martin's Pocket Dictionary.
Given that MJN has so much luggage, he's able to talk me into taking a taxi to the port (such luxury). Like most first-time visitors, he's startled by the taxi's automatic doors. The ferry is not as crowded as it's been on my other trips, and we use our blankets to stake out a territory about the size of a 6-mat room. We take turns going down to the ship's public bath. By onsen standards, the water is not very hot or pleasant, but it's fun watching it roll with the motion of the ship.
Posted by M Sinclair Stevens
March 26, 2003
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Shopping at Den-Den Machi in Osaka. Eat lunch in Osaka Station. Train to Kobe. Sunflower ferry to Beppu-shi.