After being in the air for thirteen hours straight, we landed at the Osaka-Kansai airport in Japan in the evening.  For many of us, this was our first experience in Asia.   We were very excited!  (Quite a bit exhausted as well, though!)  Soon after checking into the airport hotel, we ventured out into the city.

After taking the metro into the city, we emerged out into the street.  I was amazed by the amount of available light!  The buildings across the street were literally covered with advertisements, several stories high, and fully lit.  The square had, amidst the obligatory concrete sidewalks and such, trees and flowers.  We first jumped, one by one, onto the ledge separating the storefronts from the streets, handing our cameras to others in our group and having our pictures taken among the giant panel advertisements.  We're in Japan! 

Walking around the city, I realized that this was the first time I'd been in a place in which I felt truly and completely foreign.  Until that point, the only other countries I'd visited had been western.  I'd looked similar to the people, I'd been able to recognize the letters on signs, if not the words themselves.  I was in a new situation:  I was the obvious outsider.  It was a great experience, a bit uncomfortable at times, but always curious and adventurous.

Our attention eventually turned from the unfamiliar and wonderful sights to our grumbling stomachs.  We went in search of a restaurant in which we could experience  Japanese food.  The restaurant in which we ended up had an interesting system of ordering.  There was a machine in the front with pictures of food and their names.  Under the pictures were push buttons.  We fed our money into the machine, pushed the button corresponding to our choice, and out came a ticket.  We handed the tickets to the people behind the counter and, a few minutes later, they brought out our food.  

When we arrived back at our hotel we were really tired.  My roommate and I checked out all the nifty things in our hotel room and got ready for bed. 

The next morning we went to breakfast in the hotel and headed back to the airport to check in.  What a whirlwind experience in Japan!  I hope to get back there again when I have more than twelve hours in the country...