Day 3 – After a rainy day in Tokyo, we took our time to check out of the Airbnb. Thankfully, it was a beautiful, sunny and cool day to take all of our luggage and backpacks for a 15-mins. walk to Shinjuku station. This walk was the only time I got to experience the busy and lively neighborhood and vibe of the city. I wished I had time to explore the shops and stores along the way. But we had a train to catch.
My nephew who planned the entire itinerary lead our family traveling group of five with the help of Google maps. We arrived at the station with enough time to go up and down stairs and find the platform for the local train to Shinagawa station where we board the regional train to Osaka. We each bought a JR pass prior to arriving in Japan for the convenience and save time waiting in line to buy a ticket for local and regional trains. 
The trains are precisely on time and it’s best to arrive early and wait rather than just in time and miss the train. Once we arrived at Shinagawa station, we had time to explore the shops and many vendor stands with enticing food choices on display. Though it was hard to decide on what I want for lunch on the train, I decided to have a bento box with salmon, rice, and all the other trimmings that come in the box, I forgot to take a picture of it.
By the time we all picked up our lunch boxes it was time to find the platform, find the right spot on the platform for the exact section for our reserved seats, and wait to board the train for Shin-Osaka. The Hikari Shinkansen (bullet train) finally arrived and we boarded and found our reserved seats.
I was excited to travel away from the city and see the countryside and hopefully catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji. I read online that you can see this iconic natural beauty on a train to Osaka.
Once we settled in our Airbnb on the top floor, we walked to Dotonbori for dinner and shopping
The next day, while the family went exploring all over Osaka, I decided to relax at the Airbnb and joined them to view all of Osaka from Umeda Sky observatory. The following day we visited Osaka Castle grounds.
Day 4 – Photos along the way to / and Umeda Sky:
Day 5 – Photos along the way to / and Osaka Castle:
Traveling with Joy 