An afternoon in Osaka

It was pretty ambitious of me to fit more than 2 major sights in a day. But we ate well and had to walk it off. A short ride from Kyoto, we got to Shin Osaka to experience some skyscrappers and concrete and glass forest.

I was also hoping we could get to the market where I got lost 6 years ago. But we only managed to get to the Sky building to ride the escalator high above ground with its transparent walls and floors.

By the time we finished, night was falling and we could barely get o the lights of denden town and see shops close in the market.

 

 

And so rather than grab some dinner at the market, we grabbed food at Osaka JR train station, in a tonkatsu restaurant.

Japan 2015 - logistics of travelling with parents

This was the highlight of the year, and one of my greatest life achievement: Between two jobs, I took my parents to Japan. I could afford so with the sudden exchange rate crash at the beginning of the year (airfare was suddenly 20% cheaper).

 

And so the whole year was excitedly spent in planing for this autumn trip. This would be my first trip with company in Japan, and I had to budget for 2 hotel rooms most of times, or a double or large room in minshuku. The Japan rail pass was of course used for all transportation, and the main meal of the day was breakfast, usually included in the accommodation.

The challenges were many:
-keeping a comfortable pace of traveling as there are much to see, and we have different rhythms
-selecting sights and activities that capture the local customs and spirit (zen, megalopolis, matsuri, onsen, food)
-satisfying their interests (Japanese gardens, industries, temples, markets, castles, trains, etc..)
-trying to experience something I have not experienced or seen yet.

Of course the trip sightseeing was great, but what was amazing and unexpected was also how I discovered and enjoyed my parents reactions. It was my parents' first trip in Asia and I was not aware of their expectations or prejudices. So it was with much amusement, laughter and sometimes incredulity that I experienced their wide eyed reactions or comments.



Resources and tips:
Thanks to Japan tourism website, all the major sights were covered using the Japan railpass for 2 weeks.

Since my previous trips were all traveling south from Tokyo, this time the itinerary was from Hiroshima traveling to Tokyo on Honshu island, with a quick side trip to Shikoku island. We would cover one city/town per day in average, and no more than 2 planned activities to allow for leisure exploring and getting lost, covering architecture (temples, castles), town histories, Japanese gardens, and Japanese factories.

We planned to but did not send our luggage (one suitcase and rucksack each) from the Kansai airport to the hotel by TAQ-BIN upon arrival, while we find our way. But we used the service from Okayama hands free travel counter in the train station to our hotel in Kyoto, and again from Nagoya to Tokyo. We traveled on a rucksack only to the onsen as there were bus travel from Kobe.

I also made sure we were not changing hotel everyday, but settles in a strategic town and explore the surroundings in daytrips:
Hiroshima based
Okayama based
Kyoto based
Nagoya based
Tokyo based


What to pack? For the season layered warm clothes are best. Of course my parents had to pack their medication. But other than that we could find everything else from the many kombini (convenient stores).


Itinerary
Landing in Osaka Kansai airport
Hiroshima - peace park and eating historical street food in Okonomimura
Miyajima - Itsukushima shrine and old town
Okayama - Kourakuen
Takamatsu - Ritsurin koen
Kurashiki - merchant warehouse and strolling along canals
Himeji - climbing a martial architecture world heritage castle
Kobe-Arima onsen - buying a suit and omotenashi experience in 7th century onsen town
Kyoto - history and culture strolling in the west capital
Osaka - Shin Osaka and wet market
Nagoya - minshuku stay and impromptu Toyota museum visit
Shizuoka - views from Nihondaira ropeway to Kunozan Toshogu shrine
Tokyo - Eating sushi in Tsukuji at 4am and Kagurazaka matsuri
Leaving from Narita airport

Accomodations
Hiroshima: Chisun Hotel Hiroshima
Okayama: Okayama Koraku hotel
Arima onsen: Hana Koyado
Kyoto: APA Hotel Gion
Higashiyama airbnb (Kyoto Amanogawa)
Nagoya: Kyoya Ryokan
Tokyo:
Mercure Ginza
The B Ikebukuro

Superview from Umeda skybuilding

Edit: not to be confused with Ueda, the silly professor whoearned martial arts by distance learning. Lol.

There are a few things of life I've learned so far, by being in Japan:
-presents are always wrapped. If you mention it to a shopkeeper, he'll do it. And better than my wraping and their normal wrap is beautiful
-you must change shoes when entering the toilet. There is a pair there just for that. It is a bit of an exercse to leave your shoes outside the toilet, then wear the ones inside the toilet.
-I can now eat fish on its bones with chopsticks. It may tage hours but the dish is the more delicious
-I learned to bow when exiting a shop. The trick is not to forget to urn around completely and face the shop.
-knowing the basics of the language is very useful as many original restaurant or shops out of the beaten path have loads to offer
-I can eat 3 times again, full set of homecooked meals.
Finally, the view is from a landmark in the north part of Osaka. At sunset, it must be beautiful, but I was not paired up so went back home...sniff. But the homecooked dinner with the whole K. Family was ready when I got home and we chatted till 11pm so all is good.

Dotonburi:shopping and eating in Osaka

Well, instead of getting to Namba station at noon, I got there arount 2pm. Met a lot of 'hosts' and weird guys picking me up while I waited for the lights to turn green at crossroads. Well, it's easy to single me out, everyone is kinda pale. Had so much fun window shopping.

Walking in den-den town, Osaka

Osaka, more like discovering Sakai city

Meeting the K. Family was fun. I could understand them and we had fun doing groceries at the supermarket, with all the food I've never seen before. Later on we had temakizushi at home, literally hand sushi, where everyone just self served with stuff to put in they seaweeds and made their own roll or cones. Some had beer, I had plum wine. Yum!
Today, we went to see a famous burial mount of an emperor, the shape of a keyhole, surrounded by 2 water barrier: koofun. It's about 500m long and as wide. After that we went tempozan, the lowest mountain of Japan:4,53m. Lol. Pictures later. And finally after seeing many trucks on the road to minato, we went into Osaka fo the Osaka-jou, the old castle. The weather was still hot, maybe 25C at 4pm. Back at home I had a demo of calligraphy and my name written, and it was beautiful. In the evening we walked to a nearby yakitori restaurant, got drunk and ate loads of meat on sticks...I have no idea what tomorrow has for me, so I'll sleep tired, sweaty and happy I can be understood so far from my reality...