Osaka and a Day in Kyoto

With Tokyo done and over with, let’s look back on Osaka!

Shinkansen

Already we had our fair share of stress and a cross-country trip with multiple stops and changes was not on the agenda so there was no better excuse than that to take the world-famous bullet train. How could we not? In the UK there is nothing like it. Even the train stations are vastly different than those that I am used to. It almost felt customary to pick up an “ekiben” box which is a special type of bento box specifically for Shinkansen rides (no stinky and no noisy food allowed). These can be picked up from beyond the gates and just before the entrance steps to the platform. With so much to choose from for lunch, I felt spoiled and the choice was almost impossible to make. However, I eventually, with the pressure of potentially missing the train, I chose a special Sakura ekiben aptly celebrating

the time of year.

Lunch secured; we managed to board onto the bullet train. Initially I didn’t expect anything different or special about the train apart from its aesthetics and speed but I was soon proven wrong when finding my seat. I am not exaggerating when I say it was the best and comfiest train ride of my life! From the cosy seats and spacious leg room to the pleasant quiet and beautiful scenery, I couldn’t recommend it more if you are planning to travel across Japan for a significant distance. I have always been a fan of train journeys but riding on the Shinkansen is so memorable and enjoyable, I don’t know how I could go back to English trains.

Sweets, Shrines and a day in Kyoto

It never lost its novelty, walking down a fairly modern street only to find a shrine or temple settled as if it was master of its environment and everything had been built around it. I think only when arriving and my subsequent time in Osaka I experienced a feeling of true to life magical realism. Tokyo felt too modern, and Kyoto, which I will get to later in this post, was super traditional. Osaka though fell perfectly in the middle of these two.

When planning this trip, Henry and I planned to make no plans in particular. We had a couple of things we wanted to see and do but in general we preferred the appeal of walking around and seeing what we could discover. A perfect example of this working in our favour was our first full day in Osaka. When exploring the neighbourhood, we stumbled upon what looked like a simple park but as we grew closer, a grand Torii gate came to tower over us. Caught up in a gust of curiosity on the windy day, we ventured through the gate and into a garden park which was surely from another world beyond earthly beauty. Cherry blossom littered the ground and air, falling

from its branches between older trees marked as that worthy of respect by sacred Shimenawa. Underneath them, nestled shrines stood waiting for worship. Humble as they were compared to the ones we were yet to discover in this park, their spiritual power was no less. The only thing I could compare them to were small chapels here in the UK but even they feel worlds apart from the larger shrines, grand and mesmerising in a courtyard full of peace. I’ve never considered myself religious but I suppose I am spiritual. It was here that I felt for the first time in my life, this sensation in my chest that I believe was true spirituality. Maybe Shinto is for me?

Unfortunately, as we were enjoying this space, the heavens opened and rain started to pour so after desperately shoving coins into a vending machine for a hot drink to chug, we tried to find somewhere to shelter. Again, our lack of direction served us well when an interesting looking shop on the main street called to us. Initially we mistook this shop as a café since in through the windows we could see some comfy looking chairs but to our surprise, it turned out that it was a sweet shop! Grateful that we had found somewhere to sit and rest for a bit, we only felt it right to buy something so we sat and ate Sakura mochi whilst watching the rain outside. My sweet tooth was very happy and my savoury one was with the rice cakes they gifted us too.

My sweet tooth and love for history was satiated yet again during our day in Kyoto, the old capital of Japan. It had been a dream of mine for so long to go to this particular city steeped in tradition and a deep past. Finally setting foot there was surreal in every amazing way. Despite the modern touches that had formed over the years, Kyoto and Gion in particular had managed to cling on to their roots. Even in the brief spits of rain, my imagination couldn’t be pulled away from the time of Geishas and life long before the concept of my existence and my recent ancestors was even conceived.

Hidden atop a herbs and spices shop, we found a small café, one so small that Henry and I were the only customers. Soft music playing and a beautiful assortment of matcha infused treats in front of us, we ended our day in Kyoto. One day I will return to you Kyoto and I hope for a longer amount of time.

Osaka Aquarium

For our final day in Osaka, we had a goal and that was to go to Osaka Aquarium. We had been to the small one in Odaiba but there was one thing motivating me towards the one in Osaka – otters. There is no animal (apart from pugs) that I love more than otters so knowing I would get the chance to see them was something unmissable. We came for the otters but there was oh so much more to make us stay.

Admittedly I am quite frightened of the ocean, all those large sea creatures and the possibility of monsters like the kraken or a sea serpent, the megalodon or violent mermaids is enough to drive me far away from it but at least in an aquarium there is the promise of none of those creatures of my nightmares. Instead I was in awe, in absolute admiration of the rainbows of fish and the playfulness of the dolphins that swam eagerly to the glass to peer at the weird upright apes that could only ever be guests in their world. It was the whale shark swimming idly around amongst other fish, dwarfing them that captured the beauty that the ocean

could hold. The biggest animal I had ever seen in person, I know I will never forget the sight of it. Maybe the ocean isn’t so full of monsters but I still feel hesitant to dip my toes in it.

Osaka as a whole

Osaka’s vibe compared to Tokyo was an interesting one. Despite being a city, it didn’t feel like one. A little more relaxed there were a lot less touristy sights, I believe Osaka beats Tokyo in my mind. Yes, it wasn’t as polished and perfect as the former city, Osaka had charm all of its own in its old world and new world collisions. Kyoto too had this feel for me but it fell a little more on the traditional end of the spectrum. Both cities I loved and like I said, Kyoto is worth a revisit in my mind. Osaka is worth a visit too if you plan a Japan trip, especially if you prefer less hustle and bustle. See you next time in Nagoya!