Friday. Evening. Sushi. Overdose.

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Some observations and reflections:

• Osaka is a busy city yet suprisingly easy to navigate on foot. One of the  main streest, Midosuji Boulevard (御堂筋), runs from Umeda to Tsutenkaku Tower, passing through several cool districts like Namba, Shinsaibashi, and Tennoji. This makes it both easy and fun to allow yourself to get lost in the alleys and side streets. You’ll always find your way back to Midosuji.

• On average, I’ve walked 24,000 steps per day, which is 22,000 more than I could manage in early December when my sciatica was at its worst.

• On Osaka’s sidewalks, people follow left-side traffic rules, but cyclists dominate the centerline, happily slaloming through pedestrians at breakneck speeds.

• It’s clear that Japanese people take pride in their work—no matter what they do—but perhaps even more so in jobs that aren’t particularly prestigious. Apparently, this is called “Hokori” (誇り). Such an attitude must bring inner peace but might also hold some people back from reaching their full potential.

• I now understand why Osaka is called “Japan’s Kitchen.” There are restaurants everywhere—about 45,000 in Greater Osaka. Not surprising, considering Osakans seem to eat at least one meal out every day.

• Women working in hotels, shops, and restaurants (or heard over public PA systems) have eerily childlike voices.

• January is a perfect time to visit Japan. Being here off-season means I’ve often been the only “gaijin” (foreigner) around, enjoying a little extra help and great service.

• I’ve had a week of blue skies and brilliant sunshine, chilly mornings (4-5°C), and been able to shed my hat, gloves, and scarf by midday.

• Many more people speak English now compared to the first time Elle, Charlotte, and I were in Japan 16 years ago. Maybe the 1990s sitcom Friends has contributed to an improved understanding of English here.

• I discovered that the nearest Lawson (convenience store) to my hotel has as wide a selection of sake as it does instant noodles.

• I wonder if Japan currently has the most beautiful paper currency in the world. The new ¥1,000 bill features Dr. Kitasato Shibasaburō, a bacteriologist, and the iconic The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai.

• From time to time, I glance up at the skyscrapers and almost expect “Gojira” (呉爾羅) to appear with smoky nostrils and his playful son in tow.

• Bourdain was absolutely right when he described Lawson’s egg sandwiches as unnaturally fluffy, insanely delicious, and inexplicably addictive.

• Eventually, this will turn into a fine little book about my impressions from visits to Okinawa, Tokyo, Kyoto, and now Osaka and Hiroshima. Stay tuned.