Osaka Day 6 - Thursday 31 May 2018

Thursday 31 May 2018 - Dotonbori, Kuromon Ishiba Markets and Shin Sekai

It's still raining today. 9am and I am updating my diary.

Walk via Dotonbori to the Kuromon markets.

Still early so there are no queues. We buy 6 piece gyoza and eat at store in Dotonbori.

Get to Kuromon markets and it starts to rain heavily.

Check out the stalls of fresh seafood

Start with Mornay crab and grilled eel.  The crab is delish, the eel is too bony for my liking.

Buy some souvenirs from a stall - colourful cloths.

Try the deep fried puffer fish - not too bad but having a stuffed puffer fish staring at you while you eat is a bit disconcerting.

Finish off with grilled scallop in butter and soy sauce.

Too may foods to choose from.

Go in search of kitchen street - eventually find it - but too many pieces of equipment and accessories. End up buying chopsticks for souvenirs at 90Y each.  We also buy Japanese doll keychains.

Take train to Shin Sekai. Check out the Tsutenko tower and the shop under it. The entrance to the tower is via the lower level. It's still raining , so no use going up the tower. Won't get to see much. So we check out the Glico shop and get stuck watching a monkey show and end up giving donation of 1000Y. Poor monkey having to perform tricks.

Buy packs to bring home of the pocky sticks.

Check out food and restaurants, but not into catching my own fish for them to cook. End up buying takoyaki but these are the worse ones so far and not being allowed to eat them at the store made it even worse. No star rating for them. Walk back to the station, but not the way we came, and see the building which is Spa World.

Get the train back to Namba. Go back to Shinsabashi for dinner.

Kaylene wants curry, so we have dinner at Jiyuken. I order the pork katsu with rice and curry which is served with cabbage for 750Y. Kaylene has the deep fried pork cutlet with curry and rice for 850Y. It's ok but a lot of rice and the curry is very spicy.  I don't finish mine, but Kaylene's plate is clean as a whistle.

We walk back to the apartment via Orange Street to check out Nathan's request to get a Supreme backpack. The backpack is going for 25920Y - a bit much, but I would buy it on credit card, but Nathan decides not to get it so we continue looking at other shops and walk through Americamura.

8pm we are back at the apartment.

Shower, in bed and posting the day's photos on FB.

Osaka Day 5 - Wednesday 30 May 2018

Wednesday 30 May 2018 - Cup Noodle Museum and Umeda

It's raining.

I have a fried curry bun for breakfast which we bought last night at the supermarket.
Walk to Shinsaibashi subway and take the subway to Ikeda at 10.30am.
11.10am we arrive at Ikeda Station. I enquire at the information desk in the station directions to the museum. Chat a bit to the lady who has visited Sydney before.
Head out of the station and walk in direction of the museum.  There are signs posting the way. We just follow the signs as well as the people heading in the same direction.

Take photos outside and then head inside. Greeted at the door. Directed to go inside. Look at the history of Momofuku Ando, the inventor of cup noodle.  One long wall is covered in cups and bowls of the huge variety which has been produced. Called the Instant Ramen Tunnel. It's a time line starting with the original in 1958 and ending with the present.

There is no queue to make our own cup noodle. But staff are on hand to explain the processes.

Important points to remember:
 - before starting, sterilize your hands with alcohol
 - The cup has a lid to keep its contents clean. Do not remove the lid while drawing.
 - Be sure to write today's date on your cup. The contents of the cup must be eaten within one month.
 - Draw your picture below the red line on the cup. Do not draw or write on the bottom of the cup.
 - When drawing only use the specially prepared pens on the table. Do not affix seals and the like to the cup.
1. Purchase the empty cup from the vending machine for 300Y.
2. Wash your hands - a staff member puts a lid on the cup and we are assigned to a table.
3. Draw your own picture at the table - They have examples of the mascot.
4. Select your noodle and condiments - once we have finished designing our cups, we take it to the noodle station, where they put a block of noodle in the machine, put our cup over it and then we are told to crank the wheel. This turns the cup right side up with the block of noodle sitting nicely in the cup. At this stage we are also given our plastic carry bags for the finished product.
5. Next we pick our broth and 4 toppings. I select seafood broth. Then I select shrimp, pork, green onion and corn. Once they have been put in the cup, the lady shows us the cup with the toppings so we can take a photo.
6. The top gets sealed. then the cup gets plastic wrapped and put into a machine which heats and shrink wraps the plastic.
7. The cup is now ready to be placed into the plastic carry bag which you can pump air into to bubble protect the cup. Also given strings to tie and use as handles. Ta Dah!! Finished.
8. Although you can't eat the cup of noodles you just made, you can buy some in the vending machines and eat them in the seating area provided, or you can just buy and takeaway. Hot water machines are also provided.

We decide to have our lunch here. I get a Big cup of noodle for 220Y and Kaylene gets a Cheesy Curry one which is smaller than mine. She gets another one, Black Pepper Crab, just to try it, very peppery.

We continue to check out the museum after our lunch.  Sit through a little movie theatre which has a cartoon showing how cup of noodles was invented.  Then we make our way upstairs to check out what is up there.  They have a kitchen area for making instant ramen. We see a group of "special" teens being shown how to make instant ramen.

There is also an area with M Ando's achievements.

Next we check out the souvenir shop. I buy a fridge magnet a dangle chick and Kaylene wants the memo pads.

It's still raining. So we take the train to Umeda. Check out Hep5 which has lots of boutique shops for young people. Find the building with the ferris wheel. Go into the Disney store and I buy an Easter surprise (mini uffufy) for Fiona for 350Y.  Check out the ferris wheel. Take photos.  Decide what the heck, let's go for a ride. Get our tickets from a vending machine for 600Y each.  It's kind of stopped raining, but the windows are sprinkled with rain drops. Take in the views. Plug Kaylene's iPhone in to the speakers and have our own music while the wheel goes around.

For dinner we have Ichiban Ramen - what an experience. Buy your food from a vending machine - get a ticket. Find a seat at one of the booths. Give your ticket to the staff - they give you an order form to tick. How spicy, what condiments? Choose how you want your ramen flavour, spicy, toppings, etc. Press a button to call them when you are ready. Then they collect the form and bring back your ramen, which you can eat in private. We ordered a set which comes with everything. Ramen, pork, egg. It's very filling.

After dinner we go in search of Loft. It's a store that sells a lot of stuff as well as stationery.  Finally find it and go in.  Lots of levels. Go to top, which has models, puzzles and anime stuff. Then back to the stationery level.  Could spend all day in here. I buy lots of washi tape. Find out that if you spend over 500Y, you can claim a tax refund. As I have spent over 500Y, we go in search of the tax refund counter which is on another level.  Lucky for us, we are just in time.  I claim my tax back just as the counter is closing.

8.30pm head back to the subway and take the train back to Shinsaibashi.
9pm we are back at the apartment. Eat some grapes and snack food. shower and in bed at 11.30pm.

Osaka Day 4 - Tuesday 29 May 2018

Tuesday 29 May 2018 - Osaka Castle

Walk towards Hommachi station. What to eat? On way to subway, past some restaurants which are just opening.

11am. Have a western bento box 800Y - karage chicken, tempura prawn and panko crusted yam/sweet potato, spicy tofu with mince, meat ball, potato salad, 2 slices of boiled egg, coleslaw salad, rice and miso soup at Hanaka. Staff spoke Japanese with no English, so we showed them a photo I had taken of their plastic food display.

Take the train from Hommachi to Tanimachi station. Take exit to Osaka Museum of History and Osaka Castle.

Take photos. Buy ticket from vending machine for 600Y each. Check out the museum, displays exhibits all the way to the top.

So we walk up the 5 floors, at each floor they have displays on the inner walls. First floor -photos allowed. Second floor - no photos. Shows history of the Japanese emperor and the clans fighting. Take photos from the top.
 

 Make our way back down and out.

More photos on the ramparts. Eat fruit.

Go out over the bridge and walk around outer park.

Kaylene buys takoyaki (16 mixed selection) from food truck for 1000Y - we sit and eat.

Buy soft serve ice cream  for 400Y each closer to front entrance. I try the green tea and vanilla and Kaylene has the grape and vanilla.

It starts to spit and sprinkle.

Walk back to train station

Take train back to Namba

Go back to all you can eat sushi as we have discount voucher. Again 16 plates but this time it is 1648Y

Walk to Namba and Kaylene finally finds supermarket they went to last time. Has bakery in front, so we buy some breads/fried savoury buns for breakfast. I also buy some blueberries, grapes and a yellow apple and some snack food.

8.30pm we take the subway back to Shinsaibashi and walk back to the apartment, this time following the route that the airbnb owner sent us.
9pm back at the apartment.
Eat the yellow apple, crunchy but not that sweet.
Shower and in bed at 11pm.

Osaka Day 3 - Monday 28 May 2018

Monday 28 May 2018 - Nara

9.30am we are out the door and heading towards Namba. Go into 7-Eleven to withdrawn some money. Walk through Shinsaibashi shopping street to Dotonbori.

Brunch is ramen noodles with pork at Dotonbori for 600Y.  KC wanted to go to Ichiban, but the line up was crazy. Here we managed to buy our noodles before it got busier. You need to put your money in a vending machine, select the size of the bowl and get your ticket. You then give this ticket to the guy at the counter. They then prepare your bowl of noodles. We are lucky to get an empty table to sit at, as whilst we are waiting, more people line up. It's better if you take off your shoes and sit with your legs under the table, crossed legged, but I have knee problems, so my legs are stretched out under the table. Kaylene keeps her shoes on but she is sitting on the outer side. We slurp our noodles. Pretty good. The broth has a lot of flavour or as they would say umami.

After eating, we head to the train station at Namba. Check our cards and top them up with 1000Y each.

11.12am Take train to Nara.
12noon arrive at Nara.

The deer park is a short walk from the station.  As soon as we approach Nara Park, there are already deers and people everywhere. You can buy deer biscuits for like 200Y to feed the deer. Since there are already so many people feeding them, we just take photos. 

The deer park has a number of different temples within the park. So we head to the temple with the 5 storey pagoda.  Then onto another temple where we ring the bell. Wash our hands at the ornate water fountain. Not for drinking. Head further into the park and there are more deer.  Take more photos.  We see people taking photos with a deer which just sits there, so we take photos with it too. Discover after that it has a bung leg, which is why it didn't walk away.  We do a loop of the park. Unfortunately the museum is closed today, so we continue walking.  School groups are in the park. Looks like taking kids out of school is a big thing. Everywhere we went there were school groups.

5.30pm Have dinner in Nara. Yaki-soba with the lot for 1400Y and okonomiyaki with mix seafood for 950Y. They pre-cook the food but serve it to you at the table which has a hot plate to keep the food warm.

7pm Take train back to Namba

Kaylene is looking for supermarket which they bought food from last time.  End up in Takashimiya food basement where they are selling off food at discounted prices as it is close to closing time. Kaylene buys more food, including yakitori and potato salad.

Walk back to apartment, where Kaylene has some of her food.
I have a shower and in bed at 11.30pm

Osaka Day 2 - Sunday 27 May 2018

Sunday 27 May 2018 - Day 2: Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori

Sleep in. Can't tell if it's day or night - curtains cover the window. No views. Only of building next door. So for the rest of the stay the curtains stay shut.

11am. Go for a walk in search of something to eat.  Kaylene leads the way. Walk to the Shinsaibashi shopping street - undercover - lots of shops. A shopper's paradise, but we aren't here to shop. On the lookout for somewhere to eat.

Walk past a place which has a small line up of people outside, this might be ok.

Keep walking.  Sushi, ramen, katsu?

Decide to go back to that place with the line. Ramen - but line hasn't moved at all.

Keep walking.

End up at Yoshinoya or Hanamaru Udon (8-7 Shinsaibashisuji 2-Chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka. It's franchise restaurant which can be found in most cities. Pick your side dishes, tempura prawn 250Y. I get the special soy sauce beef with half boiled egg udon for 450Y.  Kaylene also gets the tempura prawn, but has the salted pork with half boiled egg udon, also for 450Y. It's good. Not bad for 1400Y.

After brunch, keep walking to Dotonburi.

Buy ice cream - Vanilla and choc soft serve. KC gets the green tea and vanilla for 600Y each.

Head to the Hozen temple to check out the Mossy statue - too many people making offerings and wishes, so we just take photos.

Continue walking and walk into Daiso - don't buy anything but check out what they have. Walk to Dotonbori. Take photos of the big crab, running man, etc. Walk into Don Quijote which is beside the bridge - not the big one with the ferris wheel. I buy some souvenir danglers.

 Come across these giant heads outside the Osaka Hotel.

Feeling peckish and we spot a takoyaki stall which has no lines. Buy takoyaki - 6 for 650Y and sit in store to eat - as they aren't busy.

Walk to Namba. Need to go pee, so we head to Takashimiya, a big department store which should have toilets. Ask information and they direct us to go down one level, which is the food hall - so many stalls. After peeing, we check out the food basement, but since we already ate the takoyaki, we don't buy anything. Go up to level 6 to check out the Japanese kimonos and other Japanese curios.  I'm looking for stationery, so we check directory. Apparently stationery is in another section , so we head down to the basement, and eventually find the stationery section in another shop.

7pm For dinner we go back to Shinsaibashi street and have all you can eat sushi for 100Y per plate. Have 16 plates between the 2 of us. Bill comes to 1728Y.

After dinner we continue walking.  Go back to the Hozen Temple, as they say it's better to see it at night, but still have worshippers. So we continue walking then head back to Shinsaibashi.

Osaka Day 1 - Saturday 26 May 2018

Saturday 26 May 2018: Sydney - Osaka

QF33 Flight to Osaka, Japan scheduled to depart Sydney at 10:15am (was delayed to 12:15pm). Scheduled to arrive 7:10pm (arrived 9:30pm)

6am wakeup. Last minute packing. 7am leave home.
Lily dropped Kaylene and I at the airport at 7:30am using Justin's car.
Self checked in at kiosk and self weigh and tag baggage. Seems you need to tag the bag on the side, so that the scanner can register it.  We tagged it on the top (with the little barcode on the bag tag). My bag weighs 14kg. Kaylene's weighed 12kg.

Discovered 2hr delay when we checked out boarding passes. Checked boarding time on the terminal screens - no update. So we walk around on the outside. But shops aren't interesting, so we decide to go in. Lined up, but got directed to a person for immigration, no self check-in here. Whizzed through. Security, no problems.

Buy Lily's manuka honey lollies for $18.

Head to Maccas for breakfast.  I have a sausage and egg mcmuffin with hash brown and medium coke. Kaylene pays. The board finally displays 12pm as departure time. Walked shops in terminal to kill time. Take photos of each gate we walk to and viber message with Evan, Lily and Janet.

11am we finally head to gate 32.
12.15pm we are finally on the plane in seats 30A and 30B.  Pilot apologises and informs us that the delays started in Shanghai and has flowed on.
12.30pm we finally move away from the gates.
12.46pm take off. Down below Sydney is very smoky due to back burning.
12.52pm we are up in the air. ETA is 9.10pm

Watched movies : Maze Runner, Peter Rabbit and some other movie.
Served our meals. I had pre-ordered Barramundi with garlic miso sauce, roasted black sesame seeds, koshihikari rice and soy beans which is served with garlic bread and a chocolate mousse for dessert.
After dinner I have a hot chocolate and a lindt ball.

3.40pm Watching Peter Rabbit. There is 5:57 flight time remaining.
5.50pm we get served a tropical weisz bar.
7.11pm watching the sunset outside my window.
9.10pm finally arrive at Kansai International Airport.

Arrived at Kansai International Airport. Clock is set back 1 hour.
Had to queue through immigration - managed to pick the slowest line. Pick up our bags which are already off the conveyor belt and go through customs. Then need to take a shuttle train to the terminal. At the terminal we go to the train station.

Checked our train passes - still had enough yens - no need to top up.

10.50pm Take JR West train to Tennoji station, change to other train line.
11:50pm Tennoji to Shinsaibashi subway line

Get off at Shinsaibashi - Kaylene leads the way. Into lift to go up. Then another lift to go down, then another lift to go up again. Get to level with exits - check directions given to us, but they have closed off the corridor and the lifts, station staff point to the stairs. So we carry our bags up the stairs - lucky for us they aren't heavy.
Kaylene leads the way on street level.  Walk past the high end shopping street - Tesla corner and we turn into smaller street. Looks like the apartment, Is it the apartment? try the code. Someone answers and then buzzes us in. Go in. Still not sure if this is the right place. Kaylene is sure. Follow directions, to the door. It is not locked, go in. Turn on lights.  Yes. It looks exactly like the photos in the Airbnb site.

By this time it is going on 12 midnight.

Take a shower, and in bed at 1.10am

Vivid 2018

Friday 25th May 2018

We went out to the opening of Vivid on Friday night and met up with A. Joy, Oliver and Juliette at Strathfield station, took the train out and met up with Jacq, as well as Bindy and Ange at Wynyard station.

Arranged to have dinner before we checked out the lights, so Richard had recommended a Malaysian restaurant, except that Richard had to work back, so missed out on his favourite food.

So we walked to Customs House first to catch Snuggle Pot and Cuddle Pie in action before making our way to the Opera House

 At the Opera House, Richard finally managed to join our group

We then walked through the Botanical Gardens to view the lights there before making our way home as I had to get up the next day for our flight to Osaka.