Exploring Shinsekai area

Shinsekai area does not have a great reputation but we were not deterred by it. We went there at night and I didn't feel any danger (mostly because my bf was there and Keiko)...I don't think going alone there is a great idea especially at night. 

We walked around there at night to have kushikatsu and drinks. It's a very lively area. We saw a lot of drunk people walking around. And we saw a man falling off his bike because he was too drunk. He was fine though. 

We even found a sake vending machine. I guess, they really like their alcohol. I personally liked all the bright lights, looking at the Tsutenkaku Tower, and the liveliness of the area. This area has it's own unique charm.

Playing dress up in Osaka

I was lucky enough to stumble upon the Osaka-jo Kacchutai group as I was walking around Osaka. I was fortunate to wear the armour that they made from paper. It was really heavy and durable. I had a blast trying it on and taking pictures! What a great experience!

They make the armour and helmet from scratch and promote events and clean up the Osaka-jo castle. Great people! 

What I ate: Osaka

This was one of the largest bento I ever received. I thought I was ordering for myself but this looked like it can be shared between two people. The udon itself was a meal for me. I had to share with my dinner companions to finish off this bento. The pork katsu was delicious!

I thought I knew Japanese food when I came to Japan but I was surprised by the variety that I tasted in each city I visited. For example, Osaka is well know for kushikatsu - deep fried meat or vegetables on a stick. It comes with a shareable dipping sauce. No double dipping allowed! It was soo good especially paired with beer of course ;) Definitely a must try when you visit Osaka!

Our very last meal in Osaka was in a small, sleepy area near Kansai Area. We were staying at a airport hotel before our flight to Seoul the next day. We walked around our hotel looking for lunch. Most of the restaurants were closed so we tried asking the locals where to eat. They tried their best to speak to us in English but it was hopeless so we politely nodded and tried to grasp their direction. We chanced upon this small restaurant. There was only a picture on the wall of the exact bento from the picture above. We pointed to the picture and gestured the number 2. This was heaven!! The best tasting unagi of my life. It was about $20 for this bento but it was worth every single bite.

Glico Man

Ahh, glico man. It's one the most famous signs along the Dotonbori canal in Osaka. It's an iconic image that cannot be miss when visiting Osaka. I don't know when I saw this sign before but I knew I needed to see it in person. Everyone was taking a picture of course ;) Next time, I will visit Dotonbori at night to see the billboards/signs illuminated.

**I hope that you had a great weekend! Mine was quite hectic but in a very good way! I'm trying to enjoy the last few weeks of August before the dreaded September creeps up. Wishing you more sunshine and lots of fun!!!
 

Dōtonbori, Osaka

I was very excited to walk around Dotonbori mainly to see the Glico man (next post) and to go shopping! It was fantastic walking around Dotonbori. It's loved all the shops and there was too many of them! 

It's a really lively area but too bad we didn't have the chance to go there at night. It was a sensory overload when it came to shopping and eating. A lot to choose from but thankfully we had our best guide Keiko to show us around. We had okonomiyaki for lunch and raiding another Don Quijote.  I bought more souvenirs and knick knacks to stuff in my already over packed luggage. We ended up shipping a box back to Toronto full of goodies from Japan.