Japan 2025, July 15

A similar start to the day with breakfast at 7am. I went down a couple of minutes earlier and there was less of a crowd today, while most of the food was the same. After breakfast I ran back to Yodo River again but turned east instead. This route was better overall, with a little more shade and slightly more scenic, I didn't even reach the end when I turned back at half way after 4.5 kilometres.

After getting ready for the day I checked the train for Nara and there was one going in under ten minutes. I knew that would be a challenge because it takes a few minutes just to take two different elevators to exit the hotel, and I just missed it in the end. The next train was only fifteen minutes away and it's well organised with three queues for the different destinations the loop line has.

Along the way I heard what sounded like "I've been working on the railroad" as the tune when we left Bentencho station and it turns out I heard correctly. I remember last time a station somewhere also played the Astro Boy tune, but I think that was in Tokyo. Once the train converted into the Nara express it was a long journey out of the city to reach the last stop, taking about fifty minutes from Osaka station. 

Before exiting Nara station I got some items from the bakery and decided to walk towards Nara park rather than wait in line for a bus. The walk was about two kilometres, very hot but with a bit of shade on one side of the street. I made a quick stop along the way at Kofuku-ji temple for a photo, but didn't feel like going to multiple temples in one day so continued on.

Soon I was at the main park area in front of the museum, and spotted a couple of deer. Then across the road there was maybe a hundred or more, most in groups chasing after people for deer crackers. A few people that didn't even seem to have food got chased by deer, but I was able to avoid that happening.

After wandering around those deer for a while I continued on past the museum and towards Todai-ji temple via the Nandaimon gate, along with many more deer. Since I'd come all this way I figured I might as well pay the admission for one temple, a bit expensive for a quick lap inside but it's about what I expected. The size of the structures inside was quite impressive though.

I had a quick break to eat lunch then jumped on a bus I figured was going back to the city centre via both train stations. Guessing correctly the final stop was the train station I needed, with seven minutes until the next train was leaving. That was just enough time for a quick dash to Lawson for a drink, finish the drink, stop at the bathroom, and get to the platform with a minute to spare.

Nara - 7 out of 10

• Good
• Bus routes
• Deer park
• Bad
• Lots of walking between locations
• Missed Out
• Kintetsu-Nara station area
• Higashimuki shopping street
• Konishi Sakura-dori shopping street
• Mount Wakakusyama
• Nara park
• Isuien garden
• Kasugataishi shrine
• Nara national museum

On the way back to the Bentencho interchange I checked the Kaiyukan aquarium website and it appeared to be saying there was currently no wait time. The Osakako station was only two more stops away on a different line so I decided to go and find out. The worst part was that it was a long walk from the station to the aquarium but then I was able to head straight in after purchasing my ticket.

The aquarium was quite impressive in it's size, with lots of exhibits and all they all seemed to be in good condition. Along the way I was able to see a couple of feeding sessions for the penguins and seals.

The main feature was a big central tank with a bunch of large fish like rays, sharks, and whales, all existing together somehow. As the route continued in a spiral you did end up seeing this same tank several times from different levels though, which was maybe a bit repetitive. Later on there was also some dolphins and a jellyfish room.

The route was well marked and it also kept saying how many metres to go, starting at something like 750, but it seemed to end abruptly after about 200. It was a good visit overall, and I stopped in at a nearby Mister Donut before heading back to the train and returning to Osaka station.

I checked back in at the Nintendo Store again at Osaka station, where they had changed the store layout  significantly since yesterday. There wasn't much difference with the products for sale though, so I still couldn't decide if there was anything else worth buying.

On the way back to the hotel I got bread once again from the Daimaru basement, and a couple of other snacks and drinks from a Family Mart. It was a little before 6pm but I needed some extra time to rest and prepare for a big day at Universal Studios tomorrow.

I checked my mobile data and transport balance which had been increased a lot more than yesterday, and my transport card was also running low already.

I sank close to two hours in the evening researching more of the upcoming day at Universal Studios Japan. Ahead of the day I was mostly concerned about how bad the crowds and queues were going to be. It's disappointing all these theme parks can't find a better balance between capacity and price so people have a more enjoyable experience. Checking the temporary ride closures I saw only Jurassic Park was shut until July 18. That ride wasn't included in my express pass but I was planning to go there as an extra ride at the start of the day since it didn't usually have big queues.

The forecast for tomorrow was suddenly looking better, as it previously said it was going to rain for most of the afternoon. Instead most of the rain got shifted back to Thursday, but that was something to deal with later. Checking the forecast again a few hours later a lot more rain was scheduled again, and during the least preferable times, the late morning and afternoon. I was a bit worried about how the rain might suspend outdoor rides temporarily, and particularly how that related to my timed entries.

I settled on some possible departures times for the morning, probably skipping the breakfast buffet, and then figured I'd done enough preparation.

I've been having short nose bleeds lately for more weird reasons each time:

• During parkrun warmup on Saturday before leaving
• While in the shower yesterday
• While brushing my teeth today

Public transport = 2500 yen (840 yen one way from Osaka to Nara)

Steps = 23,150 with 9 kilometres running