The last day of this Osaka-Kyoto trip has dawned. On the final day, after checking out of the hotel, the plan was to return to Osaka, briefly explore the Osaka area, and then conclude the itinerary by heading to the airport.
First, since the situation required returning to Osaka, the decision was made to take the train back. Choosing the station where a convenient express train was available near the hotel, I moved to “Fushimi Inari Station,” took the Keihan Line there, and traveled to Osaka’s Kintetsu Nippombashi Station.
“Purchasing Subway Tickets to Move from Osaka Kintetsu Nippombashi Station”
During the previous days of exploring Osaka, I used the JR Pass, so I didn’t need to buy separate subway tickets. However, on this last day, since I hadn’t purchased a transportation card and it was the end of the trip, I needed to buy subway tickets to board.
Even though the distance from Kintetsu Nippombashi Station to Nipponbashi Station was only one stop, it was quite tiring due to the four days of traveling, and since it was the last day, I had all my luggage with me, making it impractical to walk.
“The Somewhat Complicated Osaka Subway Ticket Vending Machine for Foreigners”
However, here’s where the problem began. Although it was just one stop, buying tickets wasn’t easy. While it seemed like using a vending machine would make it easy to purchase tickets, Osaka’s ticket vending machine was somewhat complicated for foreigners. Firstly, all the instructions were in Japanese, and there was no support for Korean or English.
Furthermore, it didn’t work intuitively. It turned out that you needed to put money in first to illuminate the button to purchase tickets.
- Purchasing Osaka Subway Tickets: Purchasing Subway Tickets in Osaka: A Guide
“Unpleasant Experience at Kintetsu Nippombashi Station”
Due to the situation with the ticket vending machine, not only myself but also other foreigners nearby seemed confused.
To purchase tickets, I asked for help from a station staff member, and the response was somewhat intimidating, shouting “Money First!” with a tone that seemed angry. Of course, since the staff member spoke in Japanese, and “Money First” sounded more like “Mani Past,” it was not immediately clear what it meant, leading to confusion. Despite indicating that other customers were still using the machine and it would be better to wait, the staff ignored it and repeatedly said, “Come Here, Put Money” in an imposing manner.
The atmosphere was strange, and other customers around were also clearly bewildered. In the end, I inserted the money, and the staff member pressed the button to purchase the ticket on my behalf. It was quite an uncomfortable experience.
“Encounter with a Staff Member at Nipponbashi Station”
Fortunately, having bought the ticket, I could move to Nipponbashi Station. Unlike Kintetsu Nippombashi Station, Nipponbashi Station was much larger, and perhaps due to the high number of tourists, there was a staff member who could speak some English stationed near the ticket vending machine, assisting foreigners in ticketing.
However, as there were fewer staff members compared to the number of customers, and some other foreigners were facing the same awkward situation as me, when I explained to the staff that money needed to be inserted first, the staff came over and took care of the rest of the process.
As an opportunity presented itself, I shared the earlier incident from Kintetsu Nippombashi Station with the staff at Nipponbashi Station. The staff at Nipponbashi Station, feeling apologetic for the situation at Kintetsu Nippombashi Station, offered an apology, which somewhat eased the discomforting feeling.