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JACSE: Japan Autumn Cruise and Shinkansen Experience

 I was reminded that I don't have a name for our current trip.   For example, there was My Ultimate Global Adventure or MUGA of 2013, where I flew First Class Around the World in 51 days.  My Ultimate Fantasy Adventure, or MUFA of 2014, was in business class, only in the Orient, and was about a month long. My Global Around the World Adventure, or GAWA in 2015, lasted 65 days.  They were all wonderful.

So I need an acronym or initialization (not sure what the difference is).  Some don't work:

  • JAP for Japan Adventure for Pat:  Jap is a nasty perjorative, and I wasn't alone on this trip.
  • OFAL for Our Fall Autumn Layover: animal organs don't impart good memories, although, we really did not do much, so the L part makes sense.
  • ACE for Autumn Colors Extravaganza:  no, we missed the colors on Hokkaido, and much of what we've seen so far has been spotty.
On this trip to Japan we took a cruise, had too much to drink and eat, slept a whole lot, trained everywhere and did almost nothing.  So what would be the best acronym reflecting those conditions?
  • Drink could also be Alcohol, so D and A.
  • Cuisine and Food can be substituted for Eat:  E, C, F.
  • Fall Colors can also be Autumn, but F, C and E are already covered
  • This was a Trip, Journey or Voyage:  T, J, V.
  • Can't use anything like Grand or Great, Adventure or Fabulous, for things mostly did not reach any kind of spectacular level.
  • Yet, it was Enjoyable, a lot of Fun, Worthwhile, Peaceful and Satisfying:  W, P, S.
  • So what about our Japan Fall Colors Cruise and Train Trip:  Our Japan Fall CCaTT?
  • Or better yet, Japan Autumn Cruise and Shinkansen Experience:  JACSE?
    • Covers where we have been.
    • Includes the Diamond Princess and Japan Rail Pass.
    • Experience could be good or bad, and while the colors were mediocre, we have very much enjoyed much of everything else.
    • This acronym has no meaning, but neither did MUFA, MUGA AND GAWA.
Best we can do for now, but we have a week left.  Any recommendations?

Breakfast at the Marriott Miyako Osaka, beginning with our view.

Noticed two trends that reminded me of 15 Craigside.  First, we have a friend there that wears a baseball cap to meals.  Turns out this is also popular in Japan.
Also, here "Craig" (that robot) is kept pretty busy shuttling used dishes and utensils back to be washed.
We've pretty much been there and done that in Osaka.  Today, we seriously considered a light show by teamLab at the Nagai Botanical Garden, but it really was cold out there.
We did take a walk around our building and to this Q-Mall, but not far because of the low temperature.  Beautiful day, though.
Took a photo of our building from below.  We were later shocked to find out that this was the tallest building in Japan, until  few days ago when Mori opened Azabudai Hills in Tokyo.

The only exciting photos were of vegetables and fruits.  Red carrots.
Reddish daikon (turnips).  Sort of like giant radishes.
Yellow cauliflower and purple brocolli,
Expensive fruits.  This box costs $100.
Can't imagine why these grapes cost so much.
We later went to the HARUKAS 300 Observatory, mainly because it was located in our building and we had free tickets provided by the hotel.  Four tickets worth $48.  Then, when I later did research on Harukas 300, I was stunned to learn that the building we are in, Abeno Harukas, was,  at 300 meters (984 feet), the tallest building in Japan from 2014 until last week.  Floors:
  • 58-60  Harukas 300 Observatory
  • 38-55  Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel
  • Rest of floors are offices, Kintetsu Department Store and the Kintetsu Osaka Abenobashi Station, adjacent to the JR Tennoji Station.
The mascot is Abeno Bear.
We had not gone out to a restaurant for days, so we decided to catch the elevator to the basement and had soba and unagi for dinner.
Finally, back to the Executive Lounge for a cognac.
Walked 10,259 steps today,
Tomorrow, on to Kyoto.
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