It seems like forever that I have been talking about going to Japan and with many iterations of an itinerary that comprised of Hokkaido then not Hokkaido. So it is hard to believe we are actually here. Our flight was uneventful and with iPads and downloaded movies and shows, 12 hrs actually passes quickly. Thank you United for leaving the middle seat open. I have to say, food on international flights has deteriorated considerably since we last flew abroad. Can you believe Robert’s favorite food as a child was lasagna on American Airlines? On this flight, we never got served breakfast since there was so much turbulence and so we landed hungry. Ray thinks the routing to Asia has changed, going over more ocean instead of north over Alaska and Russian air spaces, and therefore a longer and bumpier flight; he should know!
We arrived in Osaka mid afternoon and took a cab to the W Hotel, owned by but not Marriott branded. The city is way more industrialized than I had anticipated with rail yards , shipyards etc. high rises etc on every available space. The ride took over 30 min and was expensive. In retrospect we could have figured out the route by subway but I figured we would be tired and unfamiliar with the rail system- live and learn. The hotel is in the Manami district, not unlike 5th Ave and convenient to the main rail station. After checking in, we walked in search of food and found a section of covered pedestrian alleys with small restaurants and food stalls, drug stores, knickknacks and misc products, which we later discovered is typical of Osaka-covered for protection from the elements and packed with people on weekends. We settled on bowls of ramen with delicious broth. Then back to the hotel where we collapsed into bed.
The guidebooks say Osaka is a foodies paradise. We basically ate our way through Osaka today.
Our destination today was the Keitakuen Gardens near Tennoji Park. We were so proud to have figured out the subway system, purchased commuter cards and filled them with money for several days of rides, arriving at the park to find it was undergoing construction and closed. We ended up walking through Shin sekai, an old town, with long pedestrian streets lined with shops and restaurants, decorated like the early 1900’s. We saw a young crowd in front of a Takoyaki shop (octopus balls) and it didn’t take much convincing to try. We ate them on the street like locals. They were piping hot and very savory and flavorful.
We kept walking toward Dotombori Street looking for Mizuno which the guidebook had highly recommended the traditional okonomiyaki-savory pancakes filled with meat, seafood, and vegetables, but the line was hours long. We decided to do crab instead at Kani Doraku Dotombori which was flavorful and sweet.
Next stop, the Osaka Castle. We are now pros at navigating the subways- the stops are in English but not much else. Although uncomfortable in the warm muggy air, we diligently wear masks on public transport and crowded stores. Many Japanese, young and old,, wear masks as well.
The historic castle is in the middle of high rises with a wide promenade that encircles the moat. There are 2 entrances that go over the moat and inside are a few gardens and the palace, with adornments cast in bronze and gold gilded. I had thought the palace would be furnished to resemble what it looked like before but it has several floors of displays and a viewing platform on floor 8. It is packed full of people all trying to navigate the narrow corridors.
Osaka has very little free space. The small field at Tennoji Park where families had set blankets and kids played ball was astroturf. Walking so much of the city, we did not see a single playground- maybe in the outlying areas?The main city areas are pretty much void of trees, grass and nature. We retraced our steps back to the Dotombori area and found no line at Mizumo. The place has only 7 seats in front of a long grill where the savory pancakes made with yam batter and filled with seafood are made. Delicious!
By evening, the area was becoming crazy crowded and we have never seen so many people, mostly young, walking and eating. It resembled the Richmond Night Market but this is year round and all day and into the night. We went into a few larger stores.
One sells only capsule machine. Capsule machines are outside many stores and for a few cents you can get a plastic ball with a treat inside. There was a Japanese anime store where the salesgirl had amazing nails. Most surprising was a 3 story Go go Clamp games place with rows and rows of all kinds of things you could win using the clamps like at carnivals.
Ray said that kids growing up here are like in an alternate universe, never seeing grass, trees or nature!. It is certainly a very different life. Though people are generally quiet, speaking in soft voices, the streets are immaculate, people are neatly dressed, and everyone is polite and non confrontational. It is very safe-I think I shocked the desk clerk when asking if stms in convenience stores are safe. The exchange rate is very favorable and so things are cheap in comparison to the US, especially in restaurants where there is no tipping. There are very few non-Japanese workers; all restaurant workers are young Japanese. Tourists are Chinese and Korean with few Europeans this time of year. It appears there may be more visitors from other parts of Japan.