Kobe-Osaka Special Report - Part II
by David Kudo
We will continue our special edition from last month on the cities of Kobe and Osaka. The sequel of this special edition will be on Osaka.
We stayed at the “Hotel Nikko Osaka” during our visit to Osaka, a convenient location at Shinsaibashi, readily accessible from bustling shopping districts Ebisubashi and Dotombori. The Hotel Nikko Osaka is a hotel chain located in 17 major cities in Japan and 19 other locations overseas in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
11-1-07
The first place we visited in the morning is the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, one of the largest aquariums in the world. Home to the whale shark “Jinbeizame,” the largest species of fish in the world, the aquarium’s design centers around the massive fish tank “the Pacific Ocean,” containing the “Jinbeizame,” surrounded by fourteen fish tanks dividing the large aquarium into ten different exhibition halls. The aquarium exhibits 30,000 fishes of 580 different species, emphasizing the preciousness of life and the importance of preserving our earth’s environment.
The mall next to the “Kaiyukan” is a reconstructed city of Osaka in the 1950’s. Here, we savored the Osaka version of “okonomiyaki,” or Japanese pancakes containing meat, vegetables and other ingredients, a hometown specialty of Osaka.
The Modern Transportation Museum allows visitors to experience the history, culture, science and technology of railroads. Seven exhibition rooms showcase various themes like “The History of Railroads” and “The Mechanism of Railroad Wagons,” along with D51 steam locomotives coveted by railway fans, and approximately twenty life-size railroad vehicles.
On the other hand, the exhibition hall “Model Railroad Panoramic Room” holds demonstrations for operating model trains. I tried this myself, but couldn’t stop the train at my intended target, so I don’t believe I’m suited for operating trains. The exhibition “Train Stations Back Then” displays reconstructed post-house and other nostalgic relics from the early 1950’s.
11-2-07
The Osaka palace is some walking distance from the parking lot, a perfect destination for a quick walk. Built in 1583 by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the Osaka palace is a magnificent view looking up from below, but offers an even better view when looking down from the tower.
You can enjoy a panoramic view of the city of Osaka, feeling a sense of satisfaction that the Taiko must felt when they conquered the city. For lunch, we tried the “takoyaki,” or octopus dumplings, which was enjoyable and easier to make than we expected.
Next, we visited the Shitennoji Temple built 1400 years ago by Prince Shotoku, rumored to be the most ancient temple in Japan. Located in the bustling city of Osaka, this temple alone is surrounded by peace and quiet.
The Tsutenkaku Tower, the symbol of Osaka, is built on top of the Arch of Triumph with steel towers similar to the Eiffel Tower. Once hailed as the tallest building in Osaka, the Tsutenkaku Tower now serves merely as a nostalgic symbol among indiscriminately scattered skyscrapers. The Tsutenkaku Tower is still frequented by visitors.
Boasting 120 years of history since it’s establishment, the Sennichimae Doguya-Suji is always bustling with professional chefs and customers, looking to purchase various cooking utensils and equipments for kitchens. Various carefully selected cooking utensils are on full display, seemingly enticing professional chefs and consumers.
At the Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum, visitors are encouraged to print their own “ukiyoe,” or Japanese woodblock prints. Visitors make prints by pressing the paper into ready-made woodblocks. However, a minor misalignment is enough to deem the print unsuccessful.
Visitors can also try on kimonos, or even learn classical Japanese dance from instructors at the Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum. We tried on kimonos and strolled down the side streets of Hozenji temple, where the streets were ten feet wide and three hundred feet long, stretching from the east to the west. The streets were filled with traditional pubs and joints offering okonomi-yaki and skewered fried pork cutlets. Crisp footsteps are heard when walking on the stone pavement, adding to the already nostalgic ambience of this ancient city. We took a commemorative photo in front of the Hozenji temple gates.
At night, we had great “Ganko-sushi” for dinner. We decided to try making them ourselves, and the owner kindly taught us how to shape the sushi. Extra servings of sake made us cheerfully tipsy and happy. Osaka definitely lived up to it’s reputation as “the kitchen of heaven,” a city that is irresistible to food connoisseurs and gourmets with a special love for Japanese food. Lastly, we took another commemorative photo wearing the “happi” coat of Osaka.
Although we couldn’t interview the famous Sumiyoshi-taisha Grand Shrine nearby for this edition, the shrine is a must-see, along with many other places in Kobe and Osaka, especially during the seasonal festivals. Let’s all visit Kobe and Osaka, two cities that never ceases in excitement!
-After note-
I have been to Kobe and Osaka several times in the past. In this trip however, I experienced these cities in a very intimate way that I haven’t in the past. I now have a newly acquired appreciation for the richness of the Japanese culture, which I hope that readers will pick up from reading this article. I highly recommend a trip to Japan for those who haven’t been there before, to experience what I have firsthand. Finally, I’d like thank all who cooperated to make this publication possible.
Special Thanks for Kobe/ Osaka FAM trip
* Visit Japan Campaign www.japantravelinfo.com
* City of Kobe www.feel-kobe.jp/english/index.html
* City of Osaka www.tourism.city.osaka.jp/en/
* JNTO (Japan National Tourist Organization) www.japantravelinfo.com
<Hotels>
* Kobe Harborland New Otani www.newotani.co.jp/en/kobe/index.php
* Gekkouen-Yuugetsusanso (only Japanese URL) www.gekkoen.co.jp/yuugetu/
* Hotel Nikko Osaka www.hno.co.jp/english/index_e.html
<Restaurants>
* Oi Nikuten (Kobe Beef, only Japanese URL) www.oi-nikuten.co.jp/
* Kobe Shushinkan (Restaurant ‘Sakabayashi’) www.shushinkan.co.jp/guide/english.html
* Boteju www.botejyu.com/san/
* Kani doraku (only Japanese URL) www.douraku.co.jp/kansai/index.html
* Kinsyu(octopus dumpling, only Japanese URL) www.tabit.ne.jp/member/kinsyu/
* Ganko Zushi (sushi, only Japanese URL) www.gankofood.co.jp/tenpo/sushi/doutombori.html
<Others>
* Kobe-Kanku Bay Shuttle (only Japanese URL) www.kobe-access.co.jp/index.php
* Maiko Park (only Japanese URL) www.hyogo-park.or.jp/maiko/
* Suma Aqualife Park (only Japanese URL) www.sumasui.jp/
* Concerto (Port of Kobe cruise) www.kobeconcerto.com/English/index.asp
* The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Disaster Reduction and Human
Renovation Institution www.dri.ne.jp/english/index.html
* Kiku-Masamune www.kikumasamune.com
* Arima Hot Springs Tourism Association www.arima-onsen.com/eng/index.html
* The Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum (only Japanese URL) www.nissin-noodles.com
* Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan www.kaiyukan.com/eng/index.htm
* The Modern Transportation Museum www.mtm.or.jp/eng/index.html
* Osaka Castle www.osakacastle.net/english/
* Shitennoji Temple (only Japanese URL) www.shitennoji.or.jp/
* Tsutenkaku Tower (only Japanese URL) www.tsutenkaku.co.jp/
* Sennichimae Doguya-Suji www.doguyasuji.or.jp/multilang/english.htm
* Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum www.kamigata.jp/english/index.html
* Sumiyoshitaisya Grand Shrine (only Japanese URL) www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/index.shtml
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