Osaka (Day 47): Shopping & Okonomiyaki

April 16, 2016

Today was our last day in Osaka and we didn’t have any day trips planned. We decided to take it easy, go shopping, and have okonomiyaki (since we tried Hiroshima’s style already) for dinner. The morning started off with us watching the news about the effects of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake in Kumamoto. They showed the area on the map where the active fault is and it stretched north to Beppu, where we were last week. We’re very lucky!

We headed out and went for a casual lunch at a restaurant that I had seen around other cities, called Nakau. There was one right across the street from our hotel. It was a casual and inexpensive restaurant that serves rice and noodle dishes. Similar to a lot of other casual restaurants in Japan, you have to order and pay at the kiosk and print your ticket out to give to the waitress when you sit down. The food was good. I would go back to Nakau again. While eating, we were talking about how eating in Japan can be very inexpensive if you go to places like this. No wonder there were so many school aged boys here. It’s cheaper than eating at McDonald’s.

Nakau. Was full of locals and a lot of boys who just got off school
Nakau. Was full of locals and a lot of boys who just got off school.
Zaru udon (390 JPY = $4.65 CAD) and small seafood bowl (590 JPY = $7 CAD)
Zaru udon (390 JPY = $4.60 CAD) and small seafood bowl (490 JPY = $5.77 CAD)
Curry katsu udon 590 JPY = $6.95 CAD
Curry katsu udon 590 JPY = $6.95 CAD

After our lunch, we stumbled upon Kuromon Ichiba Market, which is fairly close to Namba Station. This market is mainly a food market full of fresh seafood and fruit stalls. Since we just ate lunch, we just browsed and observed some of the prices for sushi and gawked at the crazy prices of fruit. Although I really like Japanese food, I don’t know if I could live in Japan and not have access to cheaper fresh fruit. We have been in normal grocery stores (vs. just the high end department stores) and their apples are still about $2.50 CAD each and bananas are around $1.50 CAD each (those were the cheapest prices I saw).

Kuromon Ichiba Market
Kuromon Ichiba Market
I've never seen "white strawberries" being sold before. They're very expensive at 2,980 JPY = $35 CAD per box or 2 boxes for 5000 JPY = $59 CAD. They were giving out samples and they weren't even very sweet.
I’ve never seen “white strawberries” being sold before, but apparently they’re quite popular here. They’re very expensive at 2,980 JPY = $35 CAD per box or 2 boxes for 5000 JPY = $59 CAD. They were giving out samples and they weren’t even very sweet.
Expensive fruit
Expensive fruit
The mango better be heavenly for 6980 JPY = $82 CAD!
Those mangos better be heavenly for 6980 JPY = $82 CAD!
Seafood stalls where they were shucking huge oysters to eat raw. I like eating small oysters raw, not ones that are the size of half my face.
Seafood stall where they were shucking huge oysters to eat raw. I like eating small oysters raw, not ones that are the size of half my face.
Trays of blue fin tuna
Trays of blue fin tuna. Prices for sashimi are more reasonable than their fruit.
We were there around 3pm and vendors were already marking down their sashimi for the day.
We were there around 3pm and vendors were already marking down their sashimi for the day.

After going through the market, we started to make our way towards Shinsaibashi. On our way there, we came across a large department store near Namba Station called, Takashimaya. The exterior of the building looked very nice so we decided to go inside.

Before leaving the hotel, I was looking online to see if there were any Osaka specific items to buy. I found out that Glico (the company that makes Pocky (Tim: and delicious curry)) has a high end line of Pocky sticks called, Baton d’or (which means “Golden Stick” in French, but obviously it sounds fancier if it’s said in French). They are only sold in two department stores in Osaka. (I later found out they have a location in Kyoto and Fukuoka now… at least they don’t have any in Tokyo (Tim: why is that a good thing?)). I wasn’t going to actively go out of my way to search for them but when we came across Takashimaya, I remembered they sold them there so I wanted to check it out.

I love B1 (Basement floor) in every train station and department store in Japan because it’s full of delicious food. They always have a great selection of take out food as well as perfect looking desserts and goodies. If I were going home from Japan this trip, I think I would buy a lot of my souvenirs from here. But since that’s not the case, we just browsed. While we browsed, we found Baton d’or! There was a line up of mostly Japanese customers buying basket full of them. When we got closer, we saw that each box of 20 sticks were 500 JPY = $5.90 CAD. For the price of a normal box of Pocky here (which is usually around 100-120 JPY), it’s about 5 times the price.

Being a Pocky enthusiast, I felt like it was my duty to try at least one box. We lined up at a good time since the line up only continued to snake around the corner after we got in the line. We (I) decided to try three flavours: Strawberry, Uji matcha and Sicilian lemon. So why are they so special? Apparently the ingredients they use to make these pocky are all fresh ingredients (as they have a fairly short expiry, about a month) and they use real butter. Oh, and their flavours are seasonal and location specific (Asians love exclusivity, and I guess I’m a sucker for it as well).

Outside Takashimaya
Outside Takashimaya
Small counter in B1 level of Takashimaya department store near Namba
Small counter in the B1 level of Takashimaya department store near Namba
Long line up. People are buying up a storm.
Long line up. People are buying up a storm.
Two out of the three flavours we got
Two out of the three flavours we got

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My basket : lemon, match and strawberry
My basket : lemon, match and strawberry
Moment of truth.... it was good, but I couldn't taste a significant difference from the regular Pocky sticks
Moment of truth…. it was good, but I couldn’t taste a significant difference from the regular Pocky sticks. Oh well! (Tim: shocking) (Update: after trying all three flavours, I liked the lemon the best)

We walked around and shopped for the next couple of hours before dinner time. We went into a store called, Tokyu Hands, which is a store that I’ve seen throughout Japan and even in Taipei. The Osaka location had 7 levels and we went to each floor to check things out. They have a full range of items, from fancy backpacks to home hardware tools to stationery.

Brands from home! Arcteryx "Kitsilano" backpack.
Brands from home! Arcteryx “Kitsilano” backpack.
These plastic sushi were very realistic, but not cheap. Each piece was about $10 + CAD
These plastic sushi were very realistic, but not cheap. Each piece was about $10 + CAD
Japanese people take their pens seriously. This is one of several aisles.
Japanese people take their pens and pencils seriously. This is one of several aisles.
Walls of stickers on the stationery floor
Walls of stickers on the stationery floor

Before finding the restaurant, we walked past the arcade to see if there were any men dancing on the Dance Evolution machine. William showed us a video of a man (who appeared to be in his 50’s) dancing really well and even doing the moves while facing the opposite way (so obviously he had them memorized). We didn’t have any luck seeing any dancers yesterday, but today there were about 3-4 men lined up to dance. These men had backpacks and towels with them. It was sort of like they just danced there to get a workout. We went back a couple of times and watched different guys. The guy who could do the moves without looking at the screen was sitting waiting for his turn, but we must have missed him because when we went back after dinner he was gone. Tim took some videos of them, they were all really good. I guess you have to be dancing in “master mode” if you want to dance in front of a crowd (there’s circle of people watching outside).

A guy on the DDR machine
A guy on the machine. He chose “master” mode.

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William recommended a place tucked away in one of the side streets in the area, which was a good suggestion because so many restaurants on the main drag had long line ups (Saturday night!). After admiring the dancers, we found the okonomiyaki restaurant. We got a seat right away and ordered two okonomiyakis – pork and octopus (800 JPY each = $9.45 CAD). They were smaller than the ones in Hiroshima which is why we felt like we could each have our own this time.

Outside the Okonomiyaki place. No English name.
Outside the Okonomiyaki place. Learned the name of the restaurant was “Okaru” after reading their English menu inside.
They had an English menu inside
They had an English menu upon request. We didn’t ask what “superfine” was supposed to be.
They mixed the cabbage, pancake batter and cooked it on the teppan for us. The cooking process was a lot easier than in Hiroshima
They mixed the okonomiyaki batter, and cooked it on the teppan for us. The cooking process was a lot easier in Osaka than Hiroshima’s version.
Our okonomiyakis cooking
Our pork and octopus okonomiyakis cooking
They draw cartoon characters on it with Japanese mayo! Doraemon for Tim and Hello Kitty for me.
They draw cartoon characters on it with Japanese mayo! Doraemon for Tim and Hello Kitty for me.

I enjoyed this okonomiyaki more than I did in Hiroshima. There’s less frills to this one and I liked how everything is mixed in and not separate layers. But perhaps I’m just used to eating more Osaka style okonomiyakis since that’s what they would make in Vancouver at Japanese restaurants that serve okonomiyaki.

After dinner, we had one last look at the arcade to watch the dancers and we made our way back to the hotel. We had to pack tonight as we’re heading to Tokyo tomorrow. It was nice being able to stay in one (very comfortable) place for 7 nights. Hopefully our Airbnb is a good one. It should be based on the reviews (*fingers crossed*).

I packed up my backpack and it’s looking pretty full. We’ll have to come back to Japan on another trip so I can bring home all the yummy snacks and skin care products (Tim: or buy them at home/order them online). My cousin, who is living in Melbourne (who knows her cosmetics), asked me to look for a Biore UV sunscreen (it won a cosmetic award in Japan in 2014). Ever since Taiwan, I’ve been looking at the product to compare prices every where we went (I didn’t see it in Seoul). Since this particular cream is made in Japan, it’s slightly cheaper here than in Taiwan. Basically, every time we went shopping I’ve stared at their line of sun screen products and analyzed how much I should buy for myself and if I could fit it in my bag. I think Tim officially hates this product (but is also an expert in the whole product line) because of how many time I’ve gone into a drugstore to look for it (Tim: easily 20+). Having bought all the requested products and a few for myself and my sister, I will (try to) stop looking at them and comparing prices (seems to fluctuate a lot).

Portion of the products I bought.
Portion of the products I bought. I’ve tried the sunscreen at the top (which is the one that won one Cosme Award) and it is really light and feels like you’re not wearing anything, especially sunscreen.
Japanese snacks are the best!
Japanese snacks are the best!

Steps today: 16,600

Kobe (Day 46): Kobe Beef and an Earthquake

April 15, 2016

For our last day trip out of Osaka, we decided to go to Kobe. I’ve always wanted to try Kobe beef in Kobe and to be honest, that’s basically all I associated with the city (I know, I’m an ignorant North American). The only thing I did some research on (half an hour before we left) was where we should have lunch so we could try Kobe beef. Once I found some options and Tim starred their locations on Google maps, we headed for Osaka Station.

Kobe-Sannomiya Station
Sannomiya Station, the main railway terminal in Kobe

The train ride to Sannomiya Station took about 30 minutes from Osaka Station. We arrived perfectly around lunch time and decided to go to the Kobe beef restaurant called, Ishidaya. The restaurant was located about 5 minutes by foot from the station, but we had a bit of trouble finding it, so it took a bit longer. The restaurant is tucked away from the main road and on the second floor of a narrow building. It was good that we decided to try it at lunch as many restaurants offer much more reasonable pricing than during dinner service.

Entrance of Ishida. On the left hand side, they have their Kobe beef certification sign clearly displayed (you see them around town)
Entrance of Ishida. On the left hand side, they have their Kobe beef certification sign clearly displayed (you see them around town)

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When we walked up the stairs a woman opened the door expecting our arrival. We later figured out that every time someone opens the door downstairs there’s a subtle chime that goes off, so the waitress is prepared to greet diners. Ishida prepares their Kobe beef teppanyaki style, which was perfect because Tim and I have always talked about going to a teppanyaki place together. Tim used to go more frequently while on business with his American coworkers (Tim: Whatever you’re imagining right now about teppanyaki places in the States is probably accurate). But something told me this experience would be a different one than an American teppanyaki restaurant (mostly we wouldn’t be seeing any cheesy flat top tricks) (Tim: to be fair though, those tricks can be fun :P).

Very clean looking decor
Very clean looking decor with extremely clean flat tops (Tim: or “Teppan”).

After looking at the menu, we decided we would try two different Kobe beef sets. One of them was sirloin (150g for 5,800 JPY = $68 CAD) and the other was a round steak cut (130g for 3,300 JPY = $39 CAD). Each of the lunch sets came with salad, grilled vegetables, rice (we upgraded to fried rice for 500 JPY = $6 CAD, miso soup, pickled vegetables, dessert and coffee/tea. The whole meal was delicious and eating the sirloin Kobe beef was amazing. It definitely did melt in your mouth as a lot of people say. The round cut Kobe beef was still very tender but it was a lot more lean than the sirloin, so it didn’t melt in our mouths as much…

We added an appetizer of roasted Kobe beef. This was served cold with some greens underneath. 800 JPY = $9.50 CAD
We added an appetizer of roasted Kobe beef. This was served cold with some greens underneath. 800 JPY = $9.50 CAD
Salad to start. I like how so many Japanese meals come with a salad.
Salad to start. I like how so many Japanese meals come with a salad.
They bring out the Kobe beef for you to see in its entirety before they cook it infront of you. The left two pieces are the round steak and the larger piece is the sirloin.
They bring out the Kobe beef for you to see in its entirety before they cook it infront of you. The left two pieces are the round steak and the larger piece is the sirloin.
They give you a black bib to wear while you eat.
They give you a black bib to wear while you eat.
He was the chef for us and the two other parties there are the same time. He had very good time management to keep everyone happy.
He was the chef for us and the two other parties there are the same time. He had very good time management to keep everyone happy.
Trying to savour each piece. That's what the meat looked like on the inside.
A portion of the Sirloin, cooked medium rare. They put garlic chips, a type of mustard, sea salt, rock salt, and black pepper for you to dip the steak in. Trying to savour each piece. That’s what the meat looked like on the inside.
Grilled vegetables: carrots, okra, potatoes, and konnyaku grilled in beef fat
Grilled vegetables: carrots, okra, potatoes, and konnyaku grilled in beef fat
He cooked the other two pieces (round cut) after we finished the vegetables
He cooked the other two pieces (round cut) after we finished the vegetables
Fried rice: garlic, mushrooms, carrots, green onions and chopped up pieces of beef fat
Fried rice: garlic, mushrooms, carrots, green onions and chopped up and rendered down pieces of beef fat
Fried rice, picked vegetables and red miso soup
Fried rice, picked vegetables and red miso soup. He also grilled bean sprouts in the beef fat.
Feeling very satisfied with our meal
Feeling very satisfied with our meal
Finished our meal off with really good raspberry sorbet
Finished our meal off with really good raspberry sorbet

After we were done, we left extremely satisfied. Our plan for the day in Kobe was to just walk around and explore a bit. Kobe has a different feel compared to other cities we’ve been to in Japan. We noticed there were a lot more ethnically diverse restaurants in the city and some of their street had a European feel to them.

We walked towards the Kitano area of Kobe, which is a historical area set up on a hill. The Kitano area is full of former foreign residences and is a quaint little area to walk around. About 5 minutes up the hill is an observatory area where you can get nice views of the city and the Port of Kobe.

Along our way towards Kitano, we found that the city is not only diverse in its buildings and restaurants, it also has various places of worship besides Buddhist or Shinto shrines. Most notably we passed by Kobe Mosque and a Synagogue. Being one of Japan’s major ports to the west, it makes sense that there is much more diversity here than the rest of Japan.

German looking building in Kobe
German looking building in Kobe
Ikuta Shrine
Ikuta Shrine
Kobe Mosque
Kobe Mosque
Cute houses on our walk towards Kitano
Cute houses on our walk towards Kitano
Weathercock House, but in 1909 by a former German Trader
Weathercock House, built in 1909 by a former German Trader
French signage in Kitano
French signage in Kitano
Austrian House in Kitano
Austrian House in Kitano
View of Kobe from the observation area
View of Kobe from the observation area
Such a cute looking Starbucks
Such a cute looking Starbucks

We made our way down the hill back to the more central area of Kobe. Our next stop was to walk through Chinatown, which is only one of three designated Chinatowns in Japan. I was craving Chinese BBQ meats (duck, cha-su, and roasted pork) on rice, so I was hoping to see some on our way through. Granted we only walked through one of the main streets within Chinatown (Tim: there really was only 1 main street), we only saw the same peking duck wraps and steamed buns over and over again (none looked very appetizing).

Walking through the more modern area of Kobe. A shopping area around the JR train station
Walking through the more modern area of Kobe. A shopping area around the Motomachi train station
Chinatown gates in the Motomachi area of Kobe
Chinatown gates in the Motomachi area of Kobe
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Chinatown is mostly filled with underwhelming street food

After walking through Chinatown, we continued to head towards the Port of Kobe. At the port, there is a memorial for the earthquake that happened in Kobe in 1995, which was one of Japan’s worst earthquakes in the 20th century (magnitude of 6.9). Walking around the port was really nice since it was a sunny and clear day. We just sat close to the water and chilled out for a while.

"From Kobe to the world" This is an emigrant statute.
“From Kobe to the world”, this is an emigrant statute.
Tim relaxing by the water
Tim relaxing by the water
Kobe Port Tower backlit. The sun was very strong!
Kobe Port Tower backlit. The sun was very strong!

We eventually headed back towards Sannomiya Station, but this time we decided to walk below the train tracks as I read there are a lot of restaurants and stores there. In particular, there was a gyoza only restaurant, called Hyotan, that is supposed to be quite good, so we wanted to go there before heading back to Osaka.

Stores are built below the train tracks that stretch on for several blocks from the station
Stores are built below the train tracks that stretch on for several blocks from the station

Before finding the gyoza place, we stopped by a bakery called, Pablo, which specializes in cheese tarts. We’ve seen this place around Japan as well as in Taipei and they almost always have a huge line up. I wanted to try one and this location only had about 5 people in line, so we decided to buy a tart to share. Compared to everyone else in line, who were buying dozens or them or cakes, we had the smallest order. The tart was very well done and the cheese is like a fluffy Japanese cheesecake, I can see why people would line up for them. But at the same time, I think Asian tourists go crazy for any dairy product in Japan because they don’t have many dairy based desserts or products in Hong Kong, for example.

Pablo's cheese tart (200 JPY = $2.35 CAD)
Pablo’s cheese tart (200 JPY = $2.35 CAD)

We finally found the gyoza place. There was no big sign that says “Hyotan” so it was a bit difficult to find. It’s a very casual looking restaurant, full of Japanese businessmen (there were no other female diners) having a beer with a plate of gyozas after work.

Hyotan, there's a sign outside that says "gyozas only". They only serve gyozas and beer.
Hyotan, there’s a sign outside that says “gyozas only”. They only serve gyozas and beer.
Hyotan's story
Hyotan’s story
No frills gyoza restaurant
No frills gyoza restaurant
Gyozas at Hyotan. 7 per order for 370 JPY = $4.35 CAD. Minimum one order per person
Gyozas at Hyotan. 7 per order for 370 JPY = $4.35 CAD. Minimum one order per person. See the racks for everyone’s briefcases?

The gyozas were hot and juicy. We read after that they are known for their red miso paste for dipping. Luckily, I wanted to try it in my sauce, Tim on the other hand didn’t use any (oh well). The waitress did not speak English and was trying to tell us that the minimum order was one per person in Japanese (although there are signs on the wall in English, we didn’t see them). Tim’s Mandarin came in handy when she first said no English, then she started to speak Mandarin to him. It was an interesting experience to eat with a bunch of businessmen after work. Tim always asks if I feel okay going into a place like that when it’s all men. I think he feels more uncomfortable on my behalf than I actually do.

We took the train back to Osaka Station and headed straight to Dotonburi (via JR Namba Station) to meet William at around 8pm for a late dinner (snack for us).

Last night, we were watching Anthony Bourdain’s episode in Osaka and wanted to try kushikatsu (deep fried skewers). We learned they are unique to Osaka, and it just so happened that William said he wanted to try them too before we even suggested it. We found a place in Dotonburi that was pretty busy (seems like a good place to start). Tim and I shared a combo of skewers and ordered a different ones to try. They give you a plate of cabbage that you can dip in the tonkatsu-like sauce. At these restaurants, there are communal dipping sauces at each table and there is no double dipping allowed since they don’t change the dip after each customer.

This is the main location in Dotonburi. We realized that the guy infront of the restaurant does actually look like that (we saw pictures of him inside)
This is the main location in Dotonburi. We realized that the guy in front of the restaurant actually looks like that (we saw pictures of him inside)
Kushikatsu. Even though we ordered separate combos, they all were served as they came so it was a bit hard to separate them at first.
Kushikatsu. Even though we ordered separate combos, they all were served as they came so it was a bit hard to separate them at first. We had an assortment of pork, chicken, beef, quail eggs, vegetables and fish.
Inside the restaurant. Traditionally it is a bar food. But since we had 3 people, we got a table behind the bar.
Inside the restaurant. Traditionally it is a bar food. But since we had 3 people, we got a table behind the bar.

The majority of skewers are 120 JPY = $1.40 CAD and could go up to 360 JPY = $4.25 CAD for more speciality items. My favourite kushikatsu were the quail eggs. It was a good experience and I was happy we got to try it in Osaka. However, this would not be a very healthy thing to eat every day after work.

There is a larger/main location right on the main drag of Dotonburi, but we found one that is just down one of the side streets.
There is a larger/main location right on the main drag of Dotonburi, but we found one that is just down one of the side streets.

After a heavy dinner, we went to the melonpan ice cream bun truck. We had told William about it last time we met in Kyoto and he wanted to try. We got one and he agreed, it was very delicious. This dessert makes Tim very happy.

The clown in the background is like a mascot for Osaka, so we took a picture.
The clown in the background is like a mascot for Osaka, so we took a picture.

We said our goodbyes and said we’d meet up again in Tokyo. William was leaving for Tokyo tomorrow and we’ll be there a day after him. I like hanging out with William because he knows a lot about what restaurants to go to or what kind of food to eat in each city as he’s been to Japan quite a few times.

We walked back to our hotel and relaxed for the rest of the night. I wasn’t able to finish my blog post for tonight because I was getting a bit tired. While I was sitting at the desk, I heard a slight banging noise and felt a bit of movement.  I asked Tim if he felt that and if it was an earthquake. He said he didn’t feel anything (while laying in bed) and it was probably nothing. So I thought I was just imagining things since there was a large earthquake in Kumamoto the day before with a magnitude of 6.4. (Tim: It might of been a pre-tremor that hit the area just before midnight.)

At about 1:25am, I got into bed and we turned off the lights to sleep. Then all of a sudden, everything started to shake really hard and you can feel the building swaying and hear the structure of the building making large creaking noises. Since we have two double beds, I stayed in my bed for a little bit thinking the shaking would stop soon. But then after it continued to shake even harder, I went to Tim and hugged him until it stopped. The shaking seemed to have lasted for about 30 seconds (Tim: possibly felt longer because the building continued to sway for a bit). It was the longest earthquake I had experienced, and being on the 18th floor, the amount of sway in the building was unsettling. (Tim: This was the first earthquake where I think felt the 2 distinct waves you learn about in elementary school. One big shake, followed by lighter shaking and swaying in the building, followed by another bigger shake that made the building sway for a while.)

We turned on the Japanese news and tried to go online for  more information about what just happened. We found out there was a 7.3 magnitude earthquake again in Kumamoto (which is about 700 km south of Osaka). The fact that we felt such a strong tremor was crazy since the epicenter was so far away. We are lucky that we left Kyushu (island where Kumamoto is) last week. Fukuoka and Beppu are both on Kyushu island and Beppu, specifically, is in an area more affected by the earthquake. Since the big earthquake on Thursday (which they now know was a pre-tremor for the earthquake last night), there has been over 100 earthquakes of 3-5 magnitude in the Kumamoto region, many higher than what we have experienced in Vancouver.

As we’re heading east in the next couple of days, hopefully we won’t experience any more tremors or earthquakes while we’re here. I was scared and a bit shaken up last night. Thankfully, Tim and I had already left the area most affected last week, and are okay.

Steps today: 24,500

Osaka (Day 43): Osaka Castle and Bright Lights

April 12, 2016

Today was another sunny day in Osaka. The temperatures looked a bit better than yesterday which made for a perfect opportunity to go to Osaka Castle and hang out at the park in afternoon. Our only other plan for the day was to meet up with my friend, Mable, and her boyfriend, Keith, for dinner in Dotonburi.

Since it was such a nice day, we decided to have a picnic in the park around Osaka Castle. I’ve noticed that there are so many take out options at restaurants with nice bentos that look so pretty and tasty. Below the department store beside our hotel is a basement full of food options. we decided to go there to see if anything caught our eye. After making a quick loop at our options, we decided to go for battera sushi, which Osaka specializes in.

I like looking at Japanese fruit. So perfect looking and expensive
I like looking at Japanese fruit. So perfect looking and expensive.
All the take out sushi options. So colourful!
All the take out sushi options. So colourful!

After getting our sushi, we took the subway to Osaka Castle. We also wanted to get some other food, possibly a salad, from a convenience store. We thought we would find one closer to the castle since convenience stores are everywhere in Japan. But when we got out of the station, we couldn’t find one at all. We walked for about 10 minutes or so down another street and we finally found a Family Mart… There were actually two within a block of each other.

At Family Mart, we got a salad, Glico pudding, and a hot chicken cutlet (Tim: and a grape soda). We headed to the Osaka Castle park area with our picnic food in tow. We were really excited to eat our lovely spread outside on a nice spring day. We found a nice bench under a tree and unpacked our lunch. Tim’s sushi was very pretty, some people even took a picture of our lunch.

The new and old Osaka
The new and old Osaka
Setting up our lunch spread
Setting up our lunch spread
Carbonated grape drink from Family Mart, Tim's battera bento, Family Mart daikon, seaweed and okra salad, Glico pudding, my sushi combo and the Family Mart chicken
Carbonated grape drink from Family Mart, Tim’s battera bento (712 JPY = $8.37 CAD), Family Mart daikon, seaweed and okra salad (248 JPY = $2.92 CAD), Glico pudding (141 JPY = $1.66 CAD), my sushi combo (594 JPY = $6.98 CAD) and the Family Mart chicken (151 JPY = $1.78 CAD).
Family Mart chicken. It was surprisingly very good!
Family Mart chicken. It was surprisingly very good!
Eating under cherry blossoms
Eating under cherry blossoms

After our nice and relaxing lunch, we made our way past the walls toward Osaka Castle. The grounds were quite busy and we noticed there were many tours heading into the castle (lots of cruisers). The castle costs 600 JPY ($7.10 CAD) per person (Tim: or adults) to go in. Each floor has an exhibit and there’s a viewing deck at the top which has views of the city from all sides.

We walked up to the top of the viewing deck and made our way down through each floor (which is their recommended route). Osaka Castle is the nicest castle I’ve seen on our trip so far. Fukuoka’s Castle is basically ruins and Hiroshima’s wasn’t as grand looking. Like many of the other cities, Osaka’s Castle is not the original building. It was rebuilt during the 1930’s to match the original and was funded by citizens of Osaka.

Us infront of Osaka Castle
Osaka Castle
View from the top of Osaka Castle. There's meshing around the whole top.
View from the top of Osaka Castle. There’s meshing around the whole top.
Since everyone else was taking selfies
Since everyone else was taking selfies… (Tim)
Following Tim to Osaka Castle :)
Following Tim to Osaka Castle 🙂 (Tim: the night before I did a crummy job patching a huge hole in the elbow of my sweater… thankfully in this shot, it just looks like the elbow is a little wrinkled)
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At the entrance of the castle grounds
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Infront of one of the largest rocks (Tim: I think it’s the largest rock) used to build the original wall.
Castle walls
Castle walls. You can see the castle roof in the background.
Across the street from the castle grounds, kids were getting out of school. They all walked down the block (there must have been over 100 of them). Their uniforms are so cute!
Across the street from the castle grounds, kids were getting out of school. They all walked down the block (there must have been over 100 of them). Their uniforms are so cute!
Had a Matcha Frappe at Family Mart. You get the frozen cup from the freezer and when you buy it, the cashier opens it and squeezes the ice then you take it to the coffee machine and press a button for hot milk, mix and enjoy! it was actually really good. It was 265 JPY = $3.15 CAD
Had a Matcha Frappe at Family Mart. You get the frozen cup from the freezer and when you buy it, the cashier opens it and squeezes the ice then you take it to the coffee machine and press a button for hot milk, stir, and enjoy! It was really good. It was 260 JPY = $3.06 CAD

After we were done with the castle we walked towards Dotonburi, where we were meeting Mable and Keith. We took a leisurely stroll along the Tosaborigawa River and walked along the walkway, which I enjoyed a lot. The city outside of Dotonburi is so calm. It’s not that I don’t like big cities (referring to my post yesterday), I just don’t like huge crowds, they make me really upset.

River walk
Tosaborigawa River walk
One of Osaka's sister cities is San Francisco!
One of Osaka’s sister cities is San Francisco
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Along the other side of the river were tall office buildings, many of them were Japanese company headquarters – like Shisheido and Mizuno
Beautiful walk in the city
Beautiful walk in the city

Eventually we made it back to Shinsaebashi, where we visited a few shops again before meeting Mable and Keith in Dontonburi. There are a lot of shops that sell just Japanese snacks. These shops make me so happy.

We went into a Kit Kat store, which sells more than just Kit Kats
We went into a Kit Kat store, which sells more than just KitKats
Heading towards our meeting point. So many people!! A lot of them are on ours and are dropped off in this area to shop.
Heading towards our meeting point. So many people!! A lot of them are on tours and are dropped off in this area to shop.
Sun is setting
Sun is setting. This place really comes alive at night.

We met Mable and Keith infront of the Forever 21. Lucky we picked a store to meet in front of because if we had just said the bridge near the Glico sign, then we would be in trouble as there were so many people.

We headed to an izakaya place called Kitazo, which was more of a local restaurant than a tourist joint. The food was good but a little pricey for an izakaya considering we didn’t order a whole lot. But it was okay since we planned on going out after to try some street foods that are a lot easier to share amongst four people instead of just two.

Dinner with Mable and Keith at an izakaya place in Dotonburi
Dinner with Mable and Keith at Kitazo in Dotonburi
Assorted sashimi
Assorted Sashimi
Seafood Salad
Seafood Salad

After dinner we went across the bridge to check out the Glico sign. It was the first time we had been in Dotonburi at night, which looks nicer at night than in the daytime (in my opinion). The neon lights everywhere gave the area so much life!

Glico Man pose
Glico Man pose
With Mable
With Mable

After taking multiple pictures on the bridge, we headed to a store called Don Quijote. This is a Japanese department store (Tim:ish) that literally sells everything. You wouldn’t think so, but the top floor has high end luxury goods! This location had 6 floors of food, cosmetics, electronics, clothing… everything! The busiest part of the store was probably the first floor full of Japanese snacks and treats. Mable and Keith are in Japan for a total of 3 weeks, and heading home next week, so they were able to buy a lot of stuff. When I saw them loading up their basket for gifts to bring home, I was a bit jealous. She said she has one dedicated suitcase full of food! In some ways, I was able to live through Mable telling her what I would buy to bring home, and she would end up putting it in her basket.

We spent around an hour inside
We spent around an hour inside
Takoyaki. Very delicious here. Big pieces of octopus inside and was perfectly cooked. 8 pieces for 650 JPY = $7.60 CAD (a bit overpriced because we're in Dotonburi but it was good)
Takoyaki. Very delicious here. Big pieces of octopus inside and was perfectly cooked. We shared 8 pieces for 650 JPY = $7.60 CAD (a bit overpriced because we’re in Dotonburi but it was good)
These were super hot.. I almost burnt my mouth when I tried to eat it in one bite.
These were super hot.. I almost burnt my mouth when I tried to eat it in one bite.
The lights in Dontoburi
The lights in Dontoburi
These gyozas were delicious. We shared 6 pieces for 240 JPY = $2.80 CAD
These gyozas were delicious. We shared 6 pieces for 240 JPY = $2.80 CAD
They were hot!
They were hot!
This was place had a huge line after we ordered
This was place had a huge line after we ordered. We were ahead of the crowds.

After the takoyaki and gyozas, we had the best thing for dessert, a warm melon bun filled with vanilla ice cream. A melon bun is basically like a Chinese pineapple bun (bolo bao), but the Japanese version of it. Tim and I ordered one to share and it was very good. Tim says it’s one of his favourite things he’s eaten all trip. The melon bun was freshly baked, which was a nice surprise.

He advertises as the "second best melon bun ice cream" in the world. So modest. I wonder who's the first?
He advertises as the “second best melon bun ice cream” in the world. So modest. I wonder who’s the first?
Melon bun with ice cream: 400 JPY = $4.70 CAD
Melon bun with ice cream: 400 JPY = $4.70 CAD

This part of Dontonburi had stalls/food trucks around with a seating area. We sat down and ate our ice cream and then ended up getting some drinks (beers for them and a peach Canada Dry for me) and sat around to chat for a bit. It’s great to hear about their adventures in Japan as we’ll be going to some of the cities they’ve already been and vice versa. They liked Sapporo the best and made their food sound amazing. I can’t wait to go visit ourselves!

I know I’ve always said it’s nice to see familiar faces while you’re away, but it’s even better to see good friends. Mable and I agreed that as nice as it is to travel with your significant other, it’s great to be able to see friends, as you can try more food with them, they can take pictures for you (instead of asking randoms (Tim: with questionable photography skills…)), and you can talk to someone else besides your significant other in a country that doesn’t speak English. I’m glad we were able to meet while we were both in Japan.

Today was a fun day. It also turned out to be a longer day since we didn’t come back to the hotel at all. We’re thinking of heading to Kyoto tomorrow for the day, it only takes about 15 minutes on the Shinkasen from Osaka. It’ll take us longer to get to Osaka Station than it will to get to Kyoto.

Steps today: 25, 200

Osaka (Day 42): Overwhelmed in Dotonburi

April 11, 2016

It was our first morning in Osaka and the sun was shining. We didn’t have any plans for today, which was nice. We took our time getting ready and did a bit of planning for the upcoming legs of our trip. The hotel has a pretty large desk that both Tim and I could work on (perfect set up). We decided to just walk around the city and head towards the popular Dotonburi area for lunch.

Morning views of Osaka
Morning views of Osaka. It’s a pretty sprawling city
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Our hotel in the background

When we walked outside, the sun was shining but it was very windy and there was a cold breeze that we haven’t felt since leaving Vancouver at the end of February. We walked briskly and made sure we were on the sunny side of the sidewalk to stay warm. It was about a 10 minute walk to the Dotonburi area, not 25 minutes according to Google Maps.

Once we got to Dotonburi, I was feeling very overwhelmed with all the craziness and frenzy of the area. There were so many tourists and people in general that it made trying to decide where to eat difficult. The prices around that area are a lot more inflated than what we saw on the way to Dotonburi (obviously). There were a lot of takoyaki street stalls, which Osaka is famous for, that we’ll save for another night. We walked up and down the streets and couldn’t decide or find something that we thought looked like good value. We decided to walk one block out of the craziness and ended up going to a ten don restaurant (tempura restaurant).

In Dotonburi
In Dotonburi
Dotonburi (it's more famous for its night time neon signage). Osaka is just like Europe (right, Tim?!)
Dotonburi (it’s more famous for its night time neon signage). Osaka is just like Europe because of the canals and rivers! (right, Tim?!)
The famous Glico sign. We'll be back tomorrow night to take pictures of all the neon lights!
The famous Glico sign. We’ll be back tomorrow night to take pictures of all the neon lights!
Cool building with rock climbing wall outside
Cool building with rock climbing wall outside

The restaurant is called “Tenya”, it’s a casual Japanese restaurant that serves assorted tempuras over rice. It’s a Japanese chain that is based out of Tokyo. Inside the restaurant were a lot of locals having their lunch breaks (I guess they know not to even go into the main part of Dotonburi for lunch).

Tenya, Osaka
Tenya, Osaka
My lunch set, ten don (tempura on rice) with zaru udon (cold udon that you dip). 720 JPY = $8.60 CAD
My lunch set, ten don (tempura on rice) with zaru udon (cold udon that you dip). 720 JPY = $8.60 CAD. Ten Don was 500 JPY and I added zaru udon for 220 JPY
Tim ordered a ten don that had more of an assortment of tempura (670 JPY = $8 CAD)
Tim ordered a ten don that had more of an assortment of tempura (670 JPY = $8 CAD)

The food came quickly and it was tasty. I think we were both very hungry as we ate pretty fast. After we finished lunch, we continued to walk around the shopping area, hoping to make it to the Yodo River. We ended up in an area called, Shinsaibashi, which is Osaka’s main shopping district.

Each new street has a different looking entrance
Each new street has a different looking entrance
Shinsaibashi shopping area is all undercover and seems to go on forever
Shinsaibashi shopping area is an undercover street and seems to go on forever

We went into a Uniqlo and stayed there for about an hour. We’ve been into multiple Uniqlos in Taiwan, Seoul and now Japan, but this is the first one I’ve been in where I actually tried on some clothes. I had a basket full of clothes to try on and went to the fitting room. When the sales associate lead me to the room, I walked in and she politely told me I needed to take my shoes off. Now I know that you have to take your shoes off while trying clothes on in Japan. I’m a North American small or sometimes medium, but here, I’m a medium or large(!!). At first my basket was full of items that were good deals but not practical for the trip, so after some thinking, I ended up buying practical items that I would need on this trip. These were mainly their Airism tank tops (light fabric that’s anti-odor and anti-bacterial) and a HeatTech long-sleeve (that I feel like I’ll need for here and for Sapporo). Airism tank tops and HeatTech were all 990 JPY = $11.80 CAD). Tim was [is] very patient with me at Uniqlo (Tim: fixed that for you), he found WiFi and sat on the bench and waited for me.

It’s too bad that for Tax Free shopping in Japan, you need to buy a minimum of 10,000 JPY = $119 CAD at one store in order to get 8% tax back. In Korea, you only needed to spend around $30 CAD. A small annoyance about Japan is that they charge tax on top of the marked price (just like North America) (Tim: Not universally, some places include tax, some places don’t). This is uncommon in Asia, as all the others countries I’ve been to have tax included in their prices.

We walked a bit more through Shinsaibashi and went into a couple more stores to browse. There was a 3 level Sanrio Store, which got me excited. My Mom used to own a Sanrio Store in Vancouver when I was young and I have always loved Sanrio stuff. I went to each floor and looked at everything, the one big difference between the Japanese Sanrio store and ones they had North America (do they even have any stores left?) is that they don’t have a candy section. I was looking forward to getting some cool gum or suckers.

Sanrio Gallery in Shinsaibashi, Osaka
Sanrio Gallery in Shinsaibashi, Osaka
So many pens and pencils! I used to love getting these when I was in elementary school. They were always the best mechanical pencils.
So many pens and pencils! I used to love getting these when I was in elementary school. They were always the best mechanical pencils.
I love Hello Kitty!
I love Hello Kitty! (just in case you couldn’t already tell)
Cafe GiGi Waffles
Maison de GiGi Waffles in Shinsaibashi
I tried the sakura mochi waffle (180 JPY = $2.15 CAD). The waffle itself was good, but it had an actual leaf on it and no mochi... maybe something was lost in translation
I tried the sakura mochi waffle (180 JPY = $2.15 CAD). The waffle itself was good, but it had an actual leaf on it and no mochi… maybe something was lost in translation. I eventually peeled the leaf off.
Starbucks' Osaka mug
Starbucks Osaka mug
Daiso! Most things are 100 JPY = $1.20 CAD. We just got a drink and mini green tea oreos
Daiso! Most things are 100 JPY = $1.20 CAD. We just got a drink and mini green tea oreos

After a fairly draining afternoon in Dotonburi and Shinsaibashi, we went back to the hotel to rest and do some work before we went back out at night. I ended up watching two episodes of the Amazing Race while I unpacked and repacked everything in my suitcase, did some laundry and took inventory of my Korean socks and face masks. Tim worked on his blog post about our final spending summary for Korea (which will be posted later today). Before we knew it, it was already 8:30pm when we went back out for dinner. We thought we would just stay close to the hotel and not go back out to Dotonburi as originally planned since we were likely going to end up there tomorrow night with my friend Mable and her boyfriend, Keith (who are also in Osaka for the next few days).

We went back to the top floor of the department store beside the hotel, where they have a bunch of restaurants. When we went outside for the short period of time to cross the street, it was really cold out. I think it was about 5 degrees Celsius, so it was good we stayed in tonight as we weren’t dressed appropriately.

We ended up picking a restaurant that had an assortment of udon and rice dishes. Tim got an Oyako Udon and I got a beef an egg donburi. Our dinner was very simple and quick. The food was good, but a tad overpriced compared to donburis outside of a department store.

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Beef and egg on rice with miso (815 JPY = $9.70 CAD)
Tim's chicken and egg udon (880 JPY = $10.50 CAD)
Tim’s chicken and egg udon (880 JPY = $10.50 CAD)

Tomorrow we’ll be going to Osaka Castle and then meeting up with Mable and Keith for dinner around Dotonburi. We’re thinking of going to an izakaya since we’ll have more people so we can order and try more items. Looking forward to meeting up with friends from back home.

Today was a good, restful, and productive day. Osaka is a sprawling city and we’ve only ventured into a very narrow part of it. I’m looking forward to going to the Castle tomorrow and walking through the parks, away from the crowds for a nice afternoon stroll. I think I’m a mid-sized city kind of girl (if that’s even a thing). In terms of liveability, I can see myself living in some of the cities we’ve visited but it’s hard for me to picture living in a city as big as Seoul or Osaka. I enjoy big cities but I think large sprawling metropolitan areas intimidate me.

Steps Today: 14, 500