I never thought that I’ll get to go to Japan this soon because a place like Japan is way out of my budget.
There’re always pros and cons in every decision made and like I said my brother being a pilot tends to make me feel paranoid but one of the perks is of course, very cheap air tickets.

My brother works in AirAsia and by right, he can only get us free tickets to nearby places aka short-haul flights destination.
Destination operated by AirAsia X is out of the story but it was very kind of the company to give out free tickets to 6 long-haul destinations.
My family decided on Osaka!

I only paid RM200+ for airport tax and there I was, in Japan! Even my domestic flight tickets costed more than that!
We only managed to explore Japan for a total of 3 nights and 4 days because my brother couldn’t get anymore off days but that alone is a blessing to me.
As for accommodation, we booked a 2 bedrooms apartment via Airbnb and the total damage is only Rm200+ per person for 3 nights. There were 4 of us; my mom, my aunt, my brother, and me. Luck was with us too when Airbnb decided to give discount for first timer. :)

So all in all, flight plus accommodation in Osaka only costed me about Rm500! Nothing gets cheaper than this!
I was too tired and lazy to go around the house snapping pictures but here’s how the place looks like (took these from Airbnb).

#1 Living area with filled with travel guides. There’s also a tv for you if you’re bored. A double bed in one of the two bedrooms which can surely accommodate more than two.

#2 Dining area and a kitchen, fully equipped with pans, pots, and even a coffee machine.

#3 A tatami room as the second room whereby can sleep up to 3 people.

#4 Bathroom separated from washroom and because it is separated we tend to save up more time.

Zebra house is kept really clean and tidy, fully equipped with whatever you will need. Hosts are a Taiwanese and a Chinese, so it makes communication much easier for us. They are extremely friendly and caring. Walking to the nearest train station takes about 10 minutes and they will offer us a ride from station to house whenever they’re available.
Highly recommended for it’s price, cleanliness, and hosts that will not disappoint.

As for transportation in Japan, cheap is not something you will get but buying rail passes is the best way to go in order to save up as much as you can.

We stayed at Amagasaki area and the train that operates around that area is Hankyu Kobe line.
It is all very confusing to me at first because there are two many lines and you’ll be unsure of which type of passes you should buy.
Different line actually means different train company (kinda) and if you buy JR pass, you won’t be able to use that pass on a subway. It really depends on the area you stay and which type of line you’ll like to use.
Japan’s train line is very very confusing (to me) and to make things really simple, I went to Hyperdia website. Hyperdia is a website for you to look at train timetables and to search for routes.
For example, if you’d like to go to Amagasaki Station from Osaka station and is unsure of the best route, you can key in the said destination on Hyperdia and automatically they will come up with a list of different routes, trains, and time for you to decide on. You can even key in the exact time you want to board a train and see which is the closest to the time you want. Hyperdia will also break down the price for you if you’re taking more than one type of train so Hyperdia is really the way to go for tourists who find Japan’s train line all too confusing.

Most tourists will opt for JR passes but because we have to take Hankyu Kobe line (which is not JR), we decided on Kansai Thru Pass instead. Kansai Thru Pass is only available for tourists.

Foreign visitors to Japan can purchase the Surutto Kansai 2 Day and 3 Day Ticket inside the Kansai Region, across Japan and outside of Japan at any time of the year. This version of the pass is called “Kansai Thru Pass”.
Points of sales inside the Kansai region include Kansai and Itami Airport and information and transport bureau centers in Osaka, Kyoto and Nara, as well as several hotels in the Kansai Region. In the rest of Japan and outside of Japan, the ticket is available through major travel agencies.

Kansai Thru Pass includes all the trains, subways, and buses except for JR train around Kansai region (Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, etc) and in my opinion it seems more flexible this way.
For a 2 day pass, you’ll have to pay 4000yen and for a 3 day pass the cost will be 5200yen.
Here’s the ultimate guide to Japan rail passes to make it easier for you.

As for internet, they do not really sell data sim card like most countries do and instead they will rent you pocket wifi. They cost about 900yen+ for a day if I remember well and in my opinion, it’s really quite expensive but you probably just have to because they don’t really have wifi around. If you really want a data sim, you’ll have to buy in advance from b-mobile on the net and have them send it to your hotel or airport. Japan is such a technology advance country and yet they make it so hard for us tourists. I did not rent my pocket wifi from Kansai airport. I rent from our Airbnb host instead because for the entire stay he only charged us 900yen. :)

We arrived in Kansai Airport around 3 in the afternoon and we headed straight to Namba station and not to Zebra House because our host, Ian suggested that we walk around Namba area in order to fully utilize the time we had. Going back and forth will take us too much time as the shops closes about 8 plus.
Quite a good idea actually and don’t worry about all the luggage, they actually have lockers at their train stations that fit different sizes of bags and luggage.

“Namba is a district of Osaka, Japan. Namba is regarded as the center of so-called Minami (“South”) area of Osaka.”
There’re a lot of shops, boutiques, restaurants and stalls around Namba area, so it’s really quite a nice place to walk around, shop a little, eat a lot, and to look at some local Japanese.
After sorting out our luggage at the locker room, we headed to Dotonbori direction which is one of the main tourist destination in Osaka.

#5

It is a single street, running alongside the Dōtonbori canal between the Dōtonboribashi Bridge and the Nipponbashi Bridge in the Namba ward of Osaka. A former pleasure district, Dōtonbori is famous for its historic theatres (all gone now), its shops and restaurants, and its many neon and mechanised signs, including snack/candy manufacturer Glico’s giant electronic display of a runner crossing the finish line.

#6 The first ramen shop we came across while walking towards Dotonbori.

#7 The ramen was 600yen (1000 yen = Rm33 more or less) and we ordered it via their vending machine. Me mom was seriously enjoying that bowl of ramen haha.

#8 Right after a bowl of ramen we randomly walked into a yakitori eatery. The shop is really small and cozy.

#9 It was so random but so good!

#10 Unlike most yakitoris that normally taste the same be it beef or chicken (because they use the same sauce), the yakitoris we had there tasted very different. Me and my brother enjoyed our yakitoris a lot because it was really really good.

#11 When you spot Glico Man, you’re right at Dotonbori. Dotonbori is a very fun street to explore besides the food, their signage is extremely large. Quite a way to attract attentions.

#12 Huge ass crab which you definitely will not miss. Fatty insisted that I try their crab and so I did.

#13 It was quite pricey…

#14 …but super delicious!! The crab was really sweet and to be frank I haven’t tasted a crab this sweet before. It was so good I ate it again 2 days later.

#15 Cheap gyoza! 6 pieces for 200yen only!

#16 Want a piece of sushi? Sushi is what I most look forward to!

#17 My all time favorite, sweet shrimp sushi! Satisfied my cravings a whole lot! What I like about Japan’s sushi is that they’re very generous with the size of said raw seafood unlike what we have here in Malaysia.

Not much pictures were taken because all we did was just to eat and eat.
To conclude my day one in Japan, we were actually extremely cold (8 celcius) and tired but beyond happy too.