Day 13 Osaka
We got up early even though we had a late start for the tour
as the Vessel hotel staff warned us that the breakfast bar gets very busy. I went
back to exciting Japanese breakfast and ended with toast and jam. Today was
going to involve a lot of walking today so I felt justified in overstocking.
We had two train journeys to get to where we were meeting Osaka John, the tour guide, at the Osakajokoen station, close to the Osaka Castle. We thought we had it organised
with a QR code bur the two trains were from different companies (the Metro and JR) so we had to
buy an additional ticket. Rather than contending with the pedestrian traffic on
the surface, we used the underground path called the Namba Walk.
We expected to see Liz on the tour but she must have booked
with another guide. The WA boys were there, as well as two gay couples from Texas.
The route around the castle was an opportunity for a history
lesson by our guide John, a western Australian who had moved to Japan 25 years
ago, married a local and now had three adult children. He had a nice way of
explaining what we were seeing and setting it into context. We were surprised to
hear that the castle building was just under 100 years old and was a concrete version of the one that
was previously burnt down. It looked quite old, and is built on the foundations of the previous castles from the 1600s.. It was surrounded by a beautiful
moat and we could see tourists taking little river trips past the castle. We
stopped to take a photo near a lovely restful Japanese garden.
At about 12.30, with two more train trips (and a LOT of stairs),
we wended our way back down the hill to
where we were scheduled to have lunch. This was in the “Amerian Village‘ district
where, after the war, designers moved into warehouses in the area and set up a trendy
fashion district. A lot of the locals were interested in taking on the American
fashion vibe of the time. Apparently there is a sort of fashion show on weekends where a walkway slides out from the
front of the shop and designers can parade their latest work. High above one of
the buildings there was a small Statue of Liberty. Everything here was young and edgy, even the lamposts were twisted, gnarled and coloured. We went up an amazing curved escalator but resited the temptation to go into the pinball arcade with the youngies.
We went on to a restaurant and ordered the traditional
Japanese pancake with octopus. It was terrific. Then it was on to the Madison
Avenue area with all its high end shops. The roads here were so incredibly
wide. I think the guide said it was 40 metres across and below the road ran
another rail line. In the midst of all this conspicuous consumption, John took
us to see a temple that sits in the lower levels of a hotel complex. Apparently,
the only way to ensure its survival was to strike a deal with a company that
wanted to build over the site, in exchange for maintaining the temple. It seems
to work. The monk came out to say hello and give us a sticker as a souvenir.
For a contrast, John the guide led us into that crazy area that
we had explored by ourselves yesterday, next to the canal. It was again an
assault on all the senses. John led us through some of the smaller laneways,
and we found an unusual shrine where the buddah was covered in moss. As it
survived a fire during the world war 2 bombings of Osaka, locals pour water over it to ensure it won’t burn in the
future, and the water has encouraged moss to grow. We also found a nice wagyu
beef restaurant that we made a booking for, for tonight. Then we plunged into
the malls which were again full of humanity, touring, tasting and buying. By
this time the the ladies from Texas has had enough and went their own way. The
rest of us set off towards the fish market. Unlike the one in Tokyo, this one did
not prohibit photos. The seafood in Japanese markets is truly impressive.
We said goodbye to John at this point and worked our way
back though the market to buy some fruit. Johnny particularly missed having
fruit while we have been on holiday. We sat on a seat outside a subway station,
eating fruit salad and enjoying the kiddo videos that Britty had sent.
On this trip we have had highs and lows in terms of meals. The wagyu beef dinner we had at Kitan-In was the definite high. We had the full banquet, starting with a seasonal mushroom soup, then a chicken cesare salad. Meanwhile the chef (and owner) theatrically sliced two massive rib eye 300g steaks from an enoumous joint and presented them for approval, before gently BBQing them to perfection. The preparation was pure theatre as he sliced and cooked each meal while orchestrating the rest of the staff in their various roles.
As he saw us enjoying the steaks so much, he recommended Victor Churchill in Armadale.Melb. It's a specialist steak restaurant with top shelf beef. If Kitan-In recommends it, it must be great.
