Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Day 1 in Japan - Shinsaibashi, Dotonbori, and lots of Takoyaki

I had the privilege to visit Japan for 6 days and 5 nights, visited some places in the Kansai region, 西地方 (kansaichihou), which is located at the Southern-central region of Japans main island.  I visited three areas in the Kansai region, namely Osaka, 大阪 (oosaka), Kyoto京都 (kyouto), and Nara, 奈良 (nara).

Japan is easily accessible since I am studying in South Korea.  My flight from Busan's Gimhae International Airport to Kansai International Airport only takes 1 hour and 20 minutes.  At Kansai Airport, I purchased a Prepaid LTE Sim Card with 1GB data valid for a period of 30 days and the ICOCA Prepaid Card which is really convenient when using the trains, subways, and buses.
Japan's Kansai International Airport
Kansai Airport
Prepaid LTE Sim Card and ICOCA Prepaid Card
Prepaid LTE Sim Card & ICOCA Prepaid Card

My lodging will be an apartment in a residential area very close to Namba, 難波 (nanba), which is one of Osaka’s major city centers.  
The underground of Namba Station
The clean and pleasant basement of Namba Station
Area around Namba station
Subway Map
From the map, we can see that there are many places to visit around Namba.  The most famous places would be Shinsaibashi,  (shinsaibashi) and Dōtonbori, 道頓堀 (dootombori).  Shinsaibashi is a shopping arcade with many retail stores, boutiques, and department stores, while Dōtonbori is a heaven for food lovers. 
Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade
Shinsaibashi
Shinsaibashi building with Zara shop
Impressive building with Zara and other shops

Uniqlo and H&M at Shinsaibashi
Uniqlo and H&M
At Shinsaibashi, I ate Ramen, 拉麵 or ラーメン (ramen) for my late lunch.  As I walked around, I noticed many shops that sell Matcha Ice-cream, 抹茶アイスクリーム (matcha aisukuriimu), something that I ate a lot in Japan.
Ramen at Shinsaibashi
Ramen at Shinsaibashi
Macha ice cream
Macha Ice-cream
Shinsaibashi and Dōtonbori are connected.  Once reaching an area with a massive crowd, I can see Ebisu Bridge, 戎橋 (ebisubashi), which let me get across the Dōtonbori canal.  Here, there are many restaurants and shops, as well as the famous Glico Man sign and neon lights.
Neon lights at Dotonbori Osaka
The famous Glico Man and Neon light at Dōtonbori
View along Dotonbori Canal from Ebisu Bridge
The view from Ebisu Bridge
For Dinner, I walked around at Dōtonbori and ate anything I find interesting and looks delicious.  I ate Takoyaki, たこ (takoyaki), a famous food in Japan and even more famous in Osaka.  
Takoyaki shop at dotonbori
Takoyaki shop recommended by tripadvisor
While walking around Dōtonbori, I luckily came by a restaurant called Akaoni, 赤鬼 or あかおに (akaoni), a Takoyaki restaurant honored by Michelin.  This shop uses raw octopus, unlike most of other Takoyaki shops, which uses boiled octopus.  The shop is a pleasant small shop, with just a few tables.  The atmosphere and food are nice, the price is reasonable as well.  After walking around abit more, I return to rest for another long day.  
Akaoni, the Takoyaki restaurant in Dotonbori
Takoyaki restaurant, Akaoni
Michelin honored restaurant
Honored by Michelin
Takoyaki with cheese and Yakisoba
Takoyaki with cheese and Yakisoba
Okonomiyaki at Akaoni
Okonomiyaki
Please wait for the post on the second day.



No comments:

Post a Comment