Figuring Out Osaka
2nd to 4th November 2016
Osaka was our last stop in Japan. As we only spent two nights here, we didn't really get to know Osaka as well as Tokyo or Kyoto.
We had a mixed experience, sometimes not feeling quite as welcome as in other parts of Japan, but 90% of our Osaka experience was something I'll remember with a smile.
Here are the most smiley bits...
Dig In Craft Beer
Yes, this craft beer caper is getting to be a bit of a habit, but these are the perks when you travel with a craft beer fiend.
Once we got settled in our hotel, we made a beeline for Dig In Beer Bar. Perfect choice! They were so welcoming and had some fabulous beers to try, including our favourite, "I Miss The Old Kanye" brew, which was presented to us with a reverential "Old Kanye" from the barmen.
Great music, the cosiest atmosphere and hugely satisfying burgers, not forgetting the beer baked cheesecake. We left with a happy glow, feeling fully welcomed to Osaka.
Osaka Castle
Nick loved this place, mostly he says, because it is an "actual castle". There are some in Japan that are more like gardens and a sort of fancy home, but this place has monster stones, tactical advantages, and a proper moat that would cause you a bit of difficulty if you had invading on your mind.
The best thing for me about Osaka Castle was the time capsule in front of it.
In 1970, 2 time capsules were buried here as a gift to humans in the future. They are stacked on top of each other. The top capsule is to be opened at the beginning of every century, and the one below will remain buried for 5,000 years. It will lie snugly there until the year 6970, when (hopefully) a future generation will open it and find seeds, cultural artefacts, and - allowing for the fact that it was buried in 1970 - possibly some psychedelic flares.
Umeda Sky Building
We did this on a whim before we headed for our bed on the second evening.
As we approached it, the building reminded us a bit of Sauron's tower in Lord of The Rings, so we figured we were onto a good thing.
So glad we made this spontaneous detour! The viewing deck is spectacular. To set the scene, it's outdoor with no big lights, just tiny neon flecks in the floor all the way round and some smaller floor lighting. They also pipe some cheesy love songs through as mood music. It creates this lovely nighttime bubble from which to look out over Osaka and drink in the lights, the river and the sheer size of the city.
To sum it up, Osaka is intriguing. I'm happy we went there, and maybe 2 nights was enough, or maybe you need to spend more time with it to get to the heart of the city.
Osaka Snapshots
- A guy asking if we needed directions, then proceeding to walk out of his way to bring us almost all the way to our hotel. Talk about kindness, and a great welcome wagon!
- The happiness of being ignored by all the touts trying to get locals into their bars.
- Feeling like I was in an 80s movie in New York wandering through the downtown business district at night - skyscrapers everywhere and the moon peeping over them.
- Spotting tiny cups of complimentary mouthwash in Dig In's bathroom. I suspect I may never come across such thoughtfulness in a public loo again!
- Huddling in a queue in a doorway to get into what turned out to be a very trendy cafe, feeling like our backpacker garb wasn't up to their standards.
- Explaining the difference between Ireland and the UK (with picture aids) to an older Japanese man who wanted to know where we were from and confusing the hell out of him.
- Wondering where everyone was as we walked the almost silent streets, turning the corner to the Dotonbori area and finding that's where pretty much the entire city was hanging out.
- Massive, colourful models of crabs, sushi, octopuses, and all sorts of things hanging from the side of buildings in Dotonbori.
- The roaring ching ching ching of Pachinko machines (a kind of pinball gambling game, like slot machines) and the fug of cigarette smoke coming from the arcades in Den Den Town.
- Super tasty okonomiyaki pancakes filling our bellies.
- The cold night air on top of Umeda Sky Building, and catching myself swaying to 10CC in the background.