Osaka’s warm sunny day was a welcome respite that broke the wet spell from the downpour that we have been enduring for days in Manila. Courtesy of AirAsia that now flies the Manila to Osaka route, our media group went on a three-day sponsored tour that left us dreaming and planning for more adventures in the Kansai region.
Our AirAsia flight took off on time and, just our luck, landed at the Kansai International Airport 15 minutes early. Mostly eager to begin our tour right away, we boarded the transit train that will take us to the Namba Station on high spirits. It was such a treat since we boarded on the Super seat coach of the Nankai Electric Railway that gave us a ride that was super smooth and super fast. Just under 35 minutes, we loaded off and readily checked in to the Swissotel Nankai Osaka Hotel since it sits just right on top of the station.
Osaka food adventure
Osaka is called “Japan’s kitchen” for its rows upon rows of food outlets and restaurants, and visitors inevitably go on a food trip in this city even if they had not originally planned to. As a tourist, you haven’t really been to Osaka if you have not eaten a takoyaki, or okonomiyaki and there’s a lot to choose from. There’s even a takoyaki point listed in the Michelin guide, the Dotonbori Akaoni. We had the chance to taste takoyaki–sen, a takoyaki sandwich made of octopus balls served between a couple of rice crackers. Manila had not seen one yet, just like the cheesecakes of Rikuro Ojisan’s Shop. However, the highlight of our Osaka eating adventure was the dinner served at the Minami Teppanyaki Restaurant, hosted by Swissotel Nankai Osaka Hotel.
The special dinner set started with a serving of Kamotsuru Tokusei Daiginjo sake in a flute glass. Sourced from Hiroshima, this golden sake is smooth, but quite strong to the taste that readied our palates to fine dining, Teppanyaki style. Chefs Komoto and Hashimoto entertained us with their sharp knife and cooking skills, and more important, served prawns, scallop, and sauteed fish; sushi set of tuna, salmon, shrimp and eel and cucumber roll; and A4 grade prime wagyu beef from Kagoshima. The Kagoshima Black Beef is known to be tender, has full-bodied flavor and well-balanced fat marbling. The selection of scorched vegetables, garden salad and assorted fruit dessert gave the set menu the perfect balance of taste and texture.
With happy tummies, we hit the shopping streets of Ebisubashi-suji and Shinsaibashi-suji, as part of the Minami’s vibrant night life. Stretching from north to south for about 1 kilometer, these commercial avenues host ultra-trendy shops, staple brands, and even thrift stores like Daiso. I particularly looked for Book Off for preloved items, such as CDs and DVDs. I also spotted Tower Records and a Jump shop that sells official merchandise based on the characters of the Shonen Jump manga, but never got to check them out due to time constraints. Walking in these shopping districts, it is hard to miss some street performers and selfie traps like the famous Glico running man, or the Kani Doraku restaurant in the background. Of course, we also trooped to some snack shopping at Don Quixote Dotonbori store and the konbini (convenient) stores like 7-Eleven and FamilyMart.
Kyoto day tour
From Namba, Kyoto is an hour away by train, and an hour and a half by private car, so our group started early to get most of day tour as provided by KKday.
Our first stop was the Kinkaku (The Golden Pavilion) which is part of the temple that is formally named Rokuon-ji. The Kinkaku is a Buddhist hall that contains relics of Buddha. From afar the temple emits a yellow glow because of the gold foil on lacquer that covers the upper two levels of Kinakaku. On top of its shingled roof stands a shining phoenix. Kinkaku represents the Muromachi period in architecture. In 1994, Rokuon-ji Temple was registered as a World Cultural Heritage site while its garden, typical of the Morumachi period, is listed as a National Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty. During the Edo period, a detached teahouse was built for the pleasure of viewing the Kinkaku, especially under the late afternoon sun. Covered with yuki (snow), the temple is most beautiful in winter, according to locals. For lunch, we went to Nishiki, a traditional fresh food market street where you can also find souvenir stores selling wood sandals shops, novelty chopsticks and other Kyoto made collectibles. We ate in a ramen shop after salivating over the street food items such as the wagyu skewers, grilled mochi and macha sweets.
Right after we headed to the Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine that’s famous for its Mount Inari trails and thousands of vermilion Torii gates. When we got there, and as expected, the network of trails and shrines were packed with tourists. Nevertheless, we got to experience the local custom of properly presenting ourselves to the god Inari, the god of rice harvest, commerce and business by cleansing, praying, and wishing our good intentions. We’re not really set to hike two to three hours just to reach the peak, so right after we reached the main hall, our group took the steps to the junction of Torii gates, turned right, and descended back to the main gate.
Our last tour stop was in the Gion district, Kyoto’s most famous entertainment district and the center of its traditional arts. Most tourists go here to promenade and get a glimpse of maikos and geikos (the word for geishas in Kyoto), and for the feel of old Japan. En route we passed by the Yakasa shrine at the east end of Shiro-Dori and politely asked some young ladies dressed in yukata for photos because they’re simply so pretty.
In Hanami-koji, we first visited the famous and historic Ichiriki Chaya ochaya, or teahouse. This wooden tea house is said to be the setting of Arthur Golden’s Memories of a Geisha and where the 47 Ronin conspired way back in the 18th century. This super-exclusive ochaya is where patrons are entertained by geishas and guests are by invitation only. After a 10-minute walk, we reached the Shimbashi-Dori street, known to be the prettiest street in all of Gion. What really caught our eye is the Shirakawa canal that looked peaceful and charming with its cherry trees, and the calming sound of its rolling waters. We also spotted the Tatsumi Daimyojin Shrine that is usually visited by geishas and newlyweds before heading back for some well-deserved rest.
Needless to say, our stint in Osaka and Kyoto is not enough. There’s just too much to see and do in both cities; giving us more reasons to come back and fulfill our Nihon dreams while chasing the last days of summer.
Special thanks to AirAsia, Swissotel Nankai Osaka Hotel, Flytpack (mobile Internet provider), and KKday tours.
Image credits: Carla Mortel-Baricaua