TRAVEL TO JAPAN (KANSAI): KYOTO, NARA, OSAKA (Jan 2018)
Konnichiwa, this blogspot serves as a summary of my whole winter Japan trip and to blog about some miscellaneous stuff.
All related posts can be found below:
1. KYOTO PART I
3. NARA
TRIP TO: Osaka --> Kyoto --> Nara --> Osaka
DATE: 21 JAN - 30 JAN 2018
SEASON: Winter
Companion: Fellow colleagues x4
We took the promo economy flight by AirAsia this time. Landed in Osaka Kansai Airport (KIX). The weather was really good and it was actually not really cold when we landed (I wonder why). We didn't even put on our jacket.
First stop was to buy the ICOCA card and HARUKA pass. ICOCA serves as Touch N' Go in Japan, and you can even use it to pay in konbini or vendor machines, while Haruka is the Kansai airport express bound to Kyoto, Shin-osaka & Tennoji. For our first stop, it would be Kyoto.
More info of ICOCA+HARUKA here.
 |
| Landed in Kansai Airport (OSAKA) |
 |
| ICOCA card |
 |
| First meal in Japan from Family Mart lol |
We were famished by the time we reached Japan (all of us seems not satisfied by flight meal). One of my fellow colleague and I had to grab some quick bites from Family Mart. And omg I still remember both of us nearly couldn't get out from the mart because we were so tempted by literally everything inside the mart. Side note: FamMart in Japan is really different from those in Msia.
For detailed places that we went, please refer to the links above. Will do a brief mention of the places we visited but not mentioned in the previous posts.
1. Glico man sign at Dotonbori
I think most of you, even though you have not visited Osaka, will know this famous Glico man sign at Dotonbori bridge. As first timers to Osaka, we definitely need to take picture with this signboard. Bear in mind that this bridge would be veryyyy, I mean extremelyyyy crowded during peak period.
After picture time, head for food hunt in Dotonbori street.
2. Umeda Sky Building
One of the landmarks of Umeda, Osaka. The main attraction is the Kuchu Teien (in English: Floating Garden Observatory) which gives you 360° view of Osaka cityscape, 170 meters off the ground. Another plus point of this observatory is it is not surrounded by glasses, which means you can get crystal clear view (and pictures) without worrying of people's or camera's reflections on the glass.
Fee to enter the observatory was 1500 yen, but if you got the Osaka Amazing Pass (like us), you can enter for free.
But it also mean it is total outdoor, and when we visited during winter, we almost froze to death just to catch this night view.
And I still remember how my hands were shaking due to cold, cuz I had to removed my gloves to take pictures with my phone.
 |
| The view is a million times more breathtaking if you see it with your eyes |
Love how the pavement of the observatory lights up at night like we were taking steps in galaxy full of shining stars.
3. Osaka Castle
Also known as Osaka-jo, one of the must-visit in Osaka. The castle was being repetitively destroyed by fire and war attack since few hundred years ago. Fortunately the Japan government restoration project was completed in 1997 and the castle was preserved until today.
What surprise me the most was the interior of the castle was totally modernized and made into a museum. I was expecting to get a view of the original interior of the castle (like Nijo Castle in Kyoto and Shuri-jo in Okinawa). Fees to enter the castle was 600 yen and no pictures/videos are allowed inside.
You may also opt not entering the castle and just enjoy a stroll around it. π
 |
| River surrounding Osaka castle. If you visit in spring it will be surrounded with sakura trees |
 |
| Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the man who build Osaka Castle |
4. DonQuijote
Pronounced as "don-ki-ho-te", or more commonly known as "Donki" The popular 24/7 discount stores for tourists to satisfy their shopping desire (ME being one of them). You can get tax refund if you exceed the minimum amount of purchase. There are more than 30 Donki stores in Osaka. The Donki in Dotonbori Osaka is one of the largest discount stores, featuring a yellow ferris wheel moving slowly.
I had always thought the Ferries wheel is just the store's signboard decoration (Dotonbori being known for stores having exaggerated signboard), but you can actually ride the Ferris wheel for 600 yen. I did not ride it in this trip due to long queue and I had to settle my shopping list XD.
For first timers, Donki is definitely worth a visit. But there are other discount stores with tax-refund as well so I might not visit again due to being traumatized by the super long queue at checkout counters and how noisy the store can be.
5. Studio Ghibli Architecture Exhibition (Surprise agenda!)
As stated in the header, this is a surprise agenda as I did not plan this in our trip. I don't even know this exhibition exist before I reached Japan!
I was so so so thankful to the staff at the Kansai Airport Tourist Information Centre. We were there buying our passes to be used in coming days, when she suddenly asked if we would like to visit this exhibition being held in Harukas Observatory Building. I was like: OMG OMG I WANT TO I HAVE TO GO!!!
Luckily I have other friends who are huge Studio Ghibli fans as well, if not I really feel paiseh forcing all my companions to go with me (Yes I can visit alone, but we all think is best we try not to separate as it was the first visit to Japan to most of us). Just want to say thank you to the lady staff serving us that day! I would not want to miss this exhibition!
The exhibition was about architecture created by Studio Ghibli. They have 3D miniatures replica of the buildings from the anime, and even sketches of the architecture concept by Miyazaki-san.
Look at this banner of bathhouse from Spirited Away, Kubinashi at the bridge. THEY. HAVE.THIS.REPLICA.OF.BATHHOUSE.IN.THE.EXHIBITION!!!!! (Pardon my excitement..but the bathhouse will light up and dim down with noises of people inside it!!!!!!!!!).
Too bad not pictures or videos allowed inside. I can only keep all these in my poor memory....
 |
| View from Harukas Observatory |
This concludes my first time to Japan, and I fall so deep in love with this country that I decided to conquer all prefectures of Japan. Just you wait!
More travel blogposts coming soon. Till next time~
π¨πΈπΎπ»πΌ π½π»πΎπ΅π,
ππ²π΄πΈ
ππ²π΄πΈ
Comments
Post a Comment
Tell me what you think~!