Autumn Kansai Adventure: Osaka

Most of the downtime I (and I assume Claire, too) had during the latter half of 2016 was spent on planning and worrying about our Japan trip last November. The eight-day adventure in the Kansai area was special  for the both of us because we've always wanted to visit Japan, and it was a trip that we had full control over. We planned the trip from scratch, pooled our resources together, processed our visas, got antsy over our lack of Japanese language (and geographical/navigational) skills, pored over the Google Sheet file for our itinerary for months on end, and come November 8, threw caution to the wind.

It was worth it.

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Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

8-12 November 2016

November 8th was such a terrible day for Philippine history. We were already at NAIA waiting for our flight when news broke that a certain dictator had been allowed burial at the LNMB. And so on we hopped to our flight, looking forward to forgetting the self-destruction happening in the Philippines, even for just a little while.

Arriving about 10 PM at the rainy Kansai Airport, we bought two passes to help us navigate Osaka more conveniently, with access to both mass transportation and popular tourist sites. We got the Kansai One Pass and the Osaka Amazing Pass from the Tourist Center, whose staff were all very accommodating. 

We took the Nankai train straight from KIX, which got me a little too envious of Japan so early in the trip. (A train directly to the international airport!) We got seated next to a retiree Canadian so eager to tell anyone who would listen to him about his travel woes. He told us about the terrible Airbnb he booked in Hong Kong, his long flight from the US, and his uncertainty about where his Airbnb in Osaka was. He chatted with us for the whole duration of the ride until we reached Namba, where we were also headed. Since the information office where we hoped to seek assistance from English-speakings staff was closed, a kind uncle volunteered to help the Canadian. Meanwhile, Claire and I found our way to the train line we had to take to get us to our own Airbnb.

Tired from the flight and the adrenaline rush, we settled for the night and prepared for our trip to Universal Studios the following day.

Day 1: Universal Studios Japan, Osaka

Even if we've read and watched tons of entries about USJ, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in particular, we were downright overwhelmed with the fact that we were finally able to visit Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, with a bit of the Forbidden Forest on the side. The cold weather, with alternating sunny and overcast skies, added to the experience, too. It was amazing. ♥ 

Hello, childhood dream. :')

I know I was just a consumer of this fabricated, materialist reality. But darn, I loved every single minute of it. :D

There was still a huge crowd at the park even if it was a Wednesday, which was no less than what we expected. We were, in fact, among the first few hundred who had to run to get inside WWHP without the need for timed-entry tickets. Aside from the lines for the attractions, we also had to deal with the language barrier. Almost everything was in Japanese, though I personally didn't really mind. 

Gladrags Wizardwear and The Three Broomsticks

Kids trying out robes at Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment :')

Such lovely details in the interiors

Ollivander's! All the wandsss.

The view of the castle across the Black Lake :')

My meal at the Three Broomsticks ♥

I had Butterbeer. Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.

Bear! :D

I loved how these banners are so in-character. :))
Encouraging Hufflepuff. Assertive Slytherin. Indifferent? Ravenclaw. Hardy Gryffindor. :))

(Costly 😭) Confectionery Dreamland

The details were so amazing. 

We spent the whole morning (and then some) solely inside the WWHP. In the afternoon, we attempted to try going out to the other parts of the park.

Arya at Amityville!

Quaint brownstones and hidden alleyways

While wandering around the rest of USJ, we chanced upon the starting location of the park's parade. The energy was contagious. :))

Well, the keyword was "attempted." After probably an hour, or maybe two, max, we were back again in Hogsmeade. :))

That's not the castle you're looking for, Arya.

We just took the Forbidden Journey ride again, and just marveled once more at the magical world we were (temporarily) in. It was a good call that we decided not to get the Express Pass, firstly because the lines weren't 3-4 hours-long and, secondly, because we dedicated more than ample time for our stay in WWHP. It was an altogether different experience to see Hogsmeade and Hogwarts light up in the evening.

The Howler is Mrs. Weasley chastising Ron, in Japanese, of course.

♥♥♥

The park was truly more beautiful at night. If we had a choice, we would have stayed there for a week more. However, we had to leave at around 7PM to make sure that we still had a train to catch.

Were were exhausted from all the walking and the queues. We didn't even have the energy to look for a nice dinner, and so we had our first meal care of the friendly neighborhood convenience store.

But we went back to our room with happy and fulfilled Potterhead hearts, with Hedwig's theme still playing in our heads as we drifted off to sleep. :))

(More of the photodump under the cut)

Day 2: Osaka Castle and Umeda Area

We woke up later than scheduled the following day, but with the help of Google Maps and Japan's most amazing train systems (which we loved and hated (not really) in equal measure), we managed to arrive at Osaka Castle Park at around 10AM.

Osaka City is beautiful, and situated in the midst of the sprawling metropolis is the Osaka-jo Park which has retained its beauty after centuries. The walkways were lined with trees whose leaves were taking on their autumn colors.

The place was so tranquil, I longed to just sit on a bench under one of those trees and just watch people. But we had a lot scheduled for the day so on we went to the castle's main gate.

Moats fascinate me, and Osaka-jo's moat coupled with the castle's imposing stone wall is quite a sight indeed

Osaka-jo, replete with history since the Tokugawa era, is a majestic landmark with its gold-plated accents found all over the structure. Inside, the converted museum showcases the myriad of artifacts from one of the most the colorful, historically complicated, and fascinating structure in all of Japan.

Photos were only allowed at the topmost level of the museum, which featured dioramas and electronic displays.

The courtyard of Osaka-jo

Merienda time :D

I could only wish we had more parks and ponds here :'(

Taking the road less traveled/finding our way out the castle complex through the backdoor. :))

After quite a long stretch of walking (of which we did a lot), we found the train station that took us to Tenjimbashisuji Station, adjacent to the fascinating Osaka Museum of Housing and Living.

Two floors of a modern mid-rise building was converted into an interactive museum simulating the traditional machimiya (town community) during the Edo period in Osaka. The "main street" was lined with houses and their storefronts, displaying varied wares like cosmetics, magazines, toys and clothes. The domed ceiling mimicked the changing times of the day, dusk to dawn, even incorporating thunderstorms every now and then. Visitors can even rent kimonos to complete the Old Japan experience.

Nighttime at the machimiya

Some parts of the shops and the houses were open for exploration, and the back alleys were pretty interesting in their own ways, too. The structures were built in the same way that the Japanese built their dwellings centuries ago, with the same sort of materials and methods. The side streets, workshops and the yards were  re-created to the last detail, complete with small gardens and clotheslines. There were even shrines and occasional (statue) pet dogs. It was a truly immersive experience.

After the tour of the machimiya, guests of the museum can go to the next floor to view the various displays on the way of living of the Japanese from the ancient times to the present. The floor showcased dioramas, holograms, AVPs, and displays of household artifacts from different periods. Most of the texts and the narrations were in Japanese, but it was apparent that even in the ancient times, the people in Osaka already had the foresight of planning their city well to accommodate residential areas, business areas, and efficient roads and mass transportation. I can only gape in envy.

Urban planning seems to be so deeply entrenched in the psyche of the people of Osaka

Just outside the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living is the Tenjimbashisuji Street, a shopping arcade. Tenjimbashisuji is the first of the many shopping streets we would encounter for the rest of the trip. The convenience, variety of choices, and utter cleanliness of these shopping streets made me so envious of Japan, yet again. The variety was overwhelming, and walking through these marketplaces can be a tourist activity by itself. :))

From the train station at Higashi-Umeda, we went to the HEP Five Mall to ride the red HEP Five Ferris Wheel overlooking Osaka City. We were actually dead tired and were glad for a few minutes of respite from walking. Nonetheless, the view of the city was amazing, which we coupled with a few bites of Pablo mini cheese tart. :D

Completely underestimating the distances we had to walk for the items in our itinerary (Caveat: Osaka - and most likely the whole of Japan - is truly pedestrian-friendly, no questions asked), we again set forth to go downtown Umeda for the Umeda Sky Building Floating Garden Observatory. Again, the walkathon was worth the nighttime cityscape view of Osaka, despite the fact that it was windy and freezing atop the observatory.

Afterwards, we walked again back to the station, but not without stopping by a shop that sold Ghibli merchandise. I want all the Totoro. :(((

We finally arrived at the famous Dotonbori Street, which I describe as Maginhawa but 1,000 times bigger, brighter, and crowded. It was truly a sight and I just wish we had more energy left in us to enjoy the place. By that time, all we wanted was to find a place where we can sit (which proved to be quite hard, given the number of people in the area) and have dinner.

Hanamaruken Ramen

Finally, we found a ramen place where we saw at least two vacant seats. Haha. Because I was tired and hungry, I ordered the Double Happiness Ramen, which was probably good for two.

Belly full, feet sore, brain close to shutting down, we got lost looking for our train station. Even so, we managed to find it after additional walking, and finally got home for the night. :))

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Day 3: Minoo Park and Kita Ward

We woke up later than planned, again, but all in all we made good time for our third day. This time, we opted to go out of the city and trek a mountain. After a delay in train operations in the middle of our inter-city journey, during which we tried hard not to panic because we had nowhere else to go (and we didn't know how we would be able to go back to where we came from), we finally got to Minoo Station. We followed the path leading to the Minoo Falls and the surrounding park.

The path to the park was lined with quaint shops selling momiji (maple) sweets and goodies. The vibrant colors of the wares, the endearing presence of grandmas and grandpas tending to their stores, and the small-town vibes of the place was pretty fascinating. We trekked the path, which was rather long (about three kilometers) with some steep parts. The autumn foliage wasn't in its full swing yet, but totally beautiful just the same, with all the trees and little creeks along the way.

Different groups of people were doing the trek, some elderly people with their colorful boots and canes, some fashionista young ladies with their sleek coats. There were even groups of high schoolers who looked like they belong to a team and were going to Minoo as a team building activity.

 

Temples and shrines accented the path, and I saw Arya's my first Shinto shrine during the first half of the trek. There were also statues and historical markers, though we couldn't understand what they were saying. (Google Translate wasn't available, since there was no connectivity in the mountain.)

 

Nearing the waterfalls, we saw more shops selling different types of snacks. There were dango and filled breads and grilled seafood. Of course, there were lots of momiji and persimmon goodies, too. The shops were so colorful, I felt like I was in the set of a movie. It was pretty kinda dreamy. :))

It was about lunchtime when we reached the end of the trek path, which ended with the Minoo Falls. Personally, there was nothing special about it. What made the visit memorable for me was journey, albeit uphill, from the foot of the mountain to the falls. During the walk, we had time to enjoy the canopy of the trees in their autumn colors, savor the cold weather, and watch the people also making their way up the park.

We had lunch at this restaurant, which was completely deserted when we arrived.

Claire had rice curry ~kare~, while I had yakisoba (and a letter) for lunch. 

Looks like a bend on the street in a Ghibli film! ♥

Always, when I trek or hike to reach a beautiful nature scenery, I ask myself, why have humans stripped down the world so much that we had to really go out of our way just to see something that's supposed to be natural? It's always worth it, of course, but I wonder, really.

After spending half the day at Minoo, we headed back to Osaka and took our very first bus ride in Japan. (Thank you, universe, for the updated information on Japan's transportation schedules and routes available on the internet.) We went to the National Museum of Art-Osaka, anticipating the chance to see some Picasso and Warhol in the permanent collection. Unfortunately, the permanent collection wasn't available for viewing, so we checked out the exhibit of the contemporary group artist The PLAY instead.

The group seemed to be critically acclaimed, with their performance and art installations featured in international art publications. Well, I'm no art connoisseur, but I refer to them as hipster forefathers. :)) It was pretty fun reading the descriptions of the artworks and performances they have put up over the years.

Probably my favorite The PLAY work: The artists shepherding 12 goats from a mountain. 

Still bummed by our luck that a permanent collection had to be unavailable during our visit, we lingered in the area and decided to go inside the Osaka Science Museum, which was just nearby. We got there less than one hour before closing time so we just skimmed through the displays, guessing what each equipment was for.

We got back to Namba and went again to Dotonbori. If only we weren't so tired, we would have explored more of Dotonbori. We agreed to take things easy next time. :))

We scored a free river cruise courtesy of our Osaka Amazing Pass, and had some takoyaki while waiting for our turn. Although mostly in Japanese, our tour guide tried to converse with the tourists in English, and her enthusiasm was contagious. She explained to us the different landmarks in Dotonbori, including the famous (and huge) neon signs. The bridges along the amazingly clean river were patterned after Japanese culture icons, such as okonomiyaki pans and washi.

Braavos?

Walking around, we chanced upon small alleys with shrines and artworks. Dropping 100 yen in the slot, we drew our fortune and hoped against hope that they weren't foretelling our ill luck. :))

 

Once we got home, we did our laundry and prepared for our trip to Kyoto the next day.

With the help of kindly old grandmas sensing that we're close to getting lost in the big station, we found our platform and took an hour-or-so ride to Kyoto Station.

There was a whole world of difference between Osaka and Kyoto, but it was just as amazing.

Needless to say, the Osaka leg of our Japan trip was pretty jam-packed. :))