Welcome to Osaka – Bullet Train and Bedrooms for Everyone

We took a bullet train to Osaka yesterday and it was an adventure we all enjoyed! Braxton has been working on a research project about bullet trains, so it was incredible for him to experience one first hand to round out his research. The whole process was streamlined and efficient. The train was roomy and very comfortable. We had read that you can get motion sickness from the rocking, so the kids and I took Dramamine. No one had an ounce of motion sickness – yay!

We had to take two additional subway trains and then it was just a short walk to our Airbnb. The vibe here in Osaka already feels different. There were guys joking around loudly and having fun on the subway train. We rarely saw anyone even talk on the train in Tokyo. We also saw three cats in the alley approaching our Airbnb. Alexis immediately said “Oh, this is giving me Costa Rica vibes.” The only animals we saw in Tokyo were small dogs. They were usually equally as groomed as their owners often wearing some type of clothing.

Our New Home Away From Home

Our house in Osaka feels like a mansion. This is the first time in 3 months that the kids both have their own bedroom! It even has an additional tatami room to use for whatever we choose. The house is comfortable, spacious, and the set up is great. The kids bedrooms are upstairs, so Dave and I can wake up early without disturbing them. It’s a single family home, so we don’t have to worry about making too much noise for anyone living above/below us. It feels like we can all breathe a bit.

On the flip side of that, it also feels a little weird to have so much space. Last night Alexis said “I think I could call your name, and you might not even hear me.” As we laid on her bed, we chatted about how big our house is back home and how incredible it feels to realize we don’t need a lot of space to be happy. She said to Dave today “I’m lonely, how did we ever survive living in a 3 story house?” It’s nice to know she’s not sick of us yet!

Little Features That Make Our House Uniquely Japanese

Our house has some unique features and quirky little things about it. The tatami room is a traditional Japanese style room with flooring made of tatami mats. These are thick, woven, straw mats that have an earthy scent. The room is used for various things such as tea ceremonies, meditation, sleeping, and entertaining guests. I’m not sure what we will use it for yet, but it might be my favorite spot in the house.

The bath tub is pink and the toilet seat is heated. The half bath upstairs has a toilet/sink combo thing going on. The water starts running in the sink when you flush the toilet.

The kitchen has a floor storage compartment that Braxton immediately noticed and wanted to check out. These are common in kitchens in Japanese homes and are used for extra food storage. They are insulated and keep things slightly cooler than room temperature.

We went for a short walk this afternoon to explore our neighborhood a bit. It definitely feels different than the clean, polished, reserved nature of Tokyo. Blending in among the bustling streets there felt easy, but here we definitely stand out more. Each new place is a little disorienting at first. We are looking forward to getting out there and exploring more. For now though, we are soaking up this fantastic house!