Fushimi Inari Shrine (pls click if u enjoyed reading )

Our final destination in Kyoto would be Fushimi Inari Shrine. We were here simply because we wanted to attempt to get some exercise and attempt to climb all the way to the summit of Mount Inari, to see some sunset perhaps. Also, Memoirs of Geisha being shot at this location was also one of the pulling factors.


Fushimi Inari Shrine by zstan, on Flickr

n essence this is no easy feat, as all of us were quite exhausted from all the travelling and walking over the past 8-9 days in Japan. And to climb 233 metres to the top via all the staircases, this is proving to be a daunting task.

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A looooong way up. Looks damn simple from the picture though

Fortunately, it rained earlier hence the obstacle of the scorching summer heat is now out of the equation. And so, we begin our journey starting with the trails leading from the temple. At the start of the hiking trail, you can still many tourists but their numbers dwindle as the steps further ascend. All the trails are covered with torii gates. To have your name your name inscribed on the gates costs a huge fortune.

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After about a 10 minute walk we reached one of the most prominent landmark in the temple, a two parallel row of gates called Senbon Torii, which marks the very back of the shrine's main grounds and the entrance into the forest grounds and officially up towards Mount Inari.

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I can't remember how long it took, but it took quite a while to reach our next 'pit stop', which was this beautiful lake in the middle of the mountain. Apart from us, there's also this lady who's wearing super high heels and hiking with her boyfriend like the stairs didn't matter. This proved a great motivation for us to keep climbing.

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Never ending stairs

Along the way up to the summit, there are many vending machines selling beverages for tourists and hikers alike to quench their thirst. The irony is that the price increases as you go higher up. Smart. There are also shops that sells food and stuff but we didn't manage to try any as most were closed for business

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Girl with high heels reaching first D:

And after what feels like one hour plus later, we finally made it to the peak! Overjoyed indeed. Although the sight was not we envisioned hahaha. Apparently the view of Kyoto city is at another lower peak. So no sunset view here. Nevertheless it was quite an achievement coming all the way to Japan to do some hiking.

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Shinsaibashi (Another brief walkabout) + Fugetsu

From Inari, we took a train back to Kyoto station arrived JR Osaka station about 45 minutes later. Then we started to use our Osaka 2 day pass which grants unlimited subway use and boarded to train to Shinsaibashi for our very belated dinner.


DSC07695 by zstan, on Flickr

Osaka, being one of the 3rd largest city in Japan, is also as vibrant and lively as Tokyo. This was very much of what Shinsaibashi has to offer being one of the spots for nightlife as well as for fashion. As we have arrived a bit late, most of the shops have begun to close.

Glica Man Signboard by zstan, on Flickr

Once again, due to time constraints we were quite with limited with what we could visit. Hence the first place that we visited was Fugetsu, to try one of Osaka's most famous delicacy - okonomiyaki! This place was inside the coupons that came with the Osaka 2-day pass (free Asahi beer) and was recommended by some websites.

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Egg & Bacon by zstan, on Flickr
Egg & bacon

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Shinsaibashi also has its fair share of dodginess as social escorts (i think) can be seen all around the streets. As the well dressed male and female approach random strangers on the streets, to which a majority rejected their offer of something. These people (the girls) look really decent and certainly of model quality I guess.Quite an eye opener.

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We didn't get to try any takoyaki though, which is also one of the most famous delicacy in Osaka. Was feeling too full after the sumptuous okonomiyaki. Maybe at another stop then.

DSC07719 by zstan, on Flickr

thanks!

yeah i took to the local train. Rapid train only comes during peak hours e.g early morning and evening when people leave and go back for work.

i think 1 piece is a bit too much for 1 people unless you don't plan to eat other stuff. A lot of flour and carbo. quite filling.

yeah lots of pretty girls around ahha. think she's one of the escorts



u know what to look for in osaka

Spa World (Onsen From Around The World)

After a good night's sleep, well not that good as we have only slept for a couple of hours when we woke up at 5am to visit Spa World which was just located a few stations away from Tennoji. Since this spa is opened almost 24 hours per day we decided to take advantage of it due to our very limited time, as this was our last day in Japan.

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Spa World, like its title, is essentially a combination of onsen's from all around the world. The male and female spots are separated into 2 different levels, which is the European & Asian onsens. Essentially each level has different themes of onsen's and every month of the year, the male and female will cross over in between each levels. When i was there, it was the European onsen for the male. I was a bit disappointed though as I had hoped to try the traditional Japanese outdoor bath in the other section.

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Nevertheless the European onsen is not too bad at all, with onsen's from Rome, Greece, Spain etc. The combination is really just good as there are the really cold as well as hot onsens and medicated ones as well. Many locals can be seen just relaxing around before they head for work. Since we had the vouchers, we only had to pay a bit more compared to the original price of 2,400 yen.

Spa World by zstan, on Flickr

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People may say this is not the true onsen experience in Japan but I'm just making use of whatever time I have haha. Well at least everybody being naked (compulsory) is also part of the experience. It's definitely worth a visit if you are in a vicinity. I particularly enjoyed the Mediterranean onsen. It was facing the sky directly and any airborne helicopter or plane could see all the naked men down there. The pouring 'waterfall' or whatever you call it was amazing. Quite a good massage early in the morning. The ones that I did not really enjoy was the really, really cold pool of water as well as the crazy hot salt sauna. Nevertheless it was a good experience hopping from blistering hot waters to freezing cold waters and back to humane temperatures.

DSC07786 by zstan, on Flickr

Hope to come back in the near future to enjoy the Asian onsens instead, or maybe a really Japanese onsen for change. :3 Apart from the onsens, they also have indoor water theme park which is pretty cool. No time to try that though.

Tennoji Temple

From our lunch spot nearby Tennoji station, we headed to one of Tennoji's landmarks which was none other than the Tennoji Temple. From the train station its actually a good 15-20 minute walk to actually get to the place. The summer heat was really unforgiving as well.

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Tennoji Temple by zstan, on Flickr

To be honest, the temple was not really impressive. I am guessing it's more of an actual temple for spiritual use instead of a being a tourist ground. However if you are interested in the story of the Buddha, the insides of the main temple actually made a great depiction of the whole story: from the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, to his renunciation of his throne, attaining enlightenment etc., then this might be an interesting stop.

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Osaka Castle

From the temple we then took another subway to head towards Osaka's next landmark - Osaka Castle! Since we wanted to utilise our Osaka 2 day pass we took the subway instead. Unfortunately the nearest subway station is a good 15 minute walk away and the summer heat as well as the strong and hot wind blowing against us wasn't do the journey any favours.

Map overview of Osaka Castle park by zstan, on Flickr

Osaka castle is strategically located in the middle of a park with walls surrounding the main area. It is after all a fortress for war in the olden Japanese days.

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With the 2-day pass, we got to enter the castle free of charge. The tour of the castle starts at the very top and the visitors descend each floor which comprises of different exhibits, mostly showing the history of this grand castle and how the different Japanese armies dreamt of conquering this great castle. The bad news was that you have to climb all the way to the top as the elevator is only reserved for disabled people only.

Osaka Castle by zstan, on Flickr

At the top of the castle you can get a birds eye view of the surrounding Osaka city. The wind at the top is very strong as well and you can feel that your face is almost blown away. Beware if you have little kids though as they may tend to climb everywhere.


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For souvenirs I got myself an Osaka Castle coin which can be found in a machine at the ground floor. Upon paying an extra fee you can also get your name engraved on the gold coin. In total the coin cost me 430 yen. Not too bad. The quality of the coin is very good but you may need to learn how to work with the computer and engraving system.

To cool ourselves down we headed to the stalls just outside the castle for some desserts.

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I bought a cone of peach ice cream at ¥300 and it was absolutely delicious. The peach flavouring was spot on and there were actual bits of peaches in the ice cream as well. For close to RM10 I expect nothing less though, haha. It's really hard to find tasty peach flavoured ice creams back in Malaysia. =/

Peach Ice Cream by zstan, on Flickr

I also tried their cantaloupe, couldn't remember the price. It was also really sweet and juicy but I think I could find a cheaper one back in Malaysia. Melons are generally pricey in Japan for some reason.

Japan cantaloupe by zstan, on Flickr

After our short break we then headed back to the park, whereby hundreds or thousands of visitors throng this place during the cherry blossom season to have picnics while enjoying the magnificent sakura trees. Too bad everything is green now.

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Huge areas of grass for picnic-goers to lay their mats on. At that time there were only us haha. We managed to take some crazy photos and lie on the grass while 'enjoying' the summer sun. Bad idea though as most of us got really bad rashes on our hands. @@ Probably due to the bugs in the grass. The grasses were also meticulously maintained and it's really great to lie on. Ahhh wish I could be back here for Spring. I think I am mentioning this in every post LOL.

Green green span of grass in Osaka Castle park by zstan, on Flickr

well if you mean breakfast includes those food sold at 24 hours convenience stores then no, it's not too early.

well if you mean breakfast includes those food sold at 24 hours convenience stores then no, it's not too early.

just request from the air stewardess

err i think the time i went there they were also doing some renovation.

Floating Garden, Umeda Sky Building

Apologies for the really long hiatus. The workload for my course had been really heavy over the past 1-2 months. Alright, so from Osaka Castle we then moved back to the main city centre to head towards another modern landmark in Umeda, which was none other than the Umeda Sky Building. The main attraction here would be the Floating Garden Observatory on the highest floor of the building.

DSC07908 by zstan, on Flickr

At the Higashi-Umeda station, we had to take an underpass which was about few hundred metres long to get to the building. To find this underpass can be quite confusing hence having Google maps to navigate around is always helpful (if you can't converse in Japanese).

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Underpass to the Sky Building


Upon coming out from the tunnel, the modern and sophisticated design of the Sky Building really blew me away and I could only stare in amazement. This was probably the most 'wow' looking building in all of the places that I've been to in Japan so far.

Umeda Sky Building by zstan, on Flickr

Without further ado we then made our way up to the sky garden. Firstly we had to take an elevator, and then a cool looking escalator to the reception counter. Thanks to the Osaka 2-day pass, entrance was free for this attraction as well!

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Dedicated seats for couple to enjoy the sights

First impression of this place is already very good. Actually it's much better than the Tokyo Sky Tree. The area here is much bigger, and they have a properly cafe with a decent menu!

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Up here on the observation deck we can get a bird's eye view of the whole city itself, without being constrained by thick glass panels. Most of the area here is open hence you can get a really clear view. It was quite windy on the day I went, with a mixture of the summer heat as well. During autumn the breeze may be the best for enjoyment I guess.

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Seems like it's a norm to have love locks in all these tourist attractions. It's the 3rd place that I've bumped into this. Just that the locks here have to be purchased from the main reception I presume, considering they all look the same and not random locks.

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There's even a random wedding photoshoot happening during my visit and I decided to take a random shot. Finally some street photography moment!

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It was about 3.30pm and we haven't had any lunch yet. We then headed to the basement food court which is also known as the Takimi-koji restaurant mall. It is built based on the replica of the Japanese street during the early Showa period and it is quite fascinating. Unfortunately most shops were closed already since it is way past a normal lunch hour so we just randomly entered a shop and have a quick bento meal before heading back.

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On its own the Umeda Sky Building is not a tourist attraction, since the whole building is dedicated to office lots. But if you are in Osaka and in the vicinity, I strongly recommend that you visit this place, and perhaps give Tokyo Sky Tree a skip.

the office where they sell the eco card is not hard to locate if you can read a simple map. alternatively you could purchase it at other smaller stations perhaps. but every station in Japan seems quite huge

it's at the station boss. every train got location map one. very clear.

Don't expect the free wifi to be like here in Malaysia. Don't need to compare at all

for starbucks you have to create an account here in malaysia first. i've tried it and it works.

what u mean cross border? this is for starbucks japan only

http://starbucks.wi2.co.jp/sp/sma_index_en.html

Pokemon Centre, Daimaru Umeda Building, Osaka

As a Pokemon fan since the game was release donkey years ago, I had always wanted to visit the real deal in Japan. As soon as I found out there's actually Pokemon Centre which sells all the Pokemon merchandises in Osaka I immediately set as a must visit place despite my cramped schedule.

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From Umeda Sky Building we then walked back to the train station area and headed for Daimaru Umeda Store. The Pokemon Centre is located on the 13th floor with Uniqlo as one of it neighbours as well. There is already a huge crowd in the shop, probably due to the fact that it's on a weekend, with kids being the majority in numbers here (obviously).

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It was really exciting to see all the merchandises and stuff which can never be seen back in Malaysia. They even opened up a booth in the store for the kids to try out the new Pokemon X and Y, and boy was the queue to play the game for about 10 minutes crazily long.

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Initially I thought I could get some toys back as souvenirs but one look at the price tag changed my mind immediately. The merchandises are here are actually quite expensive, especially after factoring in the conversion rate. It is simply not worth it for a general fan like me. Probably hard core Pokemon fanatics would probably buy one or two home. Having said that I must say the quality of each product is exceptional and worthy if you have the extra cash to spend.


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All in all although I didn't buy anything it's quite a good experience to actually see a Pokemon centre and all the lovely Pokemon figurines. Only regret was not trying out the Pokemon X & Y on display. Childhood dream fulfilled!

Hokoso Guesthouse

After coming all the way to Japan, I guess it is a must to experience ryokan at least once throughout the trip. Unfortunately due to budget constraints and a tight itinerary, we finally settled for a more budgeted version of a ryokan (Japanese styled rooms), which is known as a minshuku (or commonly known as a bed and breakfast). After doing some research we decided to stay at Hokoso Guesthouse which is located just right out the Tennoji Station in Osaka.

Hokoso Guesthouse by zstan, on Flickr

Unfortunately the owners of this guesthouse was not very well versed with the internet so all bookings can only be done through the phone or via fax. Fortunately my friend could speak some Japanese hence we made a skype call directly to the owners and got our bookings now. No deposits, no email confirmation. All by the word of trust and hopefully they got our bookings correctly.

Hokoso Guesthouse at night by zstan, on Flickr

We were greeted by a Japanese themed garden as we made our way to the entrance after passing the main door.

Japanese styled garden by zstan, on Flickr

On our first day here in Osaka, the owner was kind enough to let us leave our luggages here and moved them into our rooms as we went back to Kyoto again for our second visit at Kiyomizudera.

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Like traditional ryokans, we had a communal bath for opposite sexes meaning everybody had to share the toilet and bath together naked. It wasn't really an issue for us anymore after we have tried the public bath back in the Tokyo hotel.

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Toilet area was really big so it wouldn't be a problem if everybody decided to take a bath at the same time. Fortunately, every time we took a bath it was only us. Shampoo and body soap are all provided.


It costed about ¥5250 per person for one night and it is probably the only accommodation we paid for more than RM100 throughout our entire trip and I must say it was worth every single yen. Our room was quite huge by Japan standards and it fitted 5 of us comfortably (although it can fit up to 6). The tatami beds were nicely laid out by the owners and the whole room was really decorated according to a ryokan. The tatami beds were also quite thick and comfy that you won't feel the hardness of the floor. Nice experience here.

Japanese Styled Room by zstan, on Flickr

Before leaving for the airport, we came back all sweaty and sticky and the owners were really kind enough to let us use the bathrooms for free for us to clean up and freshen up ourselves for our journey back to Malaysia even after we have checked out. Japanese hospitality at its best! The only regret at this place was that their kitchen wasn't functioning at our time of visit so I didn't get to try the traditional breakfast set. Hence I highly recommend this place to anybody who wishes to experience a pseudo-ryokan style of accommodation!

Sukiya in Japan is like super budget restaurant sometimes with no chairs. Over here it's like mid-upper range restaurant