Living in Osaka Blog

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If you’re in Osaka and want to grab some free (and legit) net access, you can see if you are close to one of the Freespot Access Points.

Here’s a list in English of all their wifi hotspots, they are mostly cafes or hotels. And if you are looking for a wifi hotspot in Umeda, look under Kita-ku.

For some reason there has been a crackdown on riding double on bikes recently.  Yesterday I saw 3 couples being stopped and warned over riding piggy back.  It is illegal but I’ve only seen the warning being handed out once or twice in the years I’ve been here so there must have been a change of attitude by the police.  So don’t do it if you can help it.

And no, it wasn’t Uehara Takako that was handing out the warnings.

Out-doing Ueto Aya and her mission to protect you all from spyware is Uehara Takako (formerly of Speed) who is a policewoman helping promote traffic safety week here in Osaka.

I’m not sure of the connection or if there is one. As far as I can remember Uehara Takako is a native of Okinawa not Osaka.  But hey I’m not complaining, she looks better than any traffic cop I’ve ever seen.

The posters are everywhere, but I’ve noticed a few have gone missing. I wonder why :p

I have a friend who is looking to buy a bike in Osaka but he’s looking for a bigger than average bike. Most shops sell bikes up to 26″ which is a little too small for him. He would also prefer a traditional man’s bike rather than the unisex type on sale here.

Anyone have suggestions as to where he can find a good bike shop that might sell a bike he’s looking for? Please leave a comment below if you do. Thanks!

One of my favourite areas to buy electronics or computer gear is Denden Town in Namba. Here you can find a wide range of electronics and computer brands. Prices are among the cheapest you can find without ordering online and a lot of the smaller shops are open to offering small discounts. The larger retailers and chains are not as likely to give discounts. You can also find lots of shops in the area selling anime and related models. It is also where (like Akihabara in Tokyo) you can find new maid-cafes popping up almost every week.

The other place I would recommend for sheer convenience is Yodobashi Camera. It is in Umeda and although prices are not the cheapest, they are pretty low. They also run a point card system in which you get from 10 to 20% worth of purchase price in points. They sell everything from laptops to washing machines to home theatre systems to video games systems. They have one of the largest selections of digital cameras around. I have other recommendations for where to buy serious camera gear like DSLRs and lenses but I bought my wife her pocket digital camera (Panasonic FX-30) from Yodobashi Camera. They have some (but not many) staff that speak English.

I just read the sad news that Yu-chan, the female whale shark, died on Sunday. Yu-chan was one of the main attractions of the Kaiyukan, the aquarium here in Osaka. Most kids and adults alike are amazed at the size and grace of the whale sharks. Kai-kun, a male whale shark, can be seen at the aquarium.

If you’re looking for a little something different in cuisine and you like gyoza you’ll love the mini-theme park style of the Namco Gyoza Stadium. There are 9 different stalls or resturants selling different gyoza styles from all over Japan. The whole area is styled in a 1940-50s Japan with common shared seating so that you can buy from different stalls.

It is also very conveniently located in Umeda. Just a short walk from the Hep Five and Hep Navio buildings. Here’s a map of the location of the Namco Gyoza Stadium. And the photo should help you spot it when you are close.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Golden Week holidays.

There’s going to be an Information Service Day on Sunday 13th May 2007 held at the Osaka International House from 11am to 5pm

Free counseling and advice will be offered on the following subjects: legal issues, human rights, immigration, employment, careers, health insurance, national pension, everyday living information, city offices, taxation, medical and dental information, medicine, education and childcare.

Interpreters speaking 9 languages will be available. English, Chinese (Mandarin), Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese.

More information available on the Osaka International House web site including a map and directions.

Competing with the RoboCup for your attention this Golden Week is the Monster Viva Fair also being held at Intex.

There will be a big flea market, stalls selling foods from all over Japan, kids shows (from TV) and lots of hobby and toy shows.

Some details:

It will take place between the 3rd May until the 6th May. Entrance fee is 1000 Yen at the door (800Yen if pre-bought) for adults, 500 Yen (400 Yen pre-bought) for Elementary School Students or younger, and 700 Yen for senior citizens (over 70 years old)

It will take place at Intex Halls 3, 4 and 5. Opening times are 10am to 5pm

Here’s the (Japanese only) site http://www.fair.or.jp/viva folder/viva/what_viva/index.html

To get to Intex, take the Chuo line (dark green) to the last stop at Cosmosquare, change to the New Tram (without leaving the station) until the Nakafuto station.

The central library is one of the greatest resources for people living in Osaka. Most books are of course Japanese but there is a sizable collection of English books, and smaller collections of French, Spanish and other language books. In addition, they also have newspapers and magazines. There are books for children and the library is kid friendly with a large part of the ground floor a kids reading area.

Membership is free, and the staff can speak enough English to help with filling in the registration form. You can borrow loads of books at a time (20 or 30, I can’t remember) but the loan period is a little short (15 days). Other things to note, the library is closed on Fridays, and the last day of each month. They are also closed a couple of weeks for stock-taking (this year was April). Opening times are: Mon-Fri (9.15am - 8.30pm), Sat, Sun, Public Holidays (9.15am - 5pm).

So, where is the library? To get to the library, the easiest way is by subway. You can take either the Sennichimae line (pink) or the Nagahori Tsurumi Ryokuchi line (light green) to the Nishinagahori station (S13/N14). Take exit 7 to get to the library.

If you want to go by foot or bike, here a google map (unfortunately in Japanese):

Central Library in Osaka

And finally here are links to the English web site, Chinese web site and Korean web site.