Japan Adventures Series Part 3: I Saw Her Majesty

Hello, Hivers 👋

Welcome to Part 3 of the series!

Before I introduce Part 3, I'd like to thank @choogirl and the @pinmapple team for featuring my previous Part 2 of the Japan Adventures Series as one of the Honorable mentions in Daily Travel Digest #912! I appreciate the recognition 😍

Now, here we are, halfway to the completion of my Japan Adventure Series! For those of you who are following ever since Part 1 and Part 2, thank you for indulging me 😅

Anyway, let’s pick up from where we left off.

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Shitennoji Temple and Osaka Castle

We’re nearing the end of our trip but never did we wake up on time as planned even though the alarm sets off every day. I think we woke up at 10 AM on this day.

We made use of our Osaka 1-Day Amazing pass to get around Osaka and to pay for the entrances of tourist sites like Osaka Castle, Shitennoji Temple, and...that’s it 🤣That’s one of the downsides of a DIY trip - when you go at your own slow pace.

The first stop in our itinerary is the Shitennoji Temple. We didn't spend much time here. It was just a quick sightseeing stroll. Yesterday was raining and the winds were strong. But the next day had a picturesque weather. The backdrop of the sky and clouds was a beautiful contrast to the five-story pagoda behind me.

Next stop: Osaka Castle. You've never really been to Osaka if you have not visited this city's famous landmark! It was winter season when we went there so the cherry blossoms were not in bloom. The trees were dormant so all we got were empty twigs and branches. Imagine how beautiful the place would be in springtime. I think my hot pink coat would suit the place 😁

There's so much history and Japanese culture to immerse inside and around Osaka Castle. At the grounds before entering the castle itself, I was fascinated with what they call the Time Capsule Expo’70:

Two identical capsules were buried 15 meters beneath a monument containing 2,098 cultural assets of the 20th century. The upper capsule was to be opened at the beginning of every century, whereas the lower capsule should only be opened in 6970 ! And this is where I had goosebumps.

Hoping for never-ending world peace and history, we hereby bequeath these two capsules to the people living 5,000 years from now.

I was absolutely mind blown. Under that monument was supposed to be a priceless gift from the ancestors to the descendants. What a fascinating concept, time is.

More fascination with history happened inside the castle. I can’t say I’m a history buff cause my memory is terrible, but I like old things. I’m an old soul.

Inside the castle were artifacts of history. Picture-taking wasn't allowed inside, except the top floor where we could see a panoramic view of the city. I was so high with the Japanese culture, I bought a katana keychain even though it was quite pricey 😅

Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi

The next place we’ve been to was more modern. I was told shopping at UNIQLO in Japan is a must because it's cheaper. I don’t...entirely agree 😅 It was still too pricey for me. But it was amazing to have 4 floors of just UNIQLO products. We also went to famous tourist sites like Dotonbori River and the conspicuous-looking restaurants. We also went to the Rikuro Ojisan's Cheesecake shop where we got to see the chefs make the cakes from scratch through the glass windows!

Queen + Adam Lambert Concert: The Rhapsody Tour

Around 4 PM, I had to separate from my parents because I had a concert to go to.

THIS IS IT!

The very reason why I went here. This day was the most thrilling moment of the trip (at this point only cause I had no idea about the chaos that would happen tomorrow). This would be my alone time on the trip. Oh, don’t we introverts love that? I got to ride my way to Kyocera Dome by myself! The Dome is mainly used as a sports stadium, but concerts are also held here.

When I arrived at the concert venue, all I could say was...

This is ridiculous!

This was my first paid concert ever! And it had to be in Japan! If I told that to myself years ago, I would’ve laughed at how crazy and delusional I sound. But here I was! I only see this on TV: dressed up concert viewers, people singing Queen songs, and the whole process of getting to my seat.

Since I was seated at the balcony, I didn’t pass through the main hall where the crowd was. After asking for directions, I was led towards the back of the building and went up through an elevator. There were only a few of us there so I felt like a VIP 😅 Turns out, I was far from the stage but I came prepared with my miniscope. There were about 50 of us in each balcony box. A female Japanese staff member came and talked to the group about house rules, I assume, but since I can’t understand, I just scanned the whole venue slowly with my eyes and open mouth. I had to pinch myself to remind me this was true. When the lights went off and the crowd started cheering, I felt like fainting.

The Japanese Concert Audience

One thing I noticed was that my seatmates were very conservative. I’ve heard the Japanese audience had this reputation. But I didn’t believe it applied to the Queen fans. Ever since 1975, Queen fell in love with their Japanese audience and has come back again and again. However, from where I sat, these Japanese audiences don’t sing, although they sway along to the music. They probably can’t sing English? Some of them stood and swayed, but the majority were glued to their seats, although they ooh-ed and aah-ed and clapped several times.

To be fair, I’m speaking from where I was. I guess people right upfront had a lot more going because where else would those screams be coming from? They can’t all be coming from me! Oh yes, I was the energetic type for a concert viewer. At first, I tried blending in with my surroundings on how to behave but at one point, I got tired for my inner spirit 😅 Time to unleash the spirit. I don’t care anymore what my seatmates think of me. I traveled several miles to see this concert!

As the curtains closed, I felt like I had an out-of-body experience. I just sat right there, stared into nothingness, and smiled like a goofball. I sat down for a long while looking through my mental gallery of what just happened. When the stadium was more than half empty, I went outside and made my way to the train station. I should be paranoid of the crowd especially when COVID-19 was getting hot at that time. But I just felt like floating. Everything that happened felt surreal.
 
 

Floating around Dotonbori at Night

I didn't want to go back to our apartment yet. So, I just let my feet drag me along. Good thing, Osaka is a safe neighborhood. I strolled around the quiet Dotonbori as I was collecting my wits. The streets were quiet as most of the food businesses were closed for the day. But Ramen Shitenno was still open, so I grabbed a bowl of hot ramen and ate by the bar counter.

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Why Queen?

 

I'm in my mid-20s. Most people my age go to Kpop concerts. Why Queen?

Aside from being weird, I grew up to their music because my father loved Queen. That influence made me want to watch their biopic movie, “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Because of that movie, I learned that it wasn't about Freddie Mercury "and the band". The rest of the band were talented as well, having written hit songs for the band. I got more and more fascinated with their creative music-making process. With their ingenuity. With their fearless ambition of trying different genres and not limiting themselves to just being a "rock band".

So, when the announcement came up last April 2019, I did not hesitate. It’s amazing how even at 70 years old, Brian May could still run around the stage with a heavy guitar strapped across his shoulders and Roger Taylor could still hit those drums fast and pretty hard.

I’m aware that not all could relate because this is a thing for oldies. But as I’ve mentioned, I am an old soul, especially when it comes to music. Alright, that’s enough fangirl talk. I think I’m boring my readers already 😅

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Closing Notes: What's Next?

In the next post, you'll find what I promised in my intro post. I’m sorry you had to go through 3 parts before getting to hear the story. But I promise this is a good one! See you in Part 4!

 

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