Namba -> Umeda (¥230)
In preparation for the admittedly poorly-planned and packed day ahead, I left the hotel at 6:45am trying to beat the rush hour crowds (with no luck in doing so). Lugged my luggage to Namba Hips and took the lift down into the subway, then hopped onto the train to Umeda.
At Umeda, I went straight towards the Hankyu line station, and looked for a coin locker in the vicinity. The reason is, if my night bus was to depart from the Willer Express office at Umeda Sky Building, the Hankyu station has the closest exits to the place.
#Travelers note: I do these things with great ease because I’m a veteran traveler to Japan, but you should take the time to look up the departure spot for any overnight bus bookings, and look for the nearest station, as well as which number exit is most convenient. Using Google Maps, if you zoom all the way in, the exit numbers are written in red around the edges of any station.
I was standing in front of the coin lockers, counting my change. These lockers were the older type that only took ¥100 coins. The locker I wanted cost ¥600… so I needed 6 x ¥100. And I only had 3…
Reading the sign written in Japanese (no English signage at all! But I’ve become used to that in Osaka), one is asked to head over to the Information Center to get change to use the coin lockers, but there were no indications as to where that was. So I asked the nearby security guard;
“Excuse me, this says to get money changed at the Information Center to use these coin lockers, sorry but where is that?”
“Ah.. it’s up there, up the next set of escalators, then to the left. But it’s far away. Look, why don’t you put ¥1000 into that vending machine, buy a juice or something, coins will come out.”
Good idea, kind sir. So I did that, bought a bottle of water, and what should fall out but a ¥500, and two more ¥100. Crap. With the Monster Khaos from a few days ago still sitting in my bag, there was no way I was going to buy another drink just to get change.
I went back to the security guard. “Didn’t work, tell me where that information centre is…”
He looked at me, puzzled. “What do you mean it didn’t work?”
“Well, I need more ¥100 coins.”
“Just put the ¥500 in for the coin locker!”
“It only takes ¥100?!”
“REALLY?!”
Wow, this guy was such a dope. He was really nice though. He started to explain where the Information Center is, then broke off midsentence and said “wait here.”
He then ran off. So I waited, wondering what was going on this time. Finally he came back;
“Here’s the change you wanted. I am so sorry about the mixup.”
Japanese people are so hospitable like that. I was trying to thank him, but he kept saying not to worry as it was his fault. Awwww.
Umeda -> Arashiyama (¥390)
Now on my way to Arashiyama. My little cheat for visiting Arashiyama – even though there are multiple ways to get there, I ALWAYS use the Hankyu line (usually I come from Umeda) because it’s only ¥390, but don’t forget to change at Katsura for the Arashiyama line.