Osaka & Kyoto May 2018: Other highlights
Ok... I did not take pictures at some of the locations because they were more of shopping areas but they were still worth mentioning.. so here they are!
Osaka
Denden Town
Denden Town is a district selling lots of electronics and anime / manga related stuff. So yes, it is something like an 'Otaku heaven'. But even if you are just a small fan of Japanese anime and manga, it's still worth a visit. There are Playstation shops and all sorts of models, t-shirts, toys... I also saw some really nice Ninjutsu shirts there, and I regretted not buying them because I simply could not find better ones elsewhere.
Hankyu Umeda
Hankyu Umeda is just one of this cluster of Umeda buildings and shopping centres at the Umeda train station in Osaka. It is so huge and massive. In Hankyu Umeda alone, there are at least 8 floors of shopping centre. How do I know? Because the only reason I went there was to find the Moomin shop!! So if you are there, and need to find a shop, do save the address and use it to ask the staff there for directions. Because I am so glad I did!
On the other hand, if you really love shopping and are looking for some luxury goods etc. then the Umeda area is the place to go. There is a Poke Stop there too, for Pokemon fans.
Dining at family and fast-food restaurants
There are quite a few family restaurant chains in Japan, including Saizeriya, and I tried Denny and Gusto's during my stay in Osaka and Kyoto. Sometimes all the restaurants are fully booked or it's just too crowded everywhere, then family restaurants offer an affordable and filling meal. They work on a similar concept like Saizeriya in Singapore, where you can order a main meal and for a top-up you can get a free flow at the self-service drinks bar.
Before you turn up your noses at the chain restaurants food, it's actually really good. My friends who tried the hamburg steak at Gusto's said it was really yummy. And the tonkatsu pork cutlet was crispy on the outside and juicy inside, so yummy!
Also, MacDonald's! I was so excited to try the McRib (pork rib burger) and Teriyaki Chicken burger at MacDonald's in Japan. It's really yummy and also the quality of the meat is very good, as they used locally farmed produce. For meat lovers, you get to choose between McNuggets or Fries for your Value meal, so that's a bonus. I would have loved to try MOS burger too, but unfortunately no time (or not enough stomach space).
Kyoto
Nishiki Market
To me, Nishiki Market to Kyoto is like Dotonbori to Osaka. It is a must visit for Kyoto. There are lots of stalls there selling traditional Japanese food items like senbei (rice crackers), daifuku and mochi snacks, pickles, sashimi. But it can be very crowded, so travel light. Or leave your big bag in a train station locker. I lost count of the number of times people were jabbing into my backpack.
Also, we found a Snoopy shop in Nishiki market! How cool is that!
Gion
Gion area in Kyoto is where there are lots of traditional houses and restaurants. We strolled there in the evenings, along the river, and it was really nice to enjoy the sights. Occasionally we also saw some Maikos running past, they always seemed to be in a hurry. Gion is the place for a feel of traditional Japan.
Sannen-zakka and Ninnen-Zakka
These 2 districts are the area as you come down from the Kyomizu-dera temple. There are many matcha and souvenir shops here. Also, many places to rent kimonos and also attend tea ceremonies. We stumbled upon a Hello Kitty and Donguri Republic shop here.
Osaka
Denden Town
Denden Town is a district selling lots of electronics and anime / manga related stuff. So yes, it is something like an 'Otaku heaven'. But even if you are just a small fan of Japanese anime and manga, it's still worth a visit. There are Playstation shops and all sorts of models, t-shirts, toys... I also saw some really nice Ninjutsu shirts there, and I regretted not buying them because I simply could not find better ones elsewhere.
Hankyu Umeda
Hankyu Umeda is just one of this cluster of Umeda buildings and shopping centres at the Umeda train station in Osaka. It is so huge and massive. In Hankyu Umeda alone, there are at least 8 floors of shopping centre. How do I know? Because the only reason I went there was to find the Moomin shop!! So if you are there, and need to find a shop, do save the address and use it to ask the staff there for directions. Because I am so glad I did!
On the other hand, if you really love shopping and are looking for some luxury goods etc. then the Umeda area is the place to go. There is a Poke Stop there too, for Pokemon fans.
Dining at family and fast-food restaurants
There are quite a few family restaurant chains in Japan, including Saizeriya, and I tried Denny and Gusto's during my stay in Osaka and Kyoto. Sometimes all the restaurants are fully booked or it's just too crowded everywhere, then family restaurants offer an affordable and filling meal. They work on a similar concept like Saizeriya in Singapore, where you can order a main meal and for a top-up you can get a free flow at the self-service drinks bar.
Before you turn up your noses at the chain restaurants food, it's actually really good. My friends who tried the hamburg steak at Gusto's said it was really yummy. And the tonkatsu pork cutlet was crispy on the outside and juicy inside, so yummy!
Also, MacDonald's! I was so excited to try the McRib (pork rib burger) and Teriyaki Chicken burger at MacDonald's in Japan. It's really yummy and also the quality of the meat is very good, as they used locally farmed produce. For meat lovers, you get to choose between McNuggets or Fries for your Value meal, so that's a bonus. I would have loved to try MOS burger too, but unfortunately no time (or not enough stomach space).
Kyoto
Nishiki Market
To me, Nishiki Market to Kyoto is like Dotonbori to Osaka. It is a must visit for Kyoto. There are lots of stalls there selling traditional Japanese food items like senbei (rice crackers), daifuku and mochi snacks, pickles, sashimi. But it can be very crowded, so travel light. Or leave your big bag in a train station locker. I lost count of the number of times people were jabbing into my backpack.
Also, we found a Snoopy shop in Nishiki market! How cool is that!
Gion
Gion area in Kyoto is where there are lots of traditional houses and restaurants. We strolled there in the evenings, along the river, and it was really nice to enjoy the sights. Occasionally we also saw some Maikos running past, they always seemed to be in a hurry. Gion is the place for a feel of traditional Japan.
Sannen-zakka and Ninnen-Zakka
These 2 districts are the area as you come down from the Kyomizu-dera temple. There are many matcha and souvenir shops here. Also, many places to rent kimonos and also attend tea ceremonies. We stumbled upon a Hello Kitty and Donguri Republic shop here.
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