- heart felt robots
- take on the toughies
- codelove
- whalechan
- yugamae
- thisischris
- how-to language
- jeff the fish
- beluga calf
- three ninjas
- rod danz
Thursday
So, we checked out of our hotel early and opted to take a taxi to the Shin-Osaka station. Given that we had accumulated an extra bag of stuff, and the price and hassle of the subway while laden with said stuff was something we did not want to deal with, we were glad with the decision. It was about 25 bucks and took us 15 minutes or so. The subway would have been 10 bucks and taken 30 minutes, including a transfer, plus walking up and down stairs with luggage, plus dragging our crap onto already overcrowded trains... totally worth it.
We got bentos at the Shin-Osaka station, and ate them on the 3 hour trip to Tokyo aboard the Shinkansen. I got a picture of the inside, with the train official stamping tickets in the background.
We arrived in Tokyo, took a quick train to Akihabara, and checked into our room. Somehow, something got mixed up and they put us in a 'smoking' room - and the A/C blew cigarette smoke air. We requested a non-smoking room, which they told us we could move into the next morning, as the hotel was currently booked.
It was only 3pm, so we headed out into Akihabara, or Akiba, as the locals call it. Akiba is a ward of Tokyo, and the mecca of otaku worldwide. Girls in maid outfits hand out tissue-packets to passers-by, loudspeakers blast videogame soundtrack music, multi-story video arcades are on every corner, and shops catering to every hobby imaginable proliferate. Salarymen crowd the manga stores in their suits next to kids in their school uniforms. If you want cake and coffee served to you by girls in maid outfits (or get a foot massage, or play video games with them...), maid cafes are everywhere. If you want to buy a particular school uniform costume that appeared in some manga or anime episode, they have a store for that. If you build model trains, collect replica firearms, mod out action figures or eat, sleep and breathe video games, this is the place for you. It is simply one of the most awesome places I've ever been.
Here's a picture of Freshness Burger.
We walked around a bit, paid a visit to Don Quixote, and bought some little toys and stuff. I bought a gundam shirt and a tachikoma shirt, and we fed our 100 yen coins into tons of gashapon machines. We came to the conclusion that shipping stuff would cost a lot, so we are just going to buy one big piece of luggage and check it in on the plane. After awhile we got hungry, and there was no argument over where to eat; our most favorite ramen place was right around the corner, and it was as awesome as ever.
There were two tables of Chinese people in there and they were LOUD! They were right next to each other YELLING IN MANDARIN. Every other time we've been here in the past the place has been nearly void of conversation, even when packed with people; just the sound of slurping noodles and low murmuring. I have a problem with people disregarding local custom, and I do believe in the whole "you are an ambassador for your country" when traveling abroad. (Based on my experiences, I NEVER want to visit Europe... okay, maybe the U.K. and Scandanavia, but that's about it. The Americans and British we've encountered here are sort of oblivious and culture-shocked, but still nice; the Europeans have been outright arrogant, disrespectful and embarrassingly rude) /rant
We headed back to our smoky hotel room to retire after this slightly exhausting awesome day.
Labels: Akiba, Akihabara, geek, Japan08, Osaka, ramen, rant, Tokyo
posted by tangentbot @ 2:42 AM
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Wednesday
Our day starts early, and we had a quick breakfast in our room before leaving. First, we checked out a few shipping options via the helpful folks at the Osaka Tourist Info Center. Next, it had to be ramen for lunch. We found this place nearby and the ramen was a bit odd, but still really good. I had the miso ramen, and the noodles were thicker and softer then I have had before. They put sesame seeds in there as well, and huge slices of broiled pork. Very yummy. Sandy's ramen was not as spicy as mine, but still had a subtle deliciousness to it.
All full up of ramen, we set out to spend money. I bought two knives from an old dude in Namba, for less than I had anticipated. They are really good knives, however; I got a vegetable knife and a sashimi knife, both single edged. Now I have to learn to sharpen them without messing up the blade(or better yet, find someone locally who can do it for me).
This awesome lady made us yummy okonomiyaki-esque things for only 120 yen each! We sat on little chairs along the main shopping arcade and ate them.
There is a store in Japan called Tokyu Hands, and I swear, if I lived here, they would have my money. They have everything, all high quality, from kitchen to craft to toys to science stuff. It's just a department store, but how many department stores have a guy that stands outside and fixes your bicycle for free? So many Osakans rely on bicycles on transportation, and Tokyu Hands provides this as a public service; you don't even need to walk into the store. I bought some bento toys and a banana holster.
I keep forgetting to photograph street art. Sorry.
After much walking, we returned to our neighborhood. We happened to wander into another local curry house, and it was absolutely amazing. The dude spoke no English, as is the norm, but was totally rocking American country music on the stereo. Like, the 'not good' kind. The curry was unlike anything I had ever tasted, and the cabbage/cardemum pickles served with it was also incredible. Sandy had naan and curry, and I had katsu curry. So freaking good, for serious.
We returned 'home' to clean, pack, and get to bed early for our final day in Osaka. Tomorrow, we go back to Tokyo for the remainder of our trip, and we are kind of sad to leave Osaka, as it has really grown on us.
Labels: curry, Japan08, Osaka, shopping
posted by tangentbot @ 7:46 AM
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Tuesday
Tuesday became our Kyoto day, as Monday did not turn out exactly as we wanted it too. We left our hotel a little late, found a quick train to Kyoto, and ended up in some underground supermarket. Supermarkets in America cannot compare with Japan, so it's unfair to even apply the same term; but that's essentially what it was. They were selling this really great sencha that we had to buy. Seriously though, they totally grok the idea of 'service industry' in a way that I really believe America never will.
We rode the subway down to the Nishiki market and went on an extended search for food. We eventually got some food at this weird little place that was out of plain rice(!) but had rice-dishes all cooked with the ingredients in them. Very strange, but good. We made our way through the market, looking at all the pickled vegetables(tsukemono), candies, vegetables, fish, baked goods and tea. I stopped by the little knife shop that I wanted to buy knives at last time and looked around. Their knives looked to be of equal quality with the knives I found in Osaka, but at twice the price! I left the shop, and we eventually grew weary of seeing white people everywhere, so we bid farewell to Kyoto. I grew up in a tourist town, I know how the residents of Kyoto feel, and it makes me feel the same way. It was back to Osaka for us...
...for more shopping! We found even more underground shopping malls, a sprawling network of commerce meets mass transit. Everything was nearing closing time, and we were hungry, so we found this strange little place that serves curry udon. OMGOOSES. It was so delicious;
...and Sandy grabbed something she thought was a napkin, as it was really messy, but it was actually a big paper baby bib! And she wore it! See?
Okay, so we crashed after that day, and we planned for Wednesday to be our Big Osaka Shopping Day, and we needed to research shipping costs and stuff... so it was early to bed for us.
Labels: Japan08, Kyoto, Osaka, shopping
posted by tangentbot @ 5:43 PM
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Sunday
The shopping districts in Osaka are, in a word, overwhelming. I have never, in my entire life, seen as many stores and restaurants sprawled out over such a large area. I really don't even know where to begin, except to say; if you like shopping even a little, there is something for you here. If you hate shopping but you like food, even a little, this is the place to be. Curry, katsu, don, ramen, udon, oden, soba... Italian, Thai, Indian - they are not messing around when it comes to food choices. One row is entirely Korean food. There are bakeries, sweet shops, and cafes, and as ethnically diverse the selection is, the food offered remains unique in its Japanese interpretation.
We didn't eat at any of those places though. We had Mos Burger for breakfast! Ok, so we left our hotel before any cool restaurants were open, and we were hungry... but Mos Burger is still pretty good.
Upon arriving at the same place we left off the day before, we pretty much immediately lost ourselves in the labyrinth of shops. The first street was entirely devoted to shops that provide restaurants with equipment and utensils. There was every level of quality you could imagine. They had handmade, one-of-a-kind dishes, knives and bento boxes. Thousands of trditional Japanese cooking tools, gas ranges, little fridges, chopstick rests, rice cookers... I was in heaven. I bought a bento box at one of the shops, and I think I'm going to buy some knives at another, as I will definately be going back.
Sandy also lucked out, as there were about a bajillion stores with clothes, purses, shoes and jewelry. We stood in line at a takoyaki stand and had authentic, Osakan takoyaki. We are going to have to try okonomiyaki next, another Osakan invention. So, here are the dudes making the takoyaki, and some pics of the store. It's nestled between a ramen shop and a place that features whale meat dishes. Rad.
Ther is so much to see here, we just took a ton of pictures. There are a lot more; these are just the most interesting. There's a Don Quixote with a ferris wheel! Cool!
We got home late, rested a bit, and went out to look for food. I swear, when nobody else is open, Indian restaurants are. It was either that or combini, and we wanted to actually sit at a table and have food brought to us. I don't know if it is just me, but Indian food in Japan has so far been awesome. It's kind of strange to hear Japanese spoken with an Indian accent.
Oh yeah, I forgot; we didn't take pictures. Here's the thing; if Sandy and I are in a serious/quiet/grown-up place, like a restaurant, and we are the only people in there, we get the giggles. Long story short, I made Sandy spit chai all over the table by reciting the first three words of a poem I just happened to make up on the spot. Just sayin'. So... no pics.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Monday
Monday was our Kyoto day. The first mistake we made was not eating anything before our adventure. The second mistake was to not research our day trip. Our third was to opt out of using the subway to get around. It was a lot of wandering around, bored, looking for the Nishiki Market. It was not fun, like, hours of not fun. It was warm, I had blisters, and we were both pretty hungry, although still determined to find this freaking marketplace. Was it near the station? Did we take a subway to our hotel last time? Maybe? Walking around a bit more, we decided to take a subway to a part of Kyoto which we thought looked right. We eventually found a market, not THE market, but it had food. We ate at a don place, which is basically rice with toppings. We didn't take pictures, because by that time we were so hungry, we didn't even think about it. It was still really good food. They put a layer of shoyu-swoaked nori in between the rice and fish, and I am totally going to start doing that now.
We bought some really good tea from a little tea shop run by an adorable couple. More wandering ensued, through a covered marketplace, kind of like a mall, but more like a street with a roof over it and no cars. There must have been some fieldtrip to the market, because there were hundreds of kids, from elementary to junior high, everywhere, along with a few chaparones. The little kids had these yellow rain hats on and it was super cute. Slowly, things started to look familiar. We finally found the Nishiki Market, but unfortunately everything was closed.
Upon returning to Osaka, via a fast limited express, we ate dinner at this little curry place called "Indy Curry House". It was amazing and very different from anything else I have tasted. There was one dude, running everything, and he was making all the curry dishes from scratch to-order.
With some solid planning on our side, and a sort-of wasted day (how could you call a day spent in Japan wasted?), we retired to our hotel for Japanese doramas(dramas) and sleep.
Labels: food, Japan08, Kyoto, Osaka, train
posted by tangentbot @ 1:34 AM
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If you will find it in your heart of hearts to forgive me for not posting for awhile... where did we leave off? Oh yeah;
Saturday
I've heard for awhile that Osaka and its denizens are considered to be kind of crazy by Tokyo standards. Let me just say, Aomori seemed more like Tokyo than Osaka does. The people are just more laid back here, a lot like Americans. In fact, Osaka really could be a city in America. People just walk accross the street, regardless of the traffic light (people in Tokyo patiently wait at every light). They stand on the right side of the escalator (the rest of Japan stands on the left). They talk on the trains, constantly, which are usually dead silent. I've been panhandled by a bum already, the city is filthy with litter, and we've seen tons of foreigners. I even walked into the first public bathroom in Japan that was too gross to use! Seriously, this place seems so much like home that it freaks me out.
So today, we woke up early and it was already warm. Gross. I keep the AC running in the hotel all the time. It's supposed to be in the 70s/80s. We set out, looking for this fabulous shopping and food reputation that Osaka has. Walking, walking... we found some restaurants, mostly udon, but next to zero bustle. The only stores we saw were kimono and fabric shops and a bunch of crappy 100 yen shops. We were hungry and tired, having walked for an hour and a half and finding nothing. We saw a tiny Indian restaurant, that had a fairly inexpensive lunch set, so we went for it. Indian food in Japan. It was some of the best I'd ever had (it was no Gateway to India, but it was also kind of in it's own class). The naan was huge and delicious, and they had this really spicy tamarind curry sauce that was amazing. If you get naan, the meal doesn't come with rice, which makes sense, but this is the first time I encountered it.
We returned to the hotel, full and ready to research this crazy town. We didn't even know where were we were relative to anything else, so I Google Mapped it. Two subway stops later put us in Namba. Tons and tons of shops, arcades, places to eat... it was overwhelming at best, and I'm not a huge fan of malls in the first place, but they still had a lot of cool stuff. There was an awesome electronics store, a Toys r Us "Select", and some amazing restaurants, so we will absolutely be back. We ate lunch at an udon place; I had kitsune udon, and Sandy had tempura udon. We had coffee at a cute little cafe themed like American Old West.
Finally, a trip on the subway that was quick and painless, a stop by 7-11 to pick up some water and tea, and it was back to the hotel for us. We spent the evening planning our trip to Kyoto and our return to Namba, as well as a bit more sightseeing throughout Osaka. After all, there's Osaka castle close by, and a few shrines, so we are not lacking stuff to do. There's also an aquarium that has whale sharks, so we will probably do that too. We still need to find a way to ship stuff home, as it will be a pain to carry all our stuff back. Next trip, we are only bringing backpacks, fer serious.
Labels: food, Japan08, Osaka, shopping
posted by tangentbot @ 8:16 AM
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NOTE: I'm going to have to put a hold on video uploads for awhile, at least the ones in consecutive order... but I *will* post them as soon as I can, I promise. The uploading is taking forever, and it keeps timing out for whatever reason, so I'm done with it holding me up.
Friday. I'm not sure how many miles we traveled, but if we hadn't luckily grabbed an early limited express out of Aomori, we would have had to hunt down a hotel in Osaka on Friday night. The limited express got us from Aomori to Hachinohe in an hour, whereas the local express made the same trip in two and a half hours. In Hachinohe we almost missed our transfer on the Shinkansen, being noobz and all. We asked an officer and he motioned to us to wait where we were and full-on sprinted across the station to grab transfers for us so we wouldn't miss the train that was leaving in 3 minutes. Hectic and awesome. Again, JR people are the best. I think we spent a total of eight hours on trains that day. Here's some Shinkansen!
I got a bento from Tokyo station while we waited for the train to Osaka.
I got some cool train videos, too. I freaking love trains.
After a long, pleasant trip on the Shinkansen, we found ourselves in the Shin-Osaka station. We made our way to the subway lines, taking many wrong turns but eventually getting on the right trains. Note to visitors in Osaka; your JR pass is only useful on the outskirts of Osaka. If you plan on traveling around downtown, the subway is your best bet, but unfortunately is not owned by JR. That means every trip starts at about 200 yen each way. Anyway, we took the right trains and the wrong exit gate, so we ended up walking all over the place, looking for any landmarks that made sense. Streets in japan do not make any sense, and Osaka is especially crazy, which I'll talk about later, so we asked a cop. He broke out a stack of maps, explained to us in Japanese where our hotel was, and showed us how to get there. It totally made sense, so we thanked him and started off... and he insisted to escort us there! He spoke zero English, but talked to me the entire way, and some of what he said I actually understood. He jokingly heckled some kids who were standing around, which was pretty funny; one of the dudes kinda freaked out and his friends laughed at him - good times. Anyway, police escort to our hotel... what else... oh yeah! The place we are staying at is AWESOME! You can even watch a video of it.. later! I've tried to upload this freaking video file about five times already, so if and when I get everything uploaded, I will post it. Yay!
So the video in question JUST finished uploading, of course, after I complained. I guess sometimes you do carry an umbrella to prevent it from raining. Enjoy!
Labels: Japan08, Osaka, train, travel
posted by tangentbot @ 3:45 AM
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