Hi everyone! Currently halfway through my Osaka and Kyoto trip. Currently on a train to Kyoto. Some impressions of Japan thus far.

1) The MRT stations are like mazes. Like seriously, I would totally be lost if I were to come alone to Japan. Not only are the maps full of lines like a bunch of coloured spaghetti, the different lines on the same stations are also notoriously far apart, sometimes requiring you to go up and down several flight of steps.

2) It can get really silent in Japan, especially at night. So we are staying in an air bnb somewhere off dotonburi, and at night it's so quiet you can hear the guy from across the street coughing... no really.

3) The trains are all really pretty. They have different models for different lines. The best I've been on so far is the Elegant Saloon 8000 series. The seats are front-facing instead on the usual side-facing, so it feels like you're taking a long distance trip at times.

4) Japanese women are so pretty!!! Like seriously they are so well made up and dressed really stylishly. Like the long tunic wide pants tall socks type. Or the heels and dressy coat with curled hair type. Totally beats people watching in Singapore hands down.

5) Despite what people say, food here is only so-so. Been to a ramen place, yakisoba and okinomiyaki place and a sushi place. All pretty authentic with 90 percent locals but except the ramen place, the rest were only alright. Slightly disappointing. :-(

That's all for now. Pictures and the like to come when I get back to Singapore on Thursday.