After a relaxing week in Kyushu, we were actually quite ready for the city! We arrived in style at the Ritz Carlton Osaka, and thanks to a couple of free nights and some upgrades from our credit card, we enjoyed 4 nights with club lounge access. This made our time here extra special! I was finally starting to feel better after my sickness, so I was extra grateful for that.
We were really excited to explore Osaka. From everything we'd heard, Osaka is known for food, so I think we definitely did the city justice. We had made a stop along the way in Miyajima, so we arrived pretty late into Osaka. Our first night, we basically relaxed in the lounge, had a couple of drinks and hit the sack.
The next morning, we took advantage of the gym and lounge again (breakfast mimosas every day!) before we ate an amazing 5 course tempura lunch at Hanagatami inside the hotel. Again, thanks to our credit card perks, we had $100 credit to use, so this meal was almost free!
We finally got outside of the hotel after lunch and our first stop was Osaka Castle. This was such a beautiful place to visit, especially at the height of the cherry blossom viewing.
Afterwards, Jason felt like playing some video games, so we went to a local Taito Station to enjoy 6 stories of nerdiness! I had my fun too - I made Jason jump in a purikura photobooth. Definitely a must-do on any trip to Japan.
The next day, we visited the most famous area in Osaka - Dotonbori! This area has tons of amazing foods. And it's easy to tell what is served at each store as they have moving signs advertising the selection. We also spent way too much time exploring the Don Quixote store along the canal. Afterwards, I made Jason take a picture of me in front of the Glico Man statue - an Osaka icon!
Wandering around the streets directly off the main road was such a contrast. Located just a few streets away from the madness, Hozenji Temple is such a wonderful area of calm and a reminder of what the city must of looked like in the past.
Dotonbori was a bit to crazy for us, so we ended up taking the train over to the Tsutenkaku area instead. While there were still flashy signs everywhere, it wasn't nearly as crazy. It was honestly so charming - there were even little shops that had amusement park games inside. We wish we had saved some room in our stomachs for some of the amazing kushikatsu restaurants on every corner. It smelt so amazing.
We especially loved seeing the little Billiken statues everywhere - the god of things as they ought to be. Not even traditionally Japanese, he is actually the mascot of SLU! This area adopted this little guy and you can see him everywhere. Also kind of cool seeing as I grew up in St. Louis!
It was afternoon tea time at the lounge, so we had to hurry back and take advantage. They had a sakura-themed tea that was honestly just incredible...and free! And to think we had to pay $200 for this in London?!
The next day, we took a day trip to Nara, which I will cover in my next post. After a morning playing with deer, we were starving! We stopped to stuff our faces with some kaiten-sushi. It's such a fun and cheap meal - and still miles above the sushi you find most anywhere in the US.
After relaxing back in the lounge for a while, we headed out to eat again (I did tell you we ate a TON). This time, we had to try some okonomiyaki at Ajinoya. We waited in line for about 45 minutes and during that time, I heard the guy in front of us speaking in Chinese. I told Jason I thought I heard him say "College Station" - Jason thought I was crazy. We ended up talking and it turns out, he had just gotten his degree at Texas A&M and him and his girlfriend were vacationing in Japan before he started his doctorate? And he knew where we lived in Dallas and told us that his favorite Chinese food places was the place we've been to countless times. Seriously, SMALL WORLD!
Anyways, back to the food! Okonomiyaki is primarily made of cabbage. We had two types - a traditional seafood one and a build your own. Once it's cooked, it's topped with mustard, mayo, okonomiyaki sauce and fish flakes. Sounds weird, but trust me. This was incredible. Truthfully, this may have been my favorite thing we ate in all of Japan!
Feeling stuffed, but knowing we would regret not trying it, we ALSO purchased some takoyaki from the vendors along the main street. Seeing Dotonbori at night was a lot more fun, so we took our time and wandered here for a bit before calling it a night.
The next morning, we took it easy and enjoyed our last few hours at the Ritz - working out, eating some snacks (including pressed sushi - omg!) and having one last breakfast mimosa before we caught the shinkansen to Tokyo. We were so fabulously spoiled in Osaka!
Up Next: Our Day Trips to Miyajima and Nara.
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