Osaka

Osaka

大阪

Osaka, being the largest city in Japan's Kansai region, is often contrasted with Tokyo and the two cities are frequently depicted as rivals. Osaka is famous for the allegedly more brash nature of its inhibitions who are seen to be less reserved and friendlier than their Northern counterparts (think of the way people often contrast the North and South of England, except the other way around). Many Japan information websites are quick to point out that most of Japan's most famous comedians hail from this city.

 Osaka is also famous for its food, and the term 'kuiadore', which translates to 'eat until you bankrupt yourself' is used to described the locals. I definitely got a feel for the love of food in Osaka, with many restaurants and stalls having huge queues of people outside, much like you see in Taiwan. However, what struck me most about Osaka was the more cartoonish feel of the buildings, and at times it felt like the city of giant plastic statues protruding from buildings.

Giant dragon bursting forth from a ramen restaurant (there were two of these).

Giant plastic family enjoying a meal next to a giant plastic cow.

A giant man holding a video screen seated next to a giant crab.

Giant fish...

Giant gyoza!

Giant octopus!

And my personal favourite, the giant ominous and disembodied hand holding out a piece of sushi.

I started my day visiting the Korumon Ichiba Market, which is seen as the kitchen of Osaka (sort of Osaka's equivalent to Kyoto's Nishiki market). The market had much of the same fare I'd seen at other markets throughout Japan, but with the added twist of Kobe beef stands, due to the proximity of Osaka to Kobe.

However, my Kobe beef adventure had to wait and I instead decided to try out arguably Osaka's most famous dish, Okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki is a savoury pancake consisting of batter that is fried with chopped cabbage a selection of meat and seafood and topped with nori, brown sauce, mayonnaise and bonito flakes. Okonomiyaki is meant to be a very customisable dish and you are free to choose what fillings you want in your pancake. I opted for shrimp and bacon.

I've had Okonomiyaki in Taipei before and wasn't a huge fan, but I'm seriously glad I decided to give it a second chance. The pancake was huge and filling and mouth-wateringly delicious. Even the bonito flakes (flakes of dried tuna), which I really haven't been keen on in the past blended in with the rest of the sauces and filling were enjoyable.

After conquering my Okonomiyaki, I headed into the city centre. Osaka, though a city of over 8 million, had a much smaller feel than Tokyo, with the largely walkable and pedestrian Dontonbori and Namba areas at its centre. (see mostly my pictures above of the giant restaurant decor). I actually barely took the subway at all in Osaka, as most of the tourist destinations and big restaurant areas were within walking distance of my hostel. 

A picture from Dotonbori from the night I arrived in Osaka.

A walkway along the river was decorated with hundreds of lanterns and numerous restaurants and stores including a really delicious gelataria.

There was also an area known as Amerikamura, inspired by American culture and fashion, which was sort of like Osaka's answer to Harajuku, with lots of cheap shops selling American fashions and vintage clothes.

Amerikamura came fully equipped with its own miniature Statue of Liberty.

While doing some research on Osaka, I also read about its Korea Town which I was keen to check out. The Korea town consisted of a semi indoor market containing a bunch of Korean clothing stores and market stores.

I'd come hoping to sample some Korean food, but as it was the middle of the day on a weekday, most of the stores were closed. I did buy what I thought was Kimchi, but upon closer inspection had an appearance and texture more akin to raw meat or fish. I decided to pass on finishing it...

Some Studio Ghibli street art.

My last stop after Korea town was the Osaka Castle, a towering white castle surrounded by sloping walls and a wide moat. The original castle was unfortunately destroyed after a lightning strike in the 1600's. What stands today is instead a reconstruction from the 1900's, but the castle is nonetheless pretty striking and iconic landmark of the city.

As the day was getting late and as I already had plans to visit another, even more iconic castle the next day, I decided not to go to the museum inside, but instead just strolled around the parks in the castle area.

Osaka castle from across the moat.

The castle up close.

Unfortunately, though I was in Osaka for three nights, my planned trips to Koya San, Himeji and Takayama meant that I only had one full day to explore the area. Nevertheless, I definitely got a good feel for the friendly locals, delicious street food and rowdier nightlife that the city had to offer...