From airport madness to a surprisingly good hotel in Rinku Town—our arrival in Osaka didn’t start smooth, but it definitely stuck the landing.
We arrived in Osaka from Beijing via Kansai International Airport—and it was chaos. Late evening, jammed with people, barely any air con in sight. Just those underpowered plastic fans doing nothing while we all stood sweating in line.
The customs queue was brutal. People trying to push in, kids crying, and no clear order to anything. But Yuan held her ground like an absolute boss—held the line, gave a few sharp looks, and kept us moving forward. Respect.
Racing the Clock to Rinku
Once we finally got through, we legged it for the train. Managed to catch the last one out to Rinku Town, a couple of stops away from the airport. We weren’t expecting much—just a place to sleep.
But the Odysis Suites Hotel turned out to be kind of a gem. Clean, comfy, friendly staff, and way better than it had any right to be for a last-minute overnight booking.
“Honestly, I thought it’d be grim,” I said. “Yeah, same. But this place’s alright,” someone else mumbled, already face-down on a futon.
The Sacred Snack Run
Before bed, we made the obligatory stop at the local 7-Eleven—snacks, drinks, a few strange-but-good desserts from the cold shelf. Everyone grabbed their favourites and we crashed hard. Travel days hit different.
Morning Views That Don’t Quit
Woke up the next day, slightly less disoriented. Went down for breakfast and found ourselves in what felt like the top of a skyscraper.
The view was unreal—panoramic coastlines, twisting highways, trains zipping past below. Clear skies over Osaka Bay.
It felt calm. The kind of morning that makes the chaos from the night before feel like it was weeks ago.
Onward to Central Osaka
We packed up, hit the train station, and headed for the city proper—tired but recharged, full of breakfast and optimism. Osaka, round two. This time with energy.
Sometimes it’s the stopover that surprises you. This one definitely did.