October 25th, 2025 - Japan Arc Day 1: Test Run

I awoke to Freya on my shoulder, she had me almost off the bed the way she was big spooning me. I couldn’t fall back asleep, I assumed it was still night but the light peeking behind the black out blinds said otherwise. I took a look beyond them, it was… so bright, so beautiful. Now I write with my sliver of sunlight shining at my desk, I want to feel the sun on my face I want to be outside. I don’t want to wake them however. And I’m much too scared to be out on my own. So I wait.

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I woke up at 7, we left the hotel 945 ish. We’re just walking around today, our tour didn’t work out so it’s fun to just explore a new area. We went to a park, a family mart, another 711. There was a bird that sounded like it was dying. Everything opens late on the weekend, we’re just walking around.

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Our basic plan was to head to pop mart, what started as an idea to take public transport quickly became walking as we had already accidentally walked halfway there. I wanted to pick up cards for the boys so I had found a small card shop, unfortunately it was VERY small and didn’t have magic at all and only a little bit of Pokémon packs. It was more of a store for singles. After that we found a nice market area where we just walked back and forth until we found a place to eat. Logan had already asked for McDonald’s and Pizza Hut… we travelled across the world for domestic food. We convinced him to get something “exclusive” to here and he picked a tempura place. I wasn’t really feeling fried food so early in the morning.

The food was nice if not for the crazy salty miso soup, I diluted it when no one was looking and found it far more palatable. I just ate off the others’ plate. Wasn’t looking to get a meal of my own. We stopped by a bookstore and I was able to pick up a bunch of Vol 1s for manga. After that we headed to the pop mart.

We made it to Osaka City Station, this gargantuan mega tower of a mall built atop a train station. This place is so cool, so pretty. Every building is gorgeous, nothing wastes space. We spent so long trying to find anything, this feels like it’d be hard to traverse even if we spoke Japanese. Just having so many floors! Though I do rock with the conservation of space.  It’s such a walkable, transitable, bikable city. We got lost for a minute but when we made it to the middle area?? Absolutely breath taking, my jaw dead ahh dropped. This huge open area between two of the mega towers, hanging above the train station. They had a poke centre there, we all got Pokémon hats, I GOT CHIKORITA!!! We found the pop mart but it was only accessible to lottery winners. I tried to find Tita Gina’s shoes, they didn’t have the one she was looking for. We spent so long walking around for them.

We were supposed to head home after that but I saw an ad for- Dun Du Du Duuun! CHAINSAWMAN CAFE??!?!? OH MY GOD WE HAVE TO GO!!! We went into the mall but the pop up was closed off and the cafe was booked. I’m giving up Kariya park for this instead. Come Monday morning I will camp out the mall to get into the cafe, to get the merch. OH MY GOOOODDDDD!!! PLEAAASSSEEE!!! The stars generationally aligned, for me to be in Japan at the same time as the movie releasing?? PLEAAASSEEE!!!! There was a jump comics ship there too but everything was kinda mid and mahal.

When we finally departed this other mall we took a taxi back to the hotel. We passed by a couple of places that I’d like to visit at night… but we shall see.