Honeymoon in Japan (Osaka) Pt 4

The Tokyo Shinkansen ride took us about 2 hour and 15 minutes to reach Osaka. We then board the local subway to Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka at Uehommachi, Tennoji-ku. The hotel is nicely situated above the Kintetsu Department Store and the Tennoji train station itself. The surrounding has a KFC and other local delicacies which opens till late night. Although the room is not very modern-o, it is nonetheless clean, spacy and the queen bed is very comfy with a large window. The room is also well equiped with a kettle, a small fridge as well as a TV. Hubby and I thought 10,000 yen (nett) per night (promotional rate on web) is a good bargain. Getting breakfast is no worries since there are a few bread shops nearby the subway station.

This is Tennoji nightview seen from our hotel room window.



















Without wasting too much time in the hotel, we board a train to Namba, the city center of Osaka. However, it was raining heavily soon we arrived there. I guess, rain has been following us everywhere!! Well, of course the rain does not stop us from wondering around.

Namba is also known as an entertainment district, and hosts many of the city's most popular bars, restaurants, nightclubs, arcades, and pachinko parlors. Other than the sprawling underground Namba City shopping mall, there is also Takashimaya department store.

We were dissapointed as the rain and wind caused us difficulties in taking snapshots. Namba is a great place for shopping. Just one minute walk from Namba station is the Namba Walk itself. Namba Walk is an underground shopping streets with hundreds of shops and eateries. The shops are suitable for the younger generation and more fashionable type. You will also see takoyaki stalls around. Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki is a MUST TRY in Osaka.

Namba. We were trying to cross the street but decided to take a snapshot. Rain has finally stopped!















We take-away different types of local delicacies and enjoyed it in our hotel room. As what I can recalled, we bought a pack of freshly fried sweet potatoes coated with honey, waffles from Manneken (nearby Sheraton Miyako Hotel), takoyaki from Namba Walk, drinks and other local sweets.

Manneken Belgium Waffles. Cripsy, Crunchy, Delicious and Many Flavors to Choose from!!

Our Day 11 continue early in the morning. We got all dressed up and bagged our water bottles and left the hotel at about 8 in the morning. Firstly, we took a light breakfast at KFC which is just opposite of our hotel. Then, we board the train in Tennoji station to Osaka Castle. It took us quite sometime to figure out how to get there. We asked the train station's staff who speaks fair English which train and exits that would bring us to Osaka Castle.

Luckily in the transit train station, we saw a group of school kids going to a field trip. You might wonder how we know?! We were observant enough to be listening to the field trip teacher's briefing. Not that we can understand Japanese much but we got a hint they were going to the same place as us. So, we followed them closely ^_^

We arrived safely at Osaka Castle. Thanks to the group of kids and their teacher!

This picture is taken at the train station outside of Osaka Castle.








I love Osaka Castle as it has a big park full of blooming flowers and cherry blossom trees. The park eventually leads you to the Osaka Castle. We crossed a bridge called Gokurakubashi Bridge. It took us about 30 minutes brisk walking to reach the bridge. We also frequently stopped to take pictures of the beautiful scenery at the park.

Osaka Castle seen from the Gokurakubashi.

A little birdie seen collecting twigs and grass fiber for its nest.

Another beautiful view of Osaka.

An elderly feeding the pigeons in Osaka Castle Park.

 

Next, we board a train to Osaka Universal Studio. We spent about an hour walking and window shopping at the street outside Universal Studio. We had our lunch at MOS Burger.

MOS Burger Set Meal. The MOS Burger in this outlet is quite different from the ones we tasted in Singapore. All MOS Burger here is served with buns rather than rice.

The Street outside of Osaka Universal Studio.

You must visit the famous Osaka Takoyaki Museum and taste the various types of takoyaki stalls sold here.

Cute Octopus and Takoyaki displayed around the museum. Must Try takoyaki here!!

It was 4 o'clock when we decided  to buy our entrance ticket to the Osaka Universal Studio. In front of the ticket booth, we read a notice saying that all entry tickets will be sold cheaper starting from 4 o'clock. Hmm, that was nice!! It saved us about 4,000 yen!!

It was crazy inside!! Students still in school uniforms, families, babies and kids, visitors and almost everyone were either on 'Happy-mode' or 'Shopping-mode'! They carried bags and bags of shopping bought inside the Universal Studio's shops. People were seen running around trying to take photographs with cartoon characters. Well, of course I'm one of them!! I was a kid again! Ha.. ha.. I took pictures with Popeye and Olive, Elmo, Crash Bandicoot and lots more.

The Magical Starlight Parade Performance. Promises to bring you a night full of magic and music!

All the rides were closed after we finished watching the parade. We ended up in shops selling accessories and clothings with various cartoon characters faces on it.

Then, we head to Osaka Takoyaki Museum for our supper. All of the takoyakis there were unique and delicious!! We had a heavy heart going back to our hotel as we had to pack our luggage bags.

On Day 12, we went for another shopping spree at Dotonbori. We arrived about 9:30am and most of the shops were not in business yet. So we just walked around the area slowly. Dotonbori is well known for shopping and has many neon and mechanized signs including the famous 'glico' sign and a huge crab called the Kani Doraku.

We crossed Dōtonboribashi Bridge which has a beautiful sight. It is even more beautiful at night when all the neon lights were switched on. There were also street performers singing and dancing while trying to sell their song albums.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Before heading back to our hotel, we had a nice lunch at a "Ramen standing stall".

Firstly, you select your choice of Ramen in the vending machine. 

After you had paid, a receipt will be printed.

The staff will then cook your hot delicious Ramen accordingly.

Kim-chi, Preserved Green Onion are served for free refill in a huge bowl. Ice water are served for free too. 

About 2p.m., we checked out from Sheraton Miyako Hotel and board a train to my friend's house. Her family invited us to stay in their house before leaving Japan. They also lived nearby to Kansai Airport.

Our friend and her mom fetched us at the train station and immediately brought us to a wholesale supermarket. My eyes went so big staring at the HUGE variety of food I can buy here. My hands were busy selecting and taking things from shelves. The prices are really CHEAP too!! Instant Japanese Curry, Japanese Curry Paste, Tonkotsu Powder, Seaweed, Japanese Mayonese, Furukakae, Green Tea, Sweets, Snacks...... I grabbed everything I can before hubby reminded me of our baggage allowances!! 

My friend's house was really welcoming and heart warming. Even her dog greeted us with smiles and jumps. For dinner, they made us okonomiyaki, bought some sashimis and prepared different types of daily home-cooked dishes. I loved the stir fry noodles with sweet sauce. I munched on konyaku braised with daikon in soy sauce. Everything is just so delicious! Her dad even made cheesecake for our desserts! Yummy! Yummy!

Later that night, my friend drove us around her housing area. She showed us her previous schools, the park she used to play, shrines and other places. Then, we went back and re-pack our luggages. We were both sad and happy at the same time. We missed our dog at home but we also had a wonderful time in Japan.

We had a quick bath and said our last good night to Japan. Before going to sleep, I told my hubby I already begin to miss Japan.

We promised each other we will visit Japan again in future. Maybe next time we will be able to explore a different part of Japan.

Honeymoon in Japan (Tokyo) Pt 3

Tokyo Nightview seen from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

After saying our Goodbyes to the tour members at the Narita Airport, we board a coach bus to Citadines Tokyo Shinjuku. Well, if we are more familiar with the route in Tokyo, we can board a train that will bring us to the Shinjuku Marunouchi Station. The hotel is just 5 minutes walk from there.

Citadines Tokyo Shinjuku is located within walking distance of the Shinjuku East area, one of Tokyo’s thriving urban centres. It is situated close to the Marunouchi and Toei Shinjuku subway stations. The Citadines Tokyo Shinjuku has a modern concept which is a mix and match between a hotel and privacy of an apartment.

Personally, I think it is a really good deal and is also very suitable for long term stay. The apartment hotel room comes with electric stove, kettle, fridge and cooking utensils, just like a small kitchen. It also has a comfy queen bed with one extra sofa bed for third person. During our stay, we also opt to go 'Green' which means we do not require daily cleaning and change of bedsheets. This also helps us save 2,000 yen a day. The staff are friendly, speaks good English and is very helpful explaining directions of the places we wanted to visit.

This is our room at Citadines Tokyo Shinjuku.


















Once we had settled down in the hotel, we went to Harajuku. It was around 4p.m. and was raining lightly in Shinjuku. However, when we arrived in Harajuku, it was raining and the wind is blowing quite strongly. We had to hold our umbrella firmly while trying our best not to step on the water pool by the roadside.

Harajuku is a nice place for shopping. Although I thought I will be seeing someone dress in 'gothic' clothings or 'cosplay', I only saw passerbys with work clothes on. Haha.. maybe it was still a weekday??!

We did not manage to shop alot as it was quite difficult to walk around while it was still raining, so our local friend bought us to an Izakaya. The name made me wonder if there is anything to do with "kaya" (a type of Malaysian coconut jam for bread spread). Of course, it has NO connection to it at all!

The name "izakaya" is a compound word consisting of "i" (to sit) and "sakaya" (sake shop), showing that izakaya originate from sake shops that allowed customers to sit at the premises to drink.

Here we are at the Izakaya in Harajuku. Izakaya is a place for after-work drinking. I guess, people do need to de-stress after a hard day work, right?!

Here, you can order different types of small dishes to accompany the drinks (normally contains alcohol).

If you prefer something sweet, you can always order something like us. Sake with fruit juices or fruit concetrates.

A drink or side dish can range from 300 yen - 800 yen.

It is a nice place to go with friends, however, if you are a non-smoker, you might want to check if there is non-smoking section in the Izakaya.

After our Izakaya session, we took the subway back to Shinjuku and walked towards the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. My ears pop a bit while the lift goes up to the observation deck. We went to the top-floor panoramic observation decks for a Tokyo nightview. It is free of charge to the public and contain many gift shops. They are open till 11 pm on weekdays. Use of cameras is permitted, but tripods are forbidden.

Our 9th Day in Tokyo leads us to Ueno Park, Ameyayokocho Street and Akihabara. We bought bento and drinks from the nearby convenience shop before taking a subway to Ueno Park. Three of our tummy were making grumbling sounds while on the subway as we can smell the delicious food inside our plastic bags.

Once we reached Ueno Park, we found a bench and goobled our food. Since Ueno Park is a public park, it is free of charge. However, the park is a bit dirty and some parts are not well maintained. Ueno Park is also home for the homeless people. Tents are seen around the park. Ueno Park is very spacious and has different attractions which consists of three museums, a shrine, statues, a zoo, picnic park and pond. Flowers are blooming but no sakuras as we were a bit late.

A Buton Flower

Tents of the homeless people in Ueno Park. It is a sad fact that there are homeless people even in Tokyo, a rich and developed city.

We spent about an hour in Ueno Park, we exit through a different gate to get to Ameyayokocho Street. This street sells both local and imported foods. It also has a variety of eateries, game stations and Pachinko outlets. We like the shop selling soft cream (ice cream cone). Its sesame flavor is the best.

We had our lunch at the nearby restaurant which is along the way to the subway station. It serves delicious soba. A set lunch which includes a serving of soba(hot or cold) , a bowl of rice with fillings of choice, green tea and pickles. ALL this is just 800 yen. What a bargain!! It was a delight-FULL lunch. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the restaurant.

 

Left: Salmon sashimi with Rice & Hot Soba.
Right: Unagi Rice & Cold Soba.

After a heavy lunch, we took the subway to Akihabara. This is a shopping heaven for my hubby since most of the shops sell electronical items from cameras, computers, TV and all types of accessories.

A Busy Akihabara Street

Cosplay girls are seen promoting cafes and drinks.

We spend nearly 4 hours in Akihabara, walking up and down different shops hunting for good bargains of electronical items. We also went to have a look at the cosplay theme cafeterias. We did not drink inside as it is quite expensive. A fee is required if you wanted to take photos with these cosplay girls.

Then, we had our dinner at a nearby Ramen shop along the walkway back to our hotel.

Hot Ramen in a cold rainy night. Slurpppp!!Extra Char Siew (Pork Slices) Ramen Soup.

Delicious Kim-Chi Char Siew (Pork) Ramen with Hard boiled Egg.











We left to Osaka on Day 10. Before departing to the Tokyo Shinkansen Station, we had our breakfast inside our hotel room. It was raining outside, so we bought take aways from the convenience shop next door to our hotel.

Hubby and My Breakfast. We spend about 400 yen on our take away breakfast.

This is the Shinkansen station where you can purchase food and bentos to enjoy while riding on the Shinkansen bullet train. A huge variety of food to choose from and is very crowded with people.

Bye Bye, Tokyo!! Hello, Osaka!!!

Butter Pound Cake

Since I was into baking lately, I decided to store up both salted & unsalted butter. Last few days, I baked a Butter Pound Cake and I was really delighted with the results. The cake is very fluffy, lighter than the normal butter cake version and is really good with a cup of hot Milo.

The recipe calls for cake flour, but I just substituted with all-pupose flour (plain flour). The trick to make a good butter pound cake is to make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Leave the butter outside for at least an hour to achieve room temperature. Butter should be soft when touched with a finger. 

Some baker suggests making a well in the middle of the batter before baking to prevent a 'hill shaped cake' and to prevent the cake from breaking too much when baked.

Recipe for Butter Pound Cake:
(makes 1 loaf) (23cmx13cmx8cm)
Preheat oven 177degree C or 350degree F.
Butter a non stick loaf pan and lined bottom with parchment paper.

Ingredients:
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-11/2 cup (150gm) sifted cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (150gm) castor sugar
- 13 tbsp (185gm) unsalted butter

Method:
1) Combine eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Whisk lightly.
2) Combine flour, baking powder,salt and sugar into another bowl for mixer.
3) Mix on low speed (30 sec) to blend in dry ingredients.
4) Add butter and half of the egg mixture.
5) Mix on low speed till dry ingredients are moistened.
6) Increase to medium  speed, beat for 1 minute to aerate and develop cake texture.
7) Scrape down sides of bowl. Gradually add remaining egg mixure in 2 badges, beating 30 sec after each addition to incorporate egg.
8) Scrape batter into pan. Smooth top with spatula.
9) Bake for 55minutes or till golden brown and inserted toothpick comes out clean.
10) If the top browns too much, cover with a buttered aluminium foil after 30 minutes.
11) Let cool in pan. Remove and serve when cool completely.

Honeymoon in Japan (Tokyo) Pt 2

Tokyo Disneyland Castle at dusk

We arrived at Narita Airport, Tokyo on Day 5, around 9pm at night. It was windy in Tokyo. We board on the tour bus and the bus driver drove us to our hotel.

While on the way, I noticed that there are huge difference between Tokyo and Hokkaido. Hokkaido is a relaxing place where people live life at its pace. Tokyo, of course the capital city is also the city for rat race!! The bus driver drove fast and they honk at each other on the road!! People walk faster! The city is full of colorful neon lights and covered with sky scraper buildings! Actually, I was kinda afraid that I'll get lost here, so I promised myself to stick closely to my hubby!

We checked in at Tokyo Dome Hotel. We really love this hotel because the room is very spacy with a nice comfy Queen size bed, equipped with coffee table, lazy chairs and other neccesities. I adore the bathroom which has a bath tub attached to it. The room are also very clean and has a good night view of the Tokyo Dome and the small theme park next to it.

This is the night view seen from our hotel room on the 29th floor.

There are quite a lot of eateries which open till midnight and a convenient shop (7-Eleven) situated next to the hotel. We had our supper at the nearby Mc Donald. We tried their Ebi Burger (Prawn Burger) which is only available in Japan.

Mc Donald in Tokyo, Japan serves Ebi Fillet Burger! Yummy.. filled with fresh crispy prawn patties~

Day 6, which is also a Sunday, expectedly the city were full of people and tourists. We were brought to discover some of the tourist attractions in Tokyo Metropolitan City.

First of all, we pass by the Diet Building (国会議事堂, Kokkai-gijidō), which constitutes of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors (or Chancellors). As you might have guess, it is similar to our Malaysia Parliment House. According to Kenro-san, their local national TV will broadcast the meetings held inside for the citizens to see. In schools, young pupils also watched the broadcast together with the teachers and will later discuss the topics. This is to encourage awareness among their people.

Then, we went to the Imperial Palace, the home of the Emperor and Empress, which is surrounded by a high stone slab. According to Kenro-san, the palace buildings and inner gardens are not open to the public. However, on January 2 (New Year's Greeting) and December 23 (Emperor's Birthday), visitors are able to enter the inner palace grounds and see the members of the Imperial Family, who make several public appearances on a balcony.

Imperial Palace (view from the outside)

Next, we went to the Asakusa Kannon Temple, also known as the oldest Buddhist temple in the region and is a very famous spot for tourists to Japan.

When approaching the temple, visitors first enter through the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), the outer gate of the Sensoji and symbol of Asakusa.

A shopping street of over 200 meters, called Nakamise, leads from the outer gate to the temple's second gate, the Hozomon.

The beginning of Nakamise shopping street. Very crowded place but worth going as you can try a variety of local sweets here.

You can find anything between typical Japanese souvenirs such as yukata and folding fans, keychains, tatami sandals and a lot more. However, I found that a lot of souveniers sold here are Made In China, so if you are a person like me who prefer locally made items, you may have to look carefully before buying an item. Various traditional local snacks are sold along the Nakamise. I love the deep fried food most which is filled with different sweet pastry ranging from red bean, green tea, black sesame and others.

Olden days Precious! We tried this 'Pop Soda Water' which tasted just like 7-Up. In ancient days, these glass bottles also served as a toy for the children because once the bottle is empty, you can play with the marble that sits inside the bottle. It produced a "cling cling" sounds.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We had our lunch at the nearby restaurant in the area, then we head to Ginza, which is Tokyo's most famous upmarket shopping, dining and entertainment district, featuring numerous department stores, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, night clubs and cafes. You can find all sorts of international branded items here.
 
 

The main road section is closed on every Sunday and served as side walks for visitors. Prepare to spend around RM100 for an afternoon tea. After spending 3 hours walking around Ginza and observing the fashion and trends of the people shopping in Ginza, we went to Shinjuku for another shopping spree.

When we arrived in Shinjuku, hubby and I thought we would find a cafe to have a cuppa. We walked around and everywhere we see are people. Even getting into a cafe need a queue of at least 20 minutes. Lastly, we decided to just buy some breads from the bakery in a departmental stores. We sat by the roadside, enjoying our 'tea time' while watching people with bags and bags of shopping! We wonder how much money had they spend!? =)

Then, we went to a fantastic ramen shop in Shinjuku area. While walking down the street, we could see Love hotels, Pachinko outlets and other night entertainment.

Look familiar? This street is seen in Shinjuku Incident (an action movie by Jackie Chan).

And this are the delicious Tonkotsu Ramen that we had. The shop can be hardly missed as it has a big Pig Statue at the front.

 

 

 

 Day 7, the tour brought us to Shinjuku Gyoen, a park where we finally witnessed and touch the soft petals of sakura flowers. The park needs a small entrance fee, however it is very clean and well-maintained. The park also supplies free wheel chairs for the needy.

We saw different colors of sakura flowers (pink, light yellow and whitish).

 

 

After our lunch at about two in the afternoon, we finally arrived at the Tokyo Disneyland!!I was so happy, I nearly cried! My childhood memories relived, the songs of Disney cartoons filled my heart with joy, the movie characters dancing around makes me feel young all again! It was so lovely to see their parades. I might act like a kid in there, but who cares! It's all about FUN, FUN, FUN in Disney!!My digital camera worked the hardest today ^_* (wink)

At the Main Entrance of Tokyo Disneyland

Let your worries fly away in Tokyo Disneyland~

It was really fun!! Lastly, we check in at a hotel called Narita Garden Hotel which is situated nearby Narita airport.

On Day 8, we finally have to say Good Bye to our tour members as they will fly back to Malaysia, while we will have another few days to explore a different part of Tokyo and Osaka.