Osaka & Kyoto May 2018: Dotonbori and Abeno Harukas
Finally! I got to go on my first ever trip to Japan! And it could not be more apt for a cultural infusion in Osaka and Kyoto. I am sharing some highlights from my trip.
Dotonbori
Dotonbori is definitely one of the must-visits in Osaka. It is a shopping street (more like district) full of souvenir shops and restaurants. Not forgetting the famous Glico man and giant crab, which one recognises that one is in Dotonbori when you see them. It's kind of kitsch-y and glitzy, really soo... Japan.
So what we really did there was shop and eat. Some examples of the shops that are there: Don Quijote (or Don Don Donki in Singapore), Pablo Cheese tart, Ichiran Ramen. There's also a ferris wheel (see above pic) INSIDE Don Quijote, which you can board at the second floor of Don Quijote. It gives you a bird's eye view of Dotonbori.
There are tax-refund pharmacies / drugstores and souvenir shops there that allow you to do your tax refund immediately at the shop. But they will seal the bags so that you can't open them before boarding your return flight, so if you need something, be sure to let the person know. I found that really convenient as I would be so clueless to find the tax refund counter at the airport. The only downside was the 'tetris-in-a-sealed-bag' I had to do to pack my items in the luggage. Also, don't be surprised at tourists carrying empty luggages and packing them at the roadside after buying too much stuff. It was really an eye-opening experience for me.
What to buy? There are really lots of yummy goodies to buy in the souvenir shops. I went crazy on interesting-flavoured Pocky and KitKat. But if you want something really special, I recommend the Cui Daore Pudding. Cui Daore is the man wearing the hat on the boxes and apparently he is the mascot of Osaka too. The puddings are wearing hats too, how cute! The pudding is egg pudding with caramel sauce and caramel sprinkles. It is so creamy, and smooth, eggy and fragrant! The price is about 1000 yen for 1 box of 3 puddings.
What to eat? I wouldn't really say I am the expert here. But I tried quite a lot of food here, such as okonomiyaki and takoyaki. We definitely visited Ichiran Ramen and also Pablo Cheese Tart! To be honest, I am not a fan of cheese tart (which is often met with a resounding 'why!' whenever I say so) but I enjoyed the green tea cheese tart. The matcha taste is quite strong and reduces the cheesy taste a lot. The crust is flaky and crispy. Overall it is not too sweet or greasy, so I liked it.
Abeno Harukas
Another highlight of the Osaka leg was Abeno Harukas. Standing at 60 storeys tall, Abeno Harukas is the tallest building in Osaka city area. It has an observatory at the 60th storey for visitors to enjoy a bird's eye view of Osaka city. When you board the lift to go to the observatory, visitors are also treated to a lights show along the lift shaft, which gives the feeling of space travel.
Beside the Abeno Harukas building are also shopping buildings Abeno Lucias, Abeno Nini, Abeno Cues Town and Abeno Gran Tour.
For my trip, my friend was very smart to plan the visit to Abeno Harukas near sunset and we could enjoy the amazing views from daylight to nightfall.
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