I've arrived in Osaka.

I've arrived in Osaka.
But before that, the insane amount of people at Tokyo Station❗️
As expected for the first day of a three-day weekend‼️
There was no way to even buy tickets!
Fortunately, my daughter had installed the EX app for me about a week ago, so I didn't have to buy tickets at the station. (It's super convenient👌)

I tried to buy a bento box to eat for lunch once I got on the Shinkansen, but there was a huge line❗️
I've been to Tokyo Station many times, but this is the first time I've seen it this crowded (it was always on weekdays before...💦)

Since there were so many ekiben, I went all the way down to the basement to buy one.
There are many trains running to Osaka, so I chose a Shinkansen with plenty of time to spare, but there was an unexpected line❗️
I usually go for non-reserved seating (because I can get a seat if I take the first train), so I tried to line up, but there was a huge line there too❗️
Even so, I managed to get on, but my daughter and I couldn't sit together and ended up with seats across the aisle from each other💦
Honestly, it's a real problem that they've reduced non-reserved seating to just two cars❗️
It filled up immediately, and there were already quite a few people standing at Tokyo Station.
The announcements kept repeating that all reserved seats were sold out.
So, when my son, who was planning to board at Shin-Yokohama Station, arrived, I saw him, but there was no way there would be any seats. When I asked him later, it turned out he had been standing the whole time, and he ended up eating the bento he had bought so confidently after we arrived at the hotel💦
That said, my daughter and I had bought two bento boxes to share, so we ate them half-and-half in front of the people who were standing,
and passing the food back and forth past the people standing was very awkward to eat💧
We were being watched, too....
I felt bad eating while saying sorry to the people who couldn't get a seat💦

For dinner, we went for Osaka gourmet food, of course....
Everyone insisted on an izakaya!
But we did eat Osaka's specialty, okonomiyaki‼️
It was deliciousーーーーー💕

Midosuji was lit up and beautiful😍

And as expected, Osaka is

all about Billiken, isn't it‼️

I'm off to the Expo todayーーーーー🖐️