In Pursuit of Japan

Japan Food Trip Day 3: Kuromon Ichiba, Kushikatsu Daruma Tsutenkaku

2018-02-10T19:45:00.001+08:00

Our trip to Japan feels like such a long time ago now. Anyway, I'm going to try my best to recount the details. My fault for not having any motivation; I just didn't feel like writing again until today.

So we're now on day 3. It was a rainy day and started out quite late. We headed straight to Kuromon Ichiba Market (黑門市場) for brunch. The market is a covered street with several side streets; it's quite easy to lose your way in the crowds. But we tried to explore every nook and corner before we decided on what to eat. The first thing we decided to eat was tempura at a stall called Nisshindo (日進堂).

Lining up to buy tempura at Nisshindo, Kuromon Ichiba

Different kinds of tempura to choose from

The tempura (天ぷら) was pre-fried and displayed on a rack at the front of the stall. They had a variety to choose from which they sold by piece somewhere around 100-150 yen. A couple were more expensive though, like the ebi (shrimp) which was 300 yen and the anago (conger eel) which was 600 yen. I think we bought an ebi, chikuwa (fish cake shaped like a tube), fish, and kabocha (winter squash) tempura to share. They refried a couple to heat it up, and gave us some straight from the rack. It was a bit greasy but yummy. Just an appetizer for what was still to come.

It was a cold day and the boiling hot oden at Ishibashi Shokuhin (石橋食品) was calling to us, so that's what we tried next. Oden is a lot of different ingredients boiled together in a light soy-flavored dashi broth until they absorb all the flavors. You pick which ingredients you want by piece. Most cost 100 yen except one which was 140 yen. We chose aburaage (fried tofu), daikon raddish, konnyaku (konjac), and satsuma-age (fried fish cake). They cut it up into bite-sized pieces for you and you eat it with a stick.

It was difficult to get a clear shot of the oden shop with all the people passing by.

Can you see how hot the oden is?

We didn't even attempt to take a picture of the oden we bought. Balancing a paper plate filled with piping hot food with broth is dangerous business. A lady who bought oden before us spilled the boiling hot liquid on herself while she was eating. Ouch!

And then it was time for the most important part of coming to Kuromon Ichiba: sushi! There were numerous sushi shops to choose from, and we settled for Kuromon Nakagawa (黑門中川) because they had affordable, fresh-looking sushi and also because there seemed to be a lot of people eating there. We chose an assorted set so we could try different kinds of sushi. It cost 2,500 yen. I found that I like the salmon roe and scallop sushi - that was the first time I'd tried both. Princeton went crazy over the fatty tuna (ootoro) sushi, raving that it "melts in your mouth". :-D

Kuromon Nakagawa makes fresh sushi packs right there.

Assorted sushi at Kuromon Nakagawa, cost: 2,500 yen

Wanted to get one of each pack too (salmon, shrimp, scallop sushi) but that would've been too much. Hehe.

We walked around some more and found a fresh soymilk shop manned by a pleasant old man. It was the freshest, creamiest tasting soymilk we'd ever had. Yum!

I think he makes the soymilk and other soy products like tofu right there in the shop.

Our stomachs full, we proceeded to the nearby Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shotengai (千日前道具屋筋商店街) where all sorts of cooking equipment and eating utensils can be found. I fell in love with the cat-designed bowls and cups! Unfortunately, they're difficult to put in your suitcase so I contented myself with just snapping a picture. We did buy those melanine chopsticks that you find in some Japanese restaurants - Princeton's are black and mine are red. Hehe.

Would you believe the one photo I took of the cute cat-designed bowls and cups got corrupted?! Waaah!

We explored Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shotengai then walked on to Shinsekai. Along the way, we explored what I think was Ebisubashi Shopping Street. It was nighttime when we arrived at our dinner destination Kushikatsu Daruma Tsutenkaku (串かつだるま). I'd read that this place usually has a long queue so we were happy to see that the line wasn't bad at all.

We waited until the short queue of people went in so we could take a clear shot of Kushikatsu Daruma Tsutenkaku.

This is what you see upon entering Kushikatsu Daruma Tsutenkaku. You sit on a counter around the kitchen.

"English menu wo arimasu ka?" I asked one of the waiters. (Do you have an English menu?) To which he promptly pulled out an English menu and spoke to us in perfect English! We ordered the Combo Tsutenkaku which is composed of 15 assorted pieces of kushikatsu (breaded deep-fried skewers of meat, vegetables, seafood, even cheese) and a complimentary doteyaki (beef sinew with konnyaku stewed using miso, sweet sake, and sugar). Price = 2,160 yen. It was delivered to us straight from the fryer.

Complimentary doteyaki at Kushikatsu Daruma Tsutenkaku

The first 13 pieces of kushikatsu; the remaining two were delivered later.

The waiter told us exactly what each piece was when she put the pan in front of us, but we forgot the moment she turned her back. We weren't the only ones, however, as we heard some of the other diners expressing the same thing. Hehe.

You dip the skewer in the sauce which is in the rectangular metal bowl behind the bowl of cabbage. No double dipping! It's a shared pot of sauce. If you want more sauce, you can use the raw cabbage to scoop it up from the bowl.

A leisurely stroll to the iconic Tsutenkaku Tower after dinner was the perfect nightcap. The lights in Shinsekai were beautiful.

Tsutenkaku Tower, and Shinsekai in general, comes alive at night when all the lights come on.

On the way home, we decided to drop by Osaka Takashimaya Department Store to check out their basement food hall. On the way out, we found Japan's famous Horai meat buns! We bought a couple for breakfast and walked on home.

Horai meat buns for breakfast the next day.

Japan Food Trip Day 2: Okonomiyaki, Korokke, Takoyaki

2017-11-28T21:19:00.000+08:00

We bought food for breakfast the night before from a discount grocery store called Super Tamade. It was so affordable and surprisingly quite satisfying.

This packed rice bowl from Super Tamade cost only 328 yen.

This large sushi roll cost only 198 yen.

Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street was our first stop of the day. (It was supposed to be the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living, but I took so long to get ready we decided to skip it. ;-P) We explored the shops looking for souvenirs and other interesting things, and then it was time for lunch.

Okonomiyaki Chigusa

Okonomiyaki Chigusa is in a small alley in Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street.

This is how the alley looks from the side of the main shopping street.

You're probably going to miss this restaurant unless you're really looking for it. First, it's not on the main street; it's in one of the small alleys intersecting Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street. But you can use Google Maps to find it - that's what we did. Second, the store's name "Chigusa" is in Japanese. You'll have to look for these characters: 千草.

Here, okonomiyaki (お好み焼き), one of Osaka's specialties, is cooked on the table right in front of you. I think you can opt to cook it yourself, but of course, we chose to have an expert cook it for us. Hehe.

We ordered okonomiyaki and chow mein, each costing 950 yen. The okonomiyaki we chose had a big slab of pork in the middle, although you can't see it in the picture. The serving was a bit small, but delicious. I'd say it was more of a snack than a meal.

Our half-cooked okonomiyaki and chow mein noodles.

So after finishing off every last morsel, we headed off to search for some korokke (コロッケ), Japan's beloved potato croquettes! It was no easy task and we almost gave up. Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street is loooong! In fact, it claims to be the longest shopping street in Japan.

Then we spotted some people lining up at a particular store. None of the other shops had queues, so we got curious and took a look. And darn if they weren't selling hot-off-the-fryer korokke!

We quickly fell in line for those scrumptious korokke!

It was only later that I realized that the store was Nakamura-ya (中村屋), the famed korokke shop I wrote in our itinerary as a must-try. The also sold katsu (deep-fried breaded meats), but we bought the korokke. It cost 70 yen per piece.

Korokke wo futatsu kudasai. (Please give me two korokke.)

Finally got our hands on these famed potato croquettes!

We ate them while we explored the rest of Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street. They were so good we doubled back after reaching the far end to buy some more.

When it was getting dark, we decided it was time to get going to Hozenji Yokocho Alley where we would explore the collection of 60 small izakayas (Japanese-style pubs) near Hozenji Temple and eat dinner at Hanamaruken, but on the way to the train station, we spotted a takoyaki shop.

Takoyaki (たこ焼き) is also one of Osaka's specialties, so we thought we'd give it a try right on our second day in Japan. We bought 15 pieces for 700 yen as a snack. It was really creamy, delicious and filling that it ended up being our dinner. The large octopus pieces in the middle were tender, too.

Regular flavored takoyaki on the left, spicy on the right.

I got up to snap a photo of their menu framed by the cash register, and that's when I saw that the name of the store was Wanaka (わなか). I had also written Takoyaki Wanaka in our itinerary as a must-try takoyaki shop. It seemed Lady Luck was on our side that day.

Takoyaki Wanaka's menu

Fully satisfied, we decided to end our second day food trip.

Japan Food Trip Day 1: Kamukura Soup With Noodles

2017-11-24T20:00:00.000+08:00

Oh yes, our Japan food trip started right on the day we arrived. We got to our Airbnb apartment sometime around 5pm. After our futile attempt to turn on the pocket wifi (the battery was drained; defective charger), we decided to "borrow" wifi from a nearby 7-Eleven to locate our first destination: Dotonbori. We had originally planned to eat at Ichiran Ramen there. However, the extremely long lines at both of their Dotonbori locations and our grumbling tummies necessitated a change of plans. Luckily we found a noodle shop with a much shorter line right across the street that seemed like a good alternative:

Kamukura Soup With Noodles

Entrance of Kamukura Soup With Noodles at Dotonbori

It was a vending machine type restaurant, which we'd never tried before. We observed the locals as they punched in their orders and proceeded to do the same. It wasn't so hard, actually. You just slip in your money and the items that you can choose from depending on how much money you put in light up. You press the items that you want and the machine spits out a very small piece of cardboard which you give to the person or persons behind the counter when you go in. (It was so small I almost didn't notice it.)

Vending machine where you place your order at Kamukura Soup With Noodles

Once we were seated at the counter-style table that circled the people preparing the food, we noticed that nearly all the locals there had ordered karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken) or gyoza so we placed additional orders.

You don't have to go back to the vending machine outside to place additional orders.

We didn't have to wait long for our very generous serving of ramen to be delivered.

I ordered the No. 1 item on their menu, or at least I think that's what it said on the vending machine. Hehe.

Sorry I forgot to take pictures of the gyoza and karaage. We ate them as soon as they were placed in front of us. :-D Everything was delicious! The portion size was so big that I could only finish half of the noodles. Princeton, however, devoured all of his ramen and gyoza and karaage. It was a very satisfying meal.

But I wonder why they don't call their restaurant Kamukura Ramen. Isn't soup with noodles still ramen?

See You Again, Japan

2017-11-23T22:32:00.000+08:00

Nine days was not nearly enough to satisfy my long-standing pursuit of Japan. Instead of quenching the thirst, it made me hungrier for more! We stayed in Osaka during the entire duration of our vacation, opting for a day trip to Kyoto so we wouldn't have to bring our luggage with us. It was such an experience. I loved every moment of it. Here are some of the things that I miss now that we're back in the Philippines.

We spent our last day in Japan at Ryokuchi Park, Osaka.

The cold autumn temperature, which ranged from 5 degrees in the nighttime to 15 degrees in the daytime.

A beautiful day in Osaka

I got the chance to wear pretty trench coats and jackets. I wanted to wear boots, but I didn't find an affordable pair that was comfortable enough for long-distance walking.
I set a new highest step count record multiple times (according to Samsung Health) comfortably without a single drop of sweat.
Because I didn't sweat, I didn't feel dirty or grimy at the end of the day.
My eye makeup didn't melt off my face like it usually does when I don't stay in an air-conditioned room all day. No panda eyes!

The clean air.

Most cars were hybrid and didn't puff out any smoke.
My sinuses cleared up.

The delicious food.

Japanese food just tastes so much better in Japan! ;-D

The comfortable public transportation.

I didn't mind riding the trains and subway at all (except during the train ride to Kyoto when we had to sit backwards i.e. not facing the direction the train was moving). Usually I get nauseous and dizzy riding jeepneys because of the smog and the jerky way most jeepney drivers drive, but the train was a very comfortable ride.

So, to borrow General Douglas MacArthur's words, "I came through and I shall return!" Haha! :-D

Japan, Here We Come!

2017-11-07T21:08:00.000+08:00

Just a few more days and we'll be in Japan. It's really happening! After all these years of wishing and hoping, I'll finally set foot in the Land of the Rising Sun! :-D

All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go... Kumamon Helly Kitty is, too!

It's going to be such an adventure. First, it'll be my first time travelling out of the country. I'm so excited to experience autumn. I live in the Philippines where there are only two seasons: summer and the rainy season. I often complain that it's too hot, even during the rainy season. I'm looking forward to the cold weather and wearing a trench coat. Haha!

Second, I've never been on a train before. We don't have them where I live. We're going to attempt to navigate Osaka's complex train system on our own with the aid of Google Maps and hopefully some helpful Japanese people along the way. Good luck to us.

Third, we're going to explore Osaka and Kyoto by bicycle on a couple of days. I hope the drivers in Japan are friendly to cyclists. But I'll most likely stick to the sidewalks when possible since I'm not that confident in my biking skills. And I hope my knees can handle it. I've been undergoing physical therapy for patella alta these past few weeks. Thankfully I can now climb up and down stairs with just minimal discomfort. It used to be torture.

Fourth, I'm about to put my Japanese language skills to the test. Not that there's much to test since I only know very basic Japanese. I haven't even finished Pimsleurs's Japanese Level 3 yet. I'm on lesson 13. Still, it will be fun trying to converse in Japanese. "Trying" is the key word here. Hehe... Tanoshimi desu. :-p

Should we go to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and Tennoji Zoo?

2017-08-03T19:47:00.000+08:00

I'm an animal lover. I love all animals except for ants, cockroaches and spiders... but I digress.

I've read a lot of different reviews, and I'm torn whether or not we should visit Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and Tennoji Zoo in Osaka.

Whale shark at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (Photo from Odigo)

First, let's talk about Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. Some say the aquarium is really nice and that you shouldn't miss it when you're in Osaka; others say it's a heartbreak for animal lovers. They pity the whale shark because it's put in a tank that's too small for it and with no vegetation. They say the penguins are stressed because people take pictures with the flash on even when flash photography is prohibited. They also say that the manta rays in the petting zoo have nowhere to hide when they want to get away from hands that poke at them.

Elephant in Tennoji Zoo (Photo from Welcome Kansai)

As for Tennoji Zoo, I've read similar stories. Some say they enjoyed going there; others say avoid it at all costs! They say the animals don't seem happy there, that they're obviously stressed and aren't in good condition, and that they're put into enclosures too small for them.

It's my principle to not patronize something that will encourage the mistreatment of animals. For example, I do not eat shark's fin siomai or soup because I do not want sharks killed just for their fins. And I will never buy dogs and cats from pet stores because I have seen (on YouTube) the abuse and mistreatment that goes on in puppy mills where the animals are bred. But I've never been to an aquarium or zoo as large as the ones in Osaka, and I'd like to go there. I'm not even sure what the reality is. Different people have different opinions.

To go or not to go? That is the question.

Gyudon in Japan is like a Starbucks drink???

2017-08-01T21:19:00.000+08:00

Did you know that you can customize your gyudon or beef rice bowl in Japan like you can customize your Starbucks drink? I didn't know until a few minutes ago, but apparently you can at Yoshinoya, one of the three largest gyudon chains in Japan (the other two being Sukiya and Matsuya). There are supposedly as many ways to customize your gyudon as there are ways to customize your Starbucks drink, but here are two that I plan to try when we eat there:

tsuyudaku - extra gyudon sauce
atama no omori (アタマの大盛) - extra helping of meat

Gyudon @ Yoshinoya, SM Seaside Cebu

Another thing I've learned is that you have to specify the size when you order since gyudon comes in a range of sizes from kid-sized to mega-sized. We'll probably just order the nami (並盛) or normal-sized one. One person suggested in his blog to order the kid-sized gyudon plus side dishes of vegetables and miso soup to create a healthier, more balanced meal. That sounds like a good idea.

Beef Misono @ Yoshinoya, SM Seaside Cebu

To order a normal-sized gyudon with extra sauce, you say, "Gyudon nami tsuyudaku de." I want to try the one with green onions and egg on top so I should say, "Negitama gyudon nami tsuyudaku de." Or maybe I'll try getting one with an extra helping of meat and extra sauce: "Negitama gyudon atama no omori tsuyudaku de." Or I can just point to the picture and say, "Kore desu!" (This one!) ;-D

Where to buy Ohgiya Noriten and Wasabi Aji Fried Ika in Japan

2017-07-30T00:58:00.000+08:00

I've been researching where I can get the items in my Japan shopping list, and I realized that two of the items, which I really like, are either unknown to locals or not very popular in Japan.

wasabi seaweed tempura (noriten)

This wasabi fried squid is addicting!

For example, when I googled "where to buy ohgiya noriten in osaka" and "where to buy wasabi aji fried ika in osaka", most of the results I got were from Japan import/export companies. I saw someone on Tripadvisor ask where he could buy Ohgiya Noriten in Nagoya and the Japanese person trying to answer his question didn't know what he was talking about. I also asked our Airbnb host and he has never heard of both delicious Japanese snack items either. (I even messaged him the pictures just to be sure he knew what I was talking about.)

Then I asked my sister-in-law, who had given us some as pasalubong from her trip to Japan before, where she bought them. And guess what? She bought them at the airport.

So are Ohgiya Noriten and Wasabi Aji Fried Ika just for tourists? You know, like dried mangoes and otap for us? (Tourists always buy dried mangoes and otap as pasalubong when they come to Cebu but we locals rarely eat them. Well, speaking for myself anyway.)

Actually, our Airbnb host did say that maybe wasabi flavored snack items are popular in the Kantou area (around Shizuoka or Tokyo). In the Kansai area (especially in Kyoto), it's matcha flavored everything. So it's most probably more of a regional thing. Each region has its own specialty, and a person may not be familiar with another region's specialties. I know there are many times when someone goes home to some province and brings back a local delicacy that I've never heard of. It's probably like that.

Now I know that these two yummy treats are not native to Osaka, but I'm still hoping to find them in a Family Mart, 7-Eleven, Don Quijote or Matsumoto Kiyoshi. :-)

*A "pasalubong" is what Japanese people call "omiyage." It's a customary gift you give to your boss, colleagues or family when you get back from travel. It's kind of like a souvenir. But I think this custom is only practiced in some Asian countries? So you might now know what I'm talking about.

What To Buy In Japan (My Shopping List)

2017-07-28T21:38:00.000+08:00

One of the things I am excited about is buying things from Japan that I either can't get / don't have enough choices of in my country or are cheaper when bought in Japan. And to make sure I don't miss anything, I'm making a list and checking it twice!

Here is my list of things to buy in Japan:

Kose Sekkisei Moist BB cream shade 01

My Sekkisei BB cream is running out! I don't think it'll last until November. :-(

cosmetics - I wonder if they have the Maybelline Age Rewind concealer in Japan. I've heard good things about it. I've been asking salesladies at the malls if they have it, but the answer is always "it hasn't been released in the Philippines yet."
Wasabi Aji Fried Ika わさび味いかフライ

These wasabi flavored fried squid are very addicting.

Ohgiya noriten のり天

Ohgiya noriten tastes way better than the seaweed tempura available in our supermarkets!

takuan - daikon pickled in a rice bran-based fermenting medium rich in bacillus subtilis
shibazuke - chopped cucumbers and eggplant pickled in red shiso
ninniku misozuke - garlic cloves pickled in miso paste

takuan

shibazuke

ninniku misozuke

nori
furikake
green tea
Ippudo Instant Ramen 一風堂
Nissin Raoh Instant Ramen
Nissin Chilli Tomato Cup Noodle
Maruchan Instant Yakisoba
chopsticks and chopstick rests

Who can resist the cuteness of cats?!

Japan keychain - to replace my more-than-ten-year-old favorite Beautiful Malaysia keychain that I've had to glue together to keep the inner part from falling off

I love this keychain. It's just the right size. I like the design and metal quality; the edges are so smooth. It looks exactly the same from the other side. The inner circle spins around.

bag with a cat design - just because I like cats

Look how cute these cat rucksacks are! Can't decide if I want the グレー (gurei or gray), ブラック (burakku or black), or アイボリー (aiborii or ivory).

Osaka and Kyoto refrigerator magnets - to start my refrigerator magnet collection of the places I've been to in Japan :-D

Kyoto Bicycle Route (Plotted on Google Maps)

2017-07-27T21:08:00.000+08:00

I was plotting our Kyoto bicycle route using Google Maps today and I wanted to save it, so I did some research. And yes, you can save routes! I'll post the link to where I found the instructions at the end of this post.

But first, here's the route I came up with:

We're staying in Osaka for the entire duration of our stay in Japan, so we'll have to take the train to Kyoto Station early in the morning. Luckily, Kyoto Eco Trip where we're going to rent bicycles is just a few minutes' walk away from Kyoto Station. Our Kyoto bicycle adventure starts there.

9:45am
Bike to Gion 祇園.

Ride through Hanami-koji Dori 花見小路通, the heart of Gion found in tourist books. Wooden buildings - tea houses and restaurants - line both sides of the street.
Ride on to Shirakawa-minami Dori 白川南通 which is one of the most preserved streets in Kyoto. It is one of but a handful of streets in Kyoto that has both a traditional look and no telephone poles or wires.
Wander the back streets as well to escape the crowds.

11:15am
Bike to Oshokuji Dokoro Asuka お食事処明日香 for lunch.

1:00pm

Bike to Nanzen-ji Temple 南禅寺.

Park bicycles in the small bicycle parking area near the main gate.
Explore the Zen Buddhist temple complex, especially the Sanmon, the most famous temple gate at Nanzen-ji.

3:30pm

Bike to Philosopher’s Path 哲学の道.

Ride to the end of the 2-kilometer stone path, appreciating the autumn foliage along the way.

4:30pm

Bike to Kamo River 鴨川.

Ride all the way down the riverside until Shiokoji-dori 塩小路通, where you turn right to reach Kyoto Station.
Return bikes at Kyoto Eco Trip.

6:00pm

Eat dinner at The Cube Food Court, 11th floor of Kyoto Station Building 京都駅ビル.

We take the train back to Osaka right after dinner, and we'll probably fall asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow!

According to Google Maps, our planned trip is 17.3 kilometers and approximately 3 hours and 28 minutes on foot, so we should be able to complete the journey at a leisurely pace by bicycle. If our legs don't fall off halfway through the route, that is. I still haven't started my Three-Part Training For Japan, so I might be in trouble. ;-p

(For those who are interested, here's where I found the instructions on How to Plan a Road Trip with Google Maps.)

Cycling Osaka: Minami Temma Park and Osaka Castle Park by Bicycle

2017-07-26T19:56:00.001+08:00

We plan to cycle two parks in Osaka following this 10-kilometer route.

First, we take the train to HUBchari Dinana Matsuya Building (center of the above map screenshot) where we rent bicycles for the day. That is where our half-day bicycle adventure begins.

9:00am
Bike North to Minami Temma Park 南天満公園.
Bike up the park along the riverside until you reach the Osaka Mint Museum.

10:00am
Bike to Osaka Castle Park 大阪城公園.
Explore the whole park instead of taking the usual tourist path from the station to the castle. Ride through the plum grove, the apricot trees and past the fountain. Find a spot to sit and enjoy being in nature.

11:30am
Bike to Saizou 菜蔵 for lunch.

1:30pm
Bike to HUBchari America-mura and return bikes.

We spend the rest of the day on foot checking out Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street, Ebisubashi-suji Shopping Street, two of Japan's famous discount stores: Matsumoto Kiyoshi and Don Quijote, and the also famous Ebisubashi Bridge (where the Glico running man is). The we eat dinner at Oretachi no Curry Ya, which is just a short walking distance away.

Has anybody tried cycling through Minami Temma Park and Osaka Castle Park? I'd love to hear your opinions and suggestions, because I'm not quite sure our legs will hold up in Shinsaibashi after a 10-kilometer bike ride!

9-Day Food Itinerary: Where to Eat in Japan (Osaka and Kyoto)

2017-07-24T22:26:00.002+08:00

No trip to Osaka is complete without a food trip. It is, after all, called the "kitchen of Japan". I have already researched and planned where we're going to eat lunch and dinner during our entire nine days in Osaka so that when we're there:

we don't waste time looking for good places to eat;
we get to try the "best" restaurants in the areas we'll be exploring;
we don't break our piggy banks overspending on food.

(If you're wondering about breakfast, we plan to just get something from a convenience store or department store basement food hall the night before and eat at the apartment before heading out for the day.)

I don't know how accurate or up-to-date my internet sources are, but here are the places that I chose based on reviews and average prices per meal per person.

Day 1

Dinner: Ichiran Dotonbori Yataikan 一蘭(道頓堀店屋台館) - ramen, around ¥1,000

Day 2

Lunch: Saizou 菜蔵 - heigawari teishoku or daily set meal, around ¥700
Dinner: Oretachi No Curry Ya 俺たちのカレー家 - full option curry plate, around ¥900

Day 3

Lunch: Kuromon Ichiba 黒門市場 food trip - fresh seafood, oden, takoyaki, etc., around ¥2,500
Dinner: Ippudo Namba 一風堂( なんば店) - ramen, around ¥1000

Day 4 (Kyoto)

Lunch: Oshokuji Dokoro Asuka お食事処明日香 - teishoku or set meal, around ¥1,000
Dinner: Ginza Hageten Kyoto Porta Shop 銀座ハゲ天 - tempura / tendon, around ¥1,080

Day 5

Lunch: Okonomiyaki Chigusa お好み焼き千草 - okonomiyaki, around ¥1,000
Dinner: Hanamaruken Hozenji 花丸軒(法善寺店) - ramen, around ¥950

Day 6

Lunch: Universal Studios Japan
Dinner: Ootoya Gohan Dokoro 大戸屋ごはん処 - teishoku or set meal, around ¥1,000

Day 7

Lunch: Naniwa Kuishimbo Yokocho (gourmet theme park)
Dinner: Yoshinoya 吉野家 - gyudon (beef rice bowl), around ¥480

Day 8

Lunch: Sukiya すき家 - gyudon (beef rice bowl), around ¥590
Snacks: Kushikatsu Daruma Tsutenkaku 串かつだるま - kushikatsu (fried skewers), around ¥2,000 for a samplers set
Dinner: Dotonbori Food Trip (Kuidaore! Eat 'til you drop. Last night out ;-p)

Day 9

Lunch: Kamado Gohan Sachifukuya 釜戸ごはんさち福や - teishoku or set meal, around ¥1,000

There are still a few more restaurants I wanted to try out, but I couldn't fit them in. Just as well or I probably won't fit in my clothes by the time we leave Japan!

Three-Part Training for Japan

2017-07-23T19:47:00.000+08:00

In order to get in shape for our nine days of adventure in Japan, I have come up with a three-part training plan:

Part 1. Walking
Part 2. Cycling
Part 3. Speaking Japanese

Walking
Walking is something that we're going to be doing a lot of when we go to Japan; and my meager 15-30 minute leisurely walk home isn't going to cut it especially when I'm mostly sedentary the whole day. So I'm going to gradually increase my walking time and walking intensity.

Stage One: 1 mile walk, 16 minutes a day

Stage Two: 2 mile walk, 30 minutes a day
Sorry, the 2 mile walk video has been deleted from YouTube. But I already downloaded it a couple of years ago so I can still do it. :-)

Stage Three: 3 mile walk, 46 minutes a day

Cycling
Bloggers say Osaka and Kyoto are the ideal places to cycle in Japan. So I thought we'd give it a whirl. The problem is my biking skills or lack thereof. Yes, I know how to ride a bicycle, but I have next to no experience riding on public roads where there are pedestrians and other vehicles. So I need to practice. Of course, I'm not going to bike on the streets of Cebu. I don't want to die just yet. We were thinking of practicing at Camp Lahug. Anybody have a spare bike I could borrow for a couple of months? :-D

Speaking Japanese
I have been trying to learn Japanese since I was in college (after falling in love with Saito Hajime and Aoshi Shinomori of Rurouni Kenshin ;-p). I have a few books on learning Japanese and the Pimsleur's Japanese audio courses. I've also watched countless Japanese movies, TV shows and anime. But after all these years, I still haven't reached a level of fluency where I can converse in Japanese. Why? Because I have chronic lazinitis. I just do not have enough self-discipline and willpower to persevere with the lessons day after day after day. Why can't we have one of those The Matrix-like contraptions where you just stick a cable into the back of your head and download a language into your brain?!

Anyway, cue the theme from Rocky and let the training begin!

Itinerary Overview: 9 days in Japan (Osaka and Kyoto)

2017-07-23T09:27:00.000+08:00

Yes! I'm finally done with our itinerary. For now, anyway. Actually, it was already done months ago. But everytime I opened the file I kept making revisions. I was beginning to think it would never get done. Ha! Me and my OCD.

Here's the overview:

Day 1:
Arrival and check in
Dotonbori

Day 2:
Minami Temma Park
Osaka Castle Park
Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street
Ebisubashi Bridge / Ebisubashi-suji Shopping Street

Day 3:
Minoo Park
Kuromon Ichiba
Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shotengai

Day 4:
Gion: Hanami-koji Dori, Shirakawa-minami Dori
Nanzen-ji Temple
Philosopher’s Path
Kamo River

Day 5:
Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street
Hozenji Yokocho Alley

Day 6:
Universal Studios Japan

Day 7:
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
Tempozan Marketplace / Naniwa Kuishimbo Yokocho / Mount Tempozan
Umeda

Day 8:
Tennoji Zoo / Tennoji Park
Nipponbashi Den Den Town
Shinsekai: Jan-Jan Yokocho Alley, Tsutenkaku
Dotonbori

Day 9:
Check out
Departure from Osaka

The itinerary I made is actually a lot more detailed than this overview. I scheduled everything to the minute, but it's just a guide so the schedule is flexible in case there are unforeseen delays or the train schedules on Google Maps aren't accurate or we get lost or miss the train. I also included some additional information that might be helpful. For example, here are the details for day 1:

Day 1 in Osaka, Japan [Click on image to enlarge.]

I'm so excited! This is going to be the greatest adventure of my life... so far. ;-D

What?! No more Cool Japan in Universal Studios Japan???

2017-07-22T18:21:00.000+08:00

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Cool Japan 2017 in Universal Studios Japan was only until June 25??? Evangelion XR Ride, Attack on Titan: The Real 4-D:2, and Godzilla: The Real 4-D were the top attractions I wanted to visit when we go there this November! Wah!!! I wonder what's replaced them.

Looking at a USJ studio guide a friend of mine brought home from her trip there last May, the only attractions left that I find interesting are:

Dragon Quest: The Real
Immerse yourself in the world of Dragon Quest all on your own, with weapon in hand, to embark on a thrilling adventure! It's the first Dragon Quest theme Real Battle Attraction ever!

Jurassic Park - The Ride
A desperate situation! Then a 25.9 meter, headlong drop to escape a dinosaur!

JAWS
A boat tour of fear, where a gigantic man-eating shark attacks!

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey in 4K3D
Soar across the vast sky above Hogwarts and feel the powerful excitement of the thrilling immersive realism as the Golden Snitch races by as if whithin reach on this amazing unrivaled attraction.

Spiderman, Terminator, Backdraft, and Waterworld are just meh... and I've seen pictures of the Hollywood Dream rollercoaster ride and I am not getting on that monstrous thing. I'd like my food to stay in my stomach and my brain inside my head, thank you very much.

So I guess we're going to have to hang out with Elmo, Snoopy, Hello Kitty and the Minions. Or I could just take my 7,600 yen and go on a food trip. :-p

Cycling in Osaka & Kyoto

2017-06-04T00:00:00.000+08:00

I've read many blogs that recommend biking in Osaka and Kyoto. They say it's relatively easy even if you're not an expert cyclist. I'm thinking of giving it a try. The thing is, even though my husband and I know how to ride bicycles, we haven't tried riding on the road with cars before. It's always been in beach resorts. So I'm a little apprehensive about it.

Here's what I had in mind.

CYCLING IN OSAKA

9:00 am - Bike from bicycle rental shop to Minami Temma Park. Explore the park on bikes.
10:00 am - Bike to Osaka Castle Park. Explore the castle grounds on bikes.
11:00 am - Lunch at Saizou. (I wonder if they have bicycle parking.)
1:00 pm - Bike back to bicycle rental shop and return bicycles.

That shouldn't be too hard for us biking amateurs, right? A half day cycling through parks? Now cycling in Kyoto is going to be more challenging. We're only going to be there for one day so we have to make the most of it.

CYCLING IN KYOTO

9:45 am - Bike from Kyoto Station to Gion. Explore Hanami-koji Dori and Shirakawa-minami Dori by bicycle.
11:45 am - Lunch at Oshokuji Dokoro Asuka. (Again, I wonder if they have bicycle parking.)
1:00 pm - Bike to Nanzen-ji Temple. Park bicycles and explore the temple grounds.
3:30 pm - Bike to Philosopher's Path. Ride up the path until the end.
4:30 pm - Bike to Kamo River via Imadegawa Dori. Ride along the river to Kyoto Station.

This one I am more worried about because I also read that cycling in Kyoto can be quite chaotic. One blogger even described it as a "war" between pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Although he did also say that most drivers in Kyoto are considerate towards cyclists. But I'm not completely at ease about the idea yet. I even tried asking a blogger from Kyoto for advice. I'm waiting for his reply.

What do you think? Should we try cycling in Osaka and Kyoto? Or is that too ambitious of us?

Oops, sorry!

2017-06-03T18:00:00.001+08:00

Hey, everyone. I'm sorry I didn't see your comments until today. I had no idea people have been asking me if I can email them my Pimsleur's Japanese notes. I'm sorry to say that I can't. I don't have them anymore. Honestly I haven't even continued level 3. I've been meaning to but just can't get over my chronic lazinitis. Ha!

Well, I can try to help you guys out with certain words you're having difficulty hearing. If you can tell me which lesson and around which minute, maybe I can transcribe the words that aren't so clear to you. Good luck with learning Japanese. :-)

We are going to Japan!!!

2017-06-02T22:05:00.003+08:00

At last! After thinking about it for years and years, we are going to Japan! I can finally put one check mark in my bucket list.

In less than six months, we'll be eating takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu, ramen, gyoza, and Japanese curry in Osaka! Nine glorious days in Japan's Kitchen... and a side trip to Kyoto. I can't wait! In the meantime, I am busy making our itinerary. I have a feeling I might never get it finished since I keep changing and tweaking it every day. Hah!

It's my first time travelling out of the country because I was such a cheapskate before. Now I have decided to be a cheapskate no more. Life is short. What's the point in working to earn money if you don't spend it and enjoy the fruits of your hard labor? I'm going to live life NOW. NOW is when everything happens. Well, okay. Six months from now is when this particular something is going to happen, but you get my drift.

My shopping list is getting just as long as my list of what to eat while in Japan. I want to buy Japanese cosmetics while I'm there. I wonder what drugstore brands are good, and where should I buy them? Food items like tsukemono, nori, noriten, instant ramen, and wasabi aji ika furai are also in my list. Chopsticks, a nice metal Japan keychain to replace my broken Malaysia one... the list goes on and on. But I haven't figured out where the best and cheapest places to buy them are. Maybe you know? :-)

Good News & Bad News

2017-02-16T22:33:00.001+08:00

Hi, everyone. For those who are wondering where my Pimsleur's Japanese notes have gone, I am sad to say that most of them have been taken down. I have received DMCA copyright complaints so I will not be posting my notes anymore. Actually, I haven't been doing my lessons lately anyway. I have chronic lazinitis. Haha! But I have good news. We're going to Japan this year! Osaka, to be exact. And we plan to stay for 15 days. Yay! Hopefully that will get me motivated enough to continue studying Japanese. Would be nice to be able to converse with people when we're there. Anyway, just wanted to post a quick hello. I'm off to bed now. Goodnight, world. :-)

I'm turning Japanese... I really think so

2016-01-30T23:36:00.000+08:00

The IEC week is over! No more roadblocks! Yay! Yesterday was the last day of my weeklong self-imposed house arrest caused by traffic-phobia. Today we painted the town red - a red sun actually, as in the Japanese flag. We started by grabbing onigirazu @ Son-gohan BTC for lunch. I had wanted to try onigirazu for a long time but never got the chance until now. I got the tamagoyaki with crabmeat onigirazu. Princeton got the beef gyusando onigirazu. Both were yummy.

Finally got my hands on this onigirazu! Oishikatta!

Then we went to Kiku Trading to check out their new arrivals. I was looking for a Japanese teapot with a built-in sieve to catch the tea leaves but didn't find any that I liked. I fell in love with these chawanmushi cups instead. Can't wait to use them.

Are these chawanmushi cups? The ones I bought before don't have handles.

Last I got my Kose Sekkisei BB cream. Thank you, Michelle @ ProtoolsCebu! I'm now one step closer to becoming a Japanese beauty. Bwahahaha!

Trying Kose Sekkisei BB cream in shade 02. Might post a review in the future. ;-p

Got home a bit late today, so I'll be skipping my Japanese lessons. I deserve a break for my diligence these past twelve consecutive days. Hehe. ;-p

I speak five languages!?!

2016-01-29T13:52:00.000+08:00

During the times when I'm not thinking about anything in particular, I sometimes have these odd realizations. Today it was that Japanese is my fifth language.

My native language is Cebuano. Although technically a dialect, it's the language I first learned to speak as a child. It's what we spoke at home. My second language is English since it's the primary medium of instruction in school. Plus, all the TV shows I watched growing up were in English. I remember memorizing the commercials and reciting along every time they came on. Then we had Chinese class from kindergarten up until high school. I never really learned to speak Chinese though, just some words and common sentences. I got by with memorizing the answers on the exams year after year. Still, you could say Chinese is my third language. In elementary we were introduced to Filipino a.k.a. Tagalog, our national language. Ironically, I found that to be the most difficult subject in school. Until now I speak broken Tagalog at best. But broken or not, it's still my fourth language.

And now I'm studying Japanese, my fifth language. This time I'm learning it because I want to, not because it's required by the school. So now can I say that I speak five languages?

But no, wait... I studied Spanish for one semester in college and got a flat 1.0 (perfect grade). Then I speak six languages?! Hahaha! #justhavingfun

Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Lesson 1 Exercises

2016-01-25T11:44:00.002+08:00

I almost missed the lesson exercises since the link was at the top of the page before the actual lesson and not at the bottom after it, which is when you would normally do the drills to practice what you've learned. (App design flaw? Hmm...) Anyway, I imagine the exercises would be rather hard for someone who can't read kanji or hiragana, so I'm going to write it in romaji.

But first, some additional vocabulary words:

大人 - otona - adult
子供 - kodomo - child
車 - kuruma - car
先生 - sensei - teacher
学校 - gakkou - school
小学校 - shougakkou - elementary school
中学校 - chuugakkou - middle school
高校 - koukou - high school
大学 - daigaku - college

(Note: I'm only adding kanji to my list of vocabulary words. There are still other vocabulary words in this lesson, but they're in hiragana such as "sore", "kore", etc.)

Conjugation Exercise 1

sore (that)
declarative = sore da (is that)
negative = sore janai (is not that)
past = sore datta (was that)
negative-past = sore janakatta (was not that)

otona (adult)
declarative = otona da (is adult)
negative = otona janai (is not adult)
past = otona datta (was adult)
negative-past = otona janakatta (was not adult)

gakkou (school)
declarative = gakkou da (is school)
negative = gakkou janai (is not school)
past = gakkou datta (was school)
negative-past =gakkou janakatta (was not school)

tomodachi (friend)
declarative = tomodachi da (is friend)
negative = tomodachi janai (is not friend)
past = tomodachi datta (was friend)
negative-past = tomodachi janakatta (was not friend)

gakusei (student)
declarative = gakusei da (is student)
negative = gakusei janai (is not student)
past = gakusei datta (was student)
negative-past = gakusei janakatta (was not student)

Conjugation Exercise 2

Is college. = Daigaku da.
Is not high school. = Koukou janai.
Was teacher. = Sensei datta.
Is adult. = Otona da.
Was not child. = Kodomo janakatta.
This was the way it was. = Kou datta.
Wasn't that over there. = Are janakatta.
Is not middle school. = Chuugakusei janai.
Is friend. = Tomodachi da.
Was not car. = Kuruma janakatta.
Was this. = Kore datta.
That's not the way it it. = Sou janai.

Question Answer Exercise

Q1) Tomodachi? - Is friend?
A1) Un, tomodachi. - Yes, is friend.

Q2) Gakkou? - Is school?
A2) Uun, gakkou janai. - No, is not school.

Q3) Sore datta? - Was this?
A3) Uun, sore ja nakatta. - No, was not this.

Q4) Sou? - Things are that way?
A4) Un, sou da. - Yes, things are that way.

Q5) Kore? - This?
A5) Uun, Sore janai. - No, is not that.

Q6) Sensei datta? - Was teacher?
A6) Un, sensei datta. - Yes, was teacher.

Q7) Shougakkou datta? - Was elementary school?
A7) Uun, shougakkou janakatta. - No, was not elementary school.

Q8) Kodomo? - Is child?
A8) Un, kodomo. - Yes, is child.

(Please note that all sentences have been translated literally without the use of articles "a", "an" and "the" which do not exist in Japanese. Tae Kim assures us that learning Japanese grammar from a Japanese person's point of view, not an English-speaking person's point of view, is more effective in building a strong language foundation.)

Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Lesson 1 Notes

2016-01-25T01:05:00.001+08:00

So Lesson 1: Expressing State-of-Being of Tae Kim's Guide to Japanese Grammar was fairly easy. I learned four new vocabulary words:

人 - hito - man
学生 - gakusei - student
元気 - genki - healthy; lively; well
友達 - tomodachi - friend

(To simplify things, I will use the romaji and not the kanji of these words from here on.)

Then I learned to conjugate them into the following words:

hito da - person (declarative positive non-past tense)
hito datta - was person (positive past tense)
hito janai - not person (negative non-past tense)
hito janakatta - was not person (negative past tense)

gakusei da - student
gakusei datta - was student
gakusei janai - not student
gakusei janakatta - was not student

genki da - well
genki datta - was well
genki janai - not well
genki janakatta - was not well

tomodachi da - friend
tomodachi datta - was friend
tomodachi janai - not friend
tomodachi janakatta - was not friend

(There is no "a", "an" and "the" in Japanese so they are omitted in the translations making them sound funny. Don't mind that.)

My handwriting sucks, I know. I haven't practiced writing
Chinese characters since high school. ;-p

There are only non-past and past tenses since both present and future tenses are expressed the same way in Japanese. You just figure it out through the context in which it is used. Furthermore, the positive and negative of each word has different forms.

It's not that hard to understand, really. Tae Kim advocates learning the plain forms of Japanese words before learning the polite form like most textbooks and lessons teach. I'm quite excited for lesson two next week. For now, I'll keep using the four new words I've learned to make sure I remember them. Ooh, I feel like I'm back in school. Haha! ;-D

Skipping Pimsleur for Tae Kim Today

2016-01-24T23:01:00.000+08:00

As I was cleaning up my iPad this morning, I rediscovered this app called Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese Grammar that I downloaded a long time ago. I opened it to see whether or not I should delete it along with the other unused apps that were cluttering my device and decided to keep it. So now I plan to study one lesson a week to supplement my Pimsleur audio lessons. (To be honest, I haven't been progressing on Pimsleur Japanese Level 3 since I've just been typing up notes for level 1 lessons. But it's good that I got to review old lessons.)

I like that Tae Kim's guide is visual. I can learn the kanji to vocabulary words as I'm learning how to construct grammatically correct sentences with them. I think I discovered the website first and downloaded the IOS app afterwards. They also have an Android app for those interested. Here's their website: Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese

Ohisashiburi desu

2016-01-14T23:12:00.001+08:00

Wow. Has almost two years gone by? I hadn't realized my last post was in 2014, and just one lone post for that entire year! Quite a long slump there. I've been neglecting my Japanese studies, although I've watched quite a handful of Japanese movies and TV series during my absense. Couch potato, I know.

Anyway, I hope I make progress this year. Good luck to me. ;-p