For first time visits in Japan, I guess the itineraries would always include museums, castles and temples. Unless you are interested in other things or are in business travel or in case your travel falls in springtime where cherry blossoms are the main photo background, your Japan visit in autumn or summer will most likely include castle and temple hopping. Or unless you've been to famous castles in Europe, you might as well skip castles and temple visits in the Land of the Rising Sun. At the guesthouse where I stayed in Osaka, I had a roommate from France who opted to catch a football game the day after spending the night at the Osaka Observation Deck. I also met a fellow Pinay solo traveler who was not interested in castle and temple hopping. Her itineraries in Japan included watching a cooking show and visiting the ramen museum instead. She has spent many months in Edinburgh, Scotland and has seen the grand castles there, o well, what can I say? We talked about the possibility of catching up at the Ramen Museum before the two of us set out for Kyoto the next day for separate itineraries. Sadly though we were not able to reconcile our schedules that Sunday. If our paths will cross again someday in our future travels, hope by then we will be able to catch up :-)!
As I mentioned in my earlier blog posts, Japan has a lot of things in store for tourists. In Osaka, there is Dotonburi, the Osaka Castle, ramen museum, the observation deck, Osaka Aquarium, the Umeda Sky Building or the Floating Garden and the Shitennoji Temple, to name a few! Believe me, I had a hard time finalizing my itinerary. In Kyoto, you can find many world heritage sites such as the Golden Pavilion, the Silver Temple, the Nijo Castle, the Kyoto Imperial Palace which by the way I didn't have an opportunity to check out and visit, and many other tourist spots that it felt like my 3-day stay had not been enough. Aside from sightseeing in Osaka and Kyoto, I managed a hop at Himeji Castle and likewise got to enjoy a Shinkansen ride going to Okayama where I saw several trams roaming 'round the beautiful streets of the city.Thanks to my JR Knsai Wide Pass it gave me huge savings on my bullet train rides! Notwithstanding my aching feet and my misadventures which mostly included getting off track in most of my lakads, I can say that the whole travel experience was one real lot of fun. My misadventures provided me opportunities to see the inside alleys and streets where a normal tourist would not pass by. Besides that, they made me also get a feel of the neighborhood in Japan and helped me prove to myself that Japanese people are indeed very helpful. They are like angels in disguise who will go out of their way and break language barriers just to help tourists like me find and locate destinations! I really admire them :-)
Okay, this is the fourth and last part of my travel diaries to Japan, aside from the two more which I'm hoping to post, one is, how to get a Japan tourist visa when you're in the Philippines, and the other one, maybe, just maybe, a brief post on how to enjoy Japan when you're on a tight budget. Hope I will be able to make a brief post about the latter.
Here, please read on. It can help you decide which places you may want to visit in the Kansai Region of Japan ☺️
O S A K A
From the City of Nara I headed to Osaka, again using my JR Kansai Wide Pass. Antoine, the owner of the guesthouse where I stayed in Osaka was supposed to fetch me at Shin Osaka Station but since I couldn't make it on time, I dropped him a message canceling our meet up - something that I regretted later that day because I really had a difficult time figuring out the way.
1. DOTONBURI
This is not originally included in my list yet by reason that I reached the guesthouse very late, I thought that it was good to hang out in the area which they say is nice to be visited during nighttime. On my walk that evening, I passed through several bridges, I think there were three or four bridges along Dotonburi, if my memory serves me right. The first bridge from Osaka Station is the least busy among them all as I saw only a few people passing by and sitting on the benches. The crisp air, the cold weather, the silence at this particular portion of Dotonburi make it a romantic setting for lovely evening walks (the only sound I heard was the sound of the flowing water and of the engine from the motorboat cruising the Dotonburi river) . I pulled my camera but when I tried to snap some selfie photos, the river didn't look romantic at all, haha. So I gave up doing selfie shoots so as not to ruin the scenery. But of course I wouldn't let the night pass by without getting a photo of me by the river. When given the opportunity, I asked somebody to take a picture of me,however not by the romantic river, but at a different spot. You would notice in the below photo that some lights have gone out; it was already very late and some shops began to close.
 |
This is the romantic portion of the Dotonburi, at least on my own assessment ehe. |
The closer I get to the center of the Dotonburi the busier the streets seemed to become. When I reached the Ebisu Bridge, where the famous icon Glico Man billboard is, there I began to realize that indeed Dotonburi is the bustling and beating heart of Osaka nightlife not only because of the colorful neon signs and billboards of the restaurants and mall shops lined up along the entire stretch of Dotonburi, but because of the large crowd in almost every corner. I was overwhelmed by such number of people! Where they were from and where they all were going...I don't know :-)
As described in one website : Dōtonbori is often considered the mecca of the city's penchant for cheap, good food, and as such is often highlighted in guidebooks as a "must see" destination for visitors to the city. Examples of Osaka regional cuisine that one may find in abundance around Dōtonbori include okonomiyaki(pan-fried batter cake), takoyaki (octopus dumplings), udon, as well as local variations of sushi, ramen, and other Japanese cuisine.
So if you want to enjoy a fun-filled night in Osaka and ready to shop until you drop and jostle through the crowd and satisfy your gastronomic yearnings, then visit Dotonburi!
2. OSAKA CASTLE
I stayed three days in Osaka; but the funny thing was, I didn't get to visit Osaka Castle within that span of time. So what did I do when I was in Osaka aside from hanging out in Dotonburi? Well, I enjoyed the comfort of the bed at the guesthouse and went to Himeji and Okayama! I just dropped by the Osaka Castle on the last day of my stay in Japan. From Kyoto, I went for a train ride going to Osakojokoen Station at the JR West Osaka Loop Line. I walked from the station with all my fully loaded backpack and shoulder bag and one paper bag containing some pasalubong for friends and my family back home. Man, I was really tired that I almost backed out. I almost went straight to the airport! But thinking I might regret if I didn't check this particular tourist spot in Osaka, I headed on, anyway it was my last day in Japan. I walked around the huge grounds of the castle until I reached the main castle! While walking, I have fully decided not to anymore use backpack on my future travels out of the country. I will use a trolley, instead. I made this promise to myself!
I've read some reviews about the castle which is said to have undergone major renovation and reconstruction. There is no entrance fee being collected here unless you go to the tower and enjoy a good view of Osaka City for a 600-hundred yen. I didn't go. Going up sounded too much for me that time. I was too tired.
 |
Does it show that I was too tired walking and walking and walking? |
I hadn't really gone much in Osaka, but in case you go and visit the place, make sure you try out the foods and see for yourself why Osaka, Japan's second largest city and the capital of western Japan, made it as Japan's food capital and favorite destination for both local and international food lovers!
K Y O T O
Someone told me that Kyoto used to be the capital of Japan. I checked the Internet to verify this information and I've found out the following information:
" In the modern age, Kyoto lost its rights as the political capital, to Edo (modern day Tokyo). In the first year of the Meiji period (1868), Kyoto regained its status as capital but the political situation of Japan called for Tokyo to be the country's center once again."
Further in my readings, I came across the brief history of Kyoto at gojapango.com stating that Kyoto suffered extensive destruction in the Ōnin War of 1467-1477, and did not really recover until the mid-16th century. I also found out that the city was considered to be one of the sites of atomic bombings at the end of World War II, along with Hiroshima and Nagasakai, yet the United States decided to remove Kyoto from the list of targets due to the "beauty of the city". As a result, Kyoto is the only large Japanese city that still has an abundance of prewar buildings.
After reading the article, I came to understand the beauty and charm that is so inherent in Kyoto nowadays. At present, 17 spots within the city have been inscribed on the World Heritage List. Out of these 17, I was able to visit only 4 (oh no! Only 4! Got a lot of catching up to do ehe) and here is my list along with photos I personally took :-)
1. NIJO CASTLE
A portion of the Nijo castle was under renovation when I got there. So I don't think I've seen all its grand. Nonetheless the lush greenery and the beautiful gardens made me appreciate the site. There is this elevated portion where one can have an overlooking view of the castle and the surrounding landscape.
2. KINKAKUJI (THE GOLDEN PAVILION)
The moment I saw the Golden Pavilion, I knew the place would be a personal favorite along with Fushimi Inari Shrine and the Kiyomizudera Temple. I was having a hard time getting some photos as there was no stand or anything in the area where I could mount my camera. Glad someone came to my rescue and voluntarily offered to take photos of me. The place is breathtaking just like the view I see only on posters, but now I'm seeing it for real, it's right here before my eyes!
3. GINKAKUJI (SILVER TEMPLE)
The Ginkakuji got inspiration from the Golden Pavilion or the Kinkakuji. This is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Personally, I like the Golden Pavilion better than the Ginkakuji the way I prefer gold to silver haha. Kidding aside, this place is worth a visit. The sand garden, the moss garden, the temple, the lush greenery - are all a sight to behold!
 |
The unique dry sand garden |
3. KIYOMIZU-DERA TEMPLE
This is another must see in Kyoto and another personal favorite. From Ginkakuji or the Silver Temple I took Bus No. 100 to Kiyomizu Dera. I walked through Higashiyama District which is bustling with crowds and shops selling souvenir items and special delicacies of Kyoto. I loved the entire stretch of Higashiyama it is so Japanese! If there is one thing I regret about this place was that I didn't buy mochi pasalubong here. I thought the delicacies being sold here would be available anywhere in Kyoto, but I was wrong (sigh) :-(
 |
The Kiyomizu Dera Temple |
O by the way, a friend recommended to go sightseeing here late in the afternoon. But I arrived there around 10:00 o'clock in the morning and the sun was up that time. I guess my friend was correct. Late afternoon visits will give you an opportunity to get a better view of the temple and the overlooking view of Kyoto! So if ever you wish to visit here, better go late in the afternoon.
5. FUSHIMI INARI TAISHA
Before going to Kyoto, I made it a point to visit this place which was one of the filming locations of the movie Memoirs of a Geisha. Fushimi Inari Shrine is accessible by JR Train (so again thank you to my JR Kansai Pass). I got off Inari Station and from there I saw the shrine. As I walked toward the place, my heart was beating fast haha that I wanted to hurry up and get there right away! I wanted to see the spot where that child from the movie Memoirs of a Geisha came running delightfully, with all her newly-found vibrant, youthful hopes and dreams of becoming a geisha one day then...somehow meet again the man who has shown him kindness.
The place was jam-packed though. I saw quite a number of tourists (I think five or six buses loaded with visitors came that time!) and I was like, oh no, how can I ever get a good shot with all these people around me? I so desired to capture melodramatic photos as a tribute to the film Haha so "what now happens with my plan?" I was asking that to myself. I tried to stay behind in my hopes that the flow of people will subside a bit. Alas, from the looks of it, people kept coming and going so I had no choice but get photos as much as I could through the crowd! At certain points, I managed to ask people to snap photos of me ☺️
Here at Inari, I did some hiking ! This is unexpected but I was happy To have done it. It takes 2-3 hours to hike the summit and back. But it's up to the visitors if they want to hike and continue way up. Well, I did :-). The site is very impressive with all those endless vermilion torii gates installed up to Mt. Inari Summit. I loved the place. Though it's not part of the world heritage list like the four (4) sites listed above, it's my personal favorite and highly recommended along with other two spots, the Golden Pavilion and the Kiyomizu Dera Temple!
O I forgot to add, from items 1-5, you have to pay corresponding entrance fees except for Fushimi Inari :-). Aside from the spots listed here, the temples and spots I visited include Todaiji Temple, Yasaka Shrine, Kennin-ji Temple and Gion District. My guesthouse is just a stone throw away from downtown Kyoto and the Gion District.
O K A Y A M A
When you go to Okayama don't forget to visit two of the famous spots in the city: the Okayama Castle and the Korakuen Garden which ranks as 3rd most beautiful garden in Japan. From Osaka, I took the Shinkansen ride to Okayama (for the nth time, thank you JR Kansai Wide Pass for the huge savings on unlimited train rides to many places as far as the City of Okayama)!
The photo below was taken at the exit/entrance gate of the Korakuen Garden where you can have a glimpse of the Okayama Castle.
H I M E J I C A S T L E
This site must be on your list if you go to the Kansai Region of Japan because it is the most celebrated and best preserved castle in all of Japan! O by the way the photo below is not mine.
So there! Hope in your Japan visit you'll get to check out the same places and even those not listed here :-)
