WE'RE OFF TO JAPAN

 We leave this morning for Osaka, Japan:

You can vicariously follow our trip through this blog.  I hope to this time have few more videos.  I bought an OSMO Pocket 3 video camera.

We will first be staying at the Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel.  Read about our previous visit in November of 2023.  Our hotel is on floors 38 to 57 in the 60 story Abeno Harukas, the tallest building in Osaka.

Then, on to the 2025 Osaka Expo:

We then will take the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka Station to Shin-Yokohama Station, a train ride of two hours.  We will need to transfer to Yokohama Station so that we can walk to the Sheraton Yokohama Bay Hotel, where we have stayed many times.  In Japan, it is traditional to just transfer any large suitcase from one hotel to the next for a reasonable cost.  This hotel sits on top of a very large shopping mall that connects to the train station.

Then, 16 days on the Oceania Riviera.

We have 5 days to spend in Vancouver.  Our hotel is virtually across the street from the cruise port.  The Marriott Pinnacle is #2 on the map.

The problem is that we are so close we need to decide whether to walk or take a cab.  We will have a lot of luggage.

Well, here is that Pocket 3 video of the lounge.

See you next in Osaka.

 -

-

FUKUOKA TO OSAKA

I was most previously in Fukuoka in 2018 to attend a hydrogen conference, when Kyushu University paid expenses for me to give the invited lecture.  I also asked if they could take me to a fugu restaurant.  Here are two fugu testicles.  Note:  each is bigger than a lemon wedge.  And the fish is not much larger than a grapefruit.  I also took a tour of Fukuoka with colleagues from the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute.

So yesterday we first had an excellent breakfast in the Ritz Carlton Club Lounge.

Then, off to Ohori Park, which was only one subway stop away.

Met by my Blue-bar Pigeon.

Started kind of gloomy, for the weather was threatening and it was cold.

I was watching this black duck of some kind, who now and then dived underwater.  Finally, he caught a fish that was several inches long, and had difficulty swallowing it.

Other sights.

Two foxes and Fall Colors.

A nice outing and some good walking,  Back to our Club Lounge, where I am cranking out this blog.

Dinner was with a Hess Cabernet and some champagne.

I then followed mostly with Chivas Mizunara and Absolute Elyx.

Ended with a combo of Kahlua, Bailey's and Cognac, with something.

Walked 6574 steps today.

Next morning for breakfast, two courses, with  beer.

Then a Japanese breakfast.

Then a taxi to Hakata Station to catch the Sakura Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka Station.

Getting frugal, for my train meal came from the hotel.

The Fall Colors are slowly getting more intense.

The leaning castle of ?

They actually have graffiti in Japan.

I should also add that there is still a lot of industry in Japan, and here is a typical view.

Arrived in Shin-Osaka and caught s subway train to our hotel area.  The Marriott Miyako Hotel is conveniently at Tenjin Station.  Rimu, a Frenchie, and owner, shared an elevator ride with us.

I wondered why everyone on our train was female.  Then saw the sign across from me that this car was only for females.

I didn't get kicked out.  The Marriott Miyako Osaka is high up on a 54 story building next to the subway station.

Our corner room views are spectacular.

Went to the Executive Lounge and had a snack with beer.

I'll end here and spend some time tomorrow on Osaka.

-

JACSE: Japan Autumn Cruise and Shinkansen Experience

I was reminded that I don't have a name for our current trip.   For example, there was My Ultimate Global Adventure or MUGA of 2013, where I flew First Class Around the World in 51 days.  My Ultimate Fantasy Adventure, or MUFA of 2014, was in business class, only in the Orient, and was about a month long. My Global Around the World Adventure, or GAWA in 2015, lasted 65 days.  They were all wonderful.

So I need an acronym or initialization (not sure what the difference is).  Some don't work:

• JAP for Japan Adventure for Pat:  Jap is a nasty perjorative, and I wasn't alone on this trip.

• 
  OFAL for Our Fall Autumn Layover: animal organs don't impart good memories, although, we really did not do much, so the L part makes sense.
• ACE for Autumn Colors Extravaganza:  no, we missed the colors on Hokkaido, and much of what we've seen so far has been spotty.

On this trip to Japan we took a cruise, had too much to drink and eat, slept a whole lot, trained everywhere and did almost nothing.  So what would be the best acronym reflecting those conditions?

• Drink could also be Alcohol, so D and A.
• Cuisine and Food can be substituted for Eat:  E, C, F.

• 
  Fall Colors can also be Autumn, but F, C and E are already covered
• This was a Trip, Journey or Voyage:  T, J, V.
• Can't use anything like Grand or Great, Adventure or Fabulous, for things mostly did not reach any kind of spectacular level.

• 
  Yet, it was Enjoyable, a lot of Fun, Worthwhile, Peaceful and Satisfying:  W, P, S.
• So what about our Japan Fall Colors Cruise and Train Trip:  Our Japan Fall CCaTT?
• Or better yet, Japan Autumn Cruise and Shinkansen Experience:  JACSE?

• 
  Covers where we have been.
• Includes the Diamond Princess and Japan Rail Pass.
• Experience could be good or bad, and while the colors were mediocre, we have very much enjoyed much of everything else.
• This acronym has no meaning, but neither did MUFA, MUGA AND GAWA.

Best we can do for now, but we have a week left.  Any recommendations?

Breakfast at the Marriott Miyako Osaka, beginning with our view.

Noticed two trends that reminded me of 15 Craigside.  First, we have a friend there that wears a baseball cap to meals.  Turns out this is also popular in Japan.

Also, here "Craig" (that robot) is kept pretty busy, shuttling used dishes and utentils back to be washed.

Staff places items in brown tub.

Then into the slots of "Craig."

We've pretty much been there and done that in Osaka.  Today, we seriously considered a light show by teamLab at the Nagai Botanical Garden, but it really was cold out there.

We did take a walk around our building and to this Q-Mall, but not far because of the low temperature.  Beautiful day, though.

Took a photo of our building from below.  We were later shocked to find out that this was the tallest building in Japan, until  few days ago when Mori opened Azabudai Hills in Tokyo.

The only exciting photos were of vegetables and fruits.  Red carrots.

Reddish daikon (turnips).  Sort of like giant radishes.

Yellow cauliflower and purple brocolli,

Expensive fruits.  This box costs $100.

Can't imagine why these grapes cost so much.

We later went to the HARUKAS 300 Observatory, mainly because it was located in our building and we had free tickets provided by the hotel.  Four tickets worth $48.  Then, when I later did research on Harukas 300, I was stunned to learn that the building we are in, Abeno Harukas, was,  at 300 meters (984 feet), the tallest building in Japan from 2014 until last week.  Floors:

• 
  58-60  Harukas 300 Observatory
• 38-55  Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel
• Rest of floors are offices, Kintetsu Department Store and the Kintetsu Osaka Abenobashi Station, adjacent to the JR Tennoji Station.

The mascot is Abeno Bear.

We had not gone out to a restaurant for days, so we decided to catch the elevator to the basement and had soba and unagi for dinner.

Finally, back to the Executive Lounge for a cognac.

Walked 10,259 steps today,

Tomorrow, on to Kyoto.

-