In these last few years, I've realised that it is ridiculously hard to organise an overseas trip with friends. If I want to go anywhere it was just easier to buy a ticket and plan it all myself. I get to see only the places I want to see and can do things at the pace that I want to do them. I have been to Tokyo and Kyoto before but in September 2016, I went to visit Osaka for the first time. Here's some experiences I can share with you.
1. Osaka
Before getting to Osaka, I researched extensively and reached the conclusion that I will fly into Osaka and fly back from Tokyo. I worked out that this not only saved time and money but also allowed me to visit a few places between Osaka and Tokyo.
2. Nara
The deer city is beautiful and full of beautiful temples and beautiful deers. After getting off the super fast train "Shinkansen" I made a dash for one of the largest and most beautiful temples in Japan - the "Todaji". The walk to Todaji is littered with deers that are happy to bow to you for treats. "Senbei" is the food that the locals sell to tourists to feed to the deers, the word means biscuit.
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| Todaji temple in Nara |
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| Nara deers outside Todaji |
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| A deer poking its head out from behind stone lanterns |
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| Small gravestones in Nara Deer Park |
3. Dotonbori, Osaka
Osaka is basically a foodie city. When you get off at Namba station, you can head towards "Dotonbori", a series of streets and lanes that hold all the most curious and delicious Japanese foods. Osaka is the home of "Takoyaki", "Okonomiyaki", "Kashikatsu" and other delicious Japanese foods.
I got to Dotonbori at 9pm, when the streets are buzzing with the most excitement and food stalls are plentiful and all open. Some stalls and shops will have lines stretching out before them, but there are only a handful of truly well known stalls that are popular with locals and tourists. I didn't get a chance to take photos of the places I went to as I was too excited about the foods. Below are a few stalls and restaurants that are photo worthy (not sure about the food as I didn't eat there).
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| Dotonbori |
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| Takoyaki shop |
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| Takoyaki - octopus batter snacks |
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| Kashikatsu |
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| Kashikatsu - prawn, ox tongue, shitake, asparagus, scallop fried |
4. Kobe
One food item that I've always had on my bucket list is a Kobe beef steak. Kobe is a small town next to Osaka and this meant there was no excuse for me not to visit Kobe and tick off one of the most expensive steaks in the world off my bucket list. I won't go into the details of why Kobe beef is so famous but it should suffice to say that the steak I had was delicious and the eating experience was just as amazing.
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| Kobe Steak (Grade 5) - over $300 for three courses |
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| Personal chef cooked a three course meal over Teppanyaki hot plate |
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| Kobe steak cooked on Teppanyaki hot plate |
5. Himeji
The word "Himeji" means princess. The photos of Himeji I had seen before arriving at the small city were beautiful and fitting for princesses. Naturally I had to visit the city and its famous Himeji Castle and see it for myself. It was a shame that I did not go during cherry blossom season as I heard that the castle becomes surrounded by pink blossom trees. That's a trip for another day.
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| Himeji Castle |
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| Ascent up to the castle |
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| Himeji Castle Garden |
6. Osaka Aquarium
I love aquariums and having read that Osaka's aquarium is one of the best in the world, I just had to make time to visit it. No words can describe how great it was but they say pictures are word a thousand words.
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| Dory? |
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| Extremely large jelly fish |
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| Dancing spider crabs |
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| Seals |
