Instead of rushing off to the Expo, I face a more mundane decision: clockwise or counterclockwise — which direction to start my trek along Osaka’s 21.7-kilometer Osaka Loop Line.

OSAKA -- Japan Railways (JR)'s classic orange-colored "103 series" train made its last trip on the Osaka Loop Line here on Oct. 3 -- attracting a multitude of fans who came to bid the train farewell.