Day 1 - Kaizuka

Kaizuka at night

This was our first trip to Japan, and were scheduled to fly into Kansai Airport, near Kyoto around 9pm. Rather than spend another hour travelling into into Kyoto that night we booked a room in the Sunshine Inn, small hotel in Kaizuka, which is only a short train ride from the airport.

Drink dispenser with Australian tourist
holding Lonely Planet Japan guide book

We arrived at Kaizuka railway station which was deserted. Eventually we found someone who could speak some English who directed us to the hotel nearby, and we managed to find the hotel and book in. It was now after 10pm and we were quite hungry, so after dropping our luggage, headed out to find some food. Kaizuka isn't really a tourist destination, so there were very few signs in English, and even fewer restaurants open at that time of night. On our way we passed something that we were to realise was very common - a cold drink dispenser standing alone in the street, which for some reason we don't have in Australia. Probably too susceptible to vandalism.

The Genta Saloon and Roast Chicken bar

Inside the Genta - our first experience
of a local Japanese bar-restaurant

Eventually we found and the Genta restaurant, advertising Roast Chicken, which seemed promising. We went in and the menu was completely in Japanese and unfortunately no-one spoke English. The best we could do was to point to plates of food that others were eating and indicated that we'd have the same.

Tired, hungry, but happy

We were tired and hungry, so after eating some chicken , rice and vegetables, headed off to find our way back to the hotel.

On the way we heard what appeared to be shouting and thumping, so fearing that there was some altercation going on, we pulled into a doorway, only to be confronted by the sight of a large group of martial arts students, in their white uniforms, hot-footing it down the street with the last one banging a drum to keep the beat. If anything was worth photographing, that was, but we were completely taken aback and couldn't get the camera out in time.