Osaka and Hiroshima trip.
Hello again from a warm Japan. The temperatures are definitely starting to climb, and summer will soon be on its' way. For now, I'm happy with the warmer weather, but give it another month or so and it will be too hot to do anything. Ahh, love a stifling, humid Asian summer...(sarcasm level through the roof there). I've not long returned from a great trip down to Osaka and Hiroshima with my parents for Golden Week (slightly extended thanks to a few extra paid holidays I had left over from last year). It was Dad's first visit to Japan and Mum's first time outside of Tokyo, and I think they were both impressed with the scenery, the food and culture that Japan has to offer. We started off in Tokyo obviously, and they arrived late on April 29th, so I met them at the airport and then escorted them to their hotel before letting them sleep off the jetlag. The next day, the weather decided to turn against us, so the National Museum and an onsen were on the cards, both great activities to do on a rainy day. We also wandered around Asakusa and Senso-ji because mum and dad were staying in that area. After looking in the museum, I took them through Ueno Park and to one of my favourite sushi restaurants for lunch before heading over to Oedo Onsen. Golden Week crowds meant that at Oedo Onsen, we had to queue for half an hour to get inside, and then half an hour to pay when we left! Crazy! It was definitely an experience to see the onsen so busy, but it was still a relaxing thing to do and you always leave feeling clean and refreshed.
The next day the weather improved a lot. First, we had to bring their big suitcase back to my apartment to save them lugging it down to Osaka and Hiroshima. Then we headed to Shinjuku to go up the Metropolitan Government Building to get a view of the city. However, the North Tower was under renovation, and the queue for the South Tower was out the door, so we abandoned that idea and headed over to Shibuya to check out the famous Hachiko Crossing, but the streets were jam-packed! I'd never seen Shibuya so busy! We eventually found a restaurant that didn't have queues a mile long to eat some lunch and escape the busy streets. Then, we decided to check out Ginza as it was on the way back to their hotel in Asakusa. Dad thoroughly enjoyed admiring the Nissan crossing building and cars on display, including a new electric model. We then went back to the hotel to relax and make a plan for the next day.
Thursday morning rolled around and we braved a busy Tokyo station to catch the shinkansen down to Osaka. We were lucky that Tokyo station is the first stop on this train, because when we reached Shinagawa, people boarding the train had to stand! I'd never seen that on a shinkansen before...We made it to Osaka at around 12, and looked around Grand Front Osaka, a big shopping mall located in Umeda, on the north side of the city. We found a Chinese restaurant for lunch, and browsed the shops before checking in to the hotel. That night, we went to Dontonbori, the nightlife hub of Osaka, and it was vibrant and pumping! There is so much food to try here, and it's definitely a must visit if you're in Osaka. We had to try some Osaka style okonomiyaki, and watch as the street vendors made the local delicacy, takoyaki. My dad is a real foodie, so he loved seeing the food being prepared right in front of him on the street, something you don't see a lot of in New Zealand, aside from farmers markets, and some food carts. The next day we went to Shinsekai, another area with a tonne of food, as well as the Tsutenkaku tower. We found a nice cafe for breakfast and decided to join the long queue to go up the tower, but once we finally got up to the top, there weren't that many people there. They weren't letting too many people go up at once, which was nice, and the view over the city was great. We went back to Dotonbori and mum and dad sampled some takoyaki for lunch. Then we found a riverside bar away from the crowds, and had a drink and watched the world go by for a bit, which was really relaxing.
Saturday arrived and it was off on the shinkansen again down to Hiroshima. This was my first time down this far south in Japan, so I was excited to be going somewhere new. It actually only takes an hour and a half on the train from Osaka to Hiroshima! Super fast! We arrived around 11 and decided to jump on a sightseeing bus. We got off at the Atomic Dome, and it was a very sombre sight to see. It gives you an idea of the damage that was inflicted on the city, and it is a place that means a lot to the locals as it is a reminder of how far the city has come since the bombing. We walked around the peace park which is next to the Dome before stumbling across the annual Flower Festival that happens during Golden Week. There was street food for miles, and live music, and the atmosphere was so lively. It was great timing that we were there to see this festival! Of course we had to try the street food, and listen to the music and just soak it all in. We were then able to check in to the hotel and rest our feet for a bit. Hiroshima is famous for okonomiyaki, but it's a bit different from what you'll find in Osaka. It contains noodles and is presented in layers with lots of cabbage and bean sprouts. There is a one stop okonomiyaki shop in Hiroshima, and that is Okonomimura, which is three floors of tiny okonomiyaki restaurants. As soon as I saw this on Youtube, I knew I had to check it out when I eventually made it down to Hiroshima. I was not disappointed! There was a wide variety of okonomiyaki on offer, from seafood, to pork, to cheese, vegetarian and more, and watching it being made in front of you makes the whole experience. I still can't make up my mind which style I prefer, Osaka or Hiroshima, I really like both of them!
The next day Miyajima island was on the agenda, and this place is famous for the floating torii gate and floating Itsukushima shrine. We arrived at around 9.30 and could wander the streets without bumping into too many people, which was a pleasant change from the crowds of Dotonbori and the Flower Festival the previous day. We took some photos and said hello to the resident deer, who are very friendly. We then found a quiet coffee shop and grabbed a coffee before tackling Mount Missen. My goodness, what a climb it was! It was 2.5km uphill, and the track had many uneven stairs to navigate. There is also a ropeway, but we decided to walk up to work off all the food we'd been devouring. This turned out to be a good choice as the track wasn't crowded and we could enjoy some beautiful nature. When you reach the top, you get a beautiful view out over the inland sea of Japan. It was kind of hazy, so you couldn't see too far, but it was still a breathtaking view. However, on the walk back down, Dad blew his knee! Maybe we should've taken the ropeway down... Luckily we found a pharmacy that sold voltaren and knee braces, so that helped ease the pain. Miyajima has many stalls selling fresh oysters, and dad loves oysters, so of course he had to try some, and said they were very good. Mum and I don't really eat oysters, so we left those all for him. By this point it was getting close to 3pm, and it would take about an hour to get back to the hotel, so we caught the ferry back over and grabbed some food from the bakery for dinner as dad wanted to rest his knee that night.
Monday was our last full day in Hiroshima, and the Peace Memorial Museum was on our hitlist. I had heard that this museum really makes an impact on everyone, and after experiencing it myself, I think you can't help but be moved by it. There are some extremely graphic images and stories, and it makes you really wonder why we go to war in the first place when it does so much structural damage, and hurts so many innocent people. Why anyone ever thought nuclear weapons were a good idea is beyond me. However, it also shows you how far Hiroshima has come since then and how they have rebuilt the city to what it is today. That night, I wanted to give mum and dad their first Japanese BBQ (or yakiniku) experience. We indulged in some delicious wagyu beef, and grilled pork as well as grilled vegetables, because it's all about balance right. :P
The following day we headed back to Tokyo, which took about 5 hours on the train, so that was most of the day gone. We wanted something a bit different and not Japanese for dinner that night, so we ended up having curry at an Indian restaurant in Solamachi shopping mall in Skytree near mum and dad's hotel.
On Wednesday we went to visit our Japanese friend who lives out in the countryside, about an hour and a half on the train, and he drove us a round for the day. I went and visited him last year, but mum and dad enjoyed seeing where he lives. The scenery really is stunning in that area, and it looked so pretty in spring! He also took us to an authentic soba restaurant for lunch.
Thursday (yesterday) came and it was time for mum and dad to fly back to New Zealand! I had a really great time showing them a lot of my favourite spots in Tokyo, introducing them to foods they'd never tried before, and also seeing Hiroshima for the first time. I don't know where my next trip will be, but this one definitely gave me back my motivation for exploring and travelling around Japan and eventually other countries too.
As always, thanks for reading all the way to the end, and I'll be back with another update again soon.
Love from Japan,
Hannah.
The next day the weather improved a lot. First, we had to bring their big suitcase back to my apartment to save them lugging it down to Osaka and Hiroshima. Then we headed to Shinjuku to go up the Metropolitan Government Building to get a view of the city. However, the North Tower was under renovation, and the queue for the South Tower was out the door, so we abandoned that idea and headed over to Shibuya to check out the famous Hachiko Crossing, but the streets were jam-packed! I'd never seen Shibuya so busy! We eventually found a restaurant that didn't have queues a mile long to eat some lunch and escape the busy streets. Then, we decided to check out Ginza as it was on the way back to their hotel in Asakusa. Dad thoroughly enjoyed admiring the Nissan crossing building and cars on display, including a new electric model. We then went back to the hotel to relax and make a plan for the next day.
Thursday morning rolled around and we braved a busy Tokyo station to catch the shinkansen down to Osaka. We were lucky that Tokyo station is the first stop on this train, because when we reached Shinagawa, people boarding the train had to stand! I'd never seen that on a shinkansen before...We made it to Osaka at around 12, and looked around Grand Front Osaka, a big shopping mall located in Umeda, on the north side of the city. We found a Chinese restaurant for lunch, and browsed the shops before checking in to the hotel. That night, we went to Dontonbori, the nightlife hub of Osaka, and it was vibrant and pumping! There is so much food to try here, and it's definitely a must visit if you're in Osaka. We had to try some Osaka style okonomiyaki, and watch as the street vendors made the local delicacy, takoyaki. My dad is a real foodie, so he loved seeing the food being prepared right in front of him on the street, something you don't see a lot of in New Zealand, aside from farmers markets, and some food carts. The next day we went to Shinsekai, another area with a tonne of food, as well as the Tsutenkaku tower. We found a nice cafe for breakfast and decided to join the long queue to go up the tower, but once we finally got up to the top, there weren't that many people there. They weren't letting too many people go up at once, which was nice, and the view over the city was great. We went back to Dotonbori and mum and dad sampled some takoyaki for lunch. Then we found a riverside bar away from the crowds, and had a drink and watched the world go by for a bit, which was really relaxing.
Saturday arrived and it was off on the shinkansen again down to Hiroshima. This was my first time down this far south in Japan, so I was excited to be going somewhere new. It actually only takes an hour and a half on the train from Osaka to Hiroshima! Super fast! We arrived around 11 and decided to jump on a sightseeing bus. We got off at the Atomic Dome, and it was a very sombre sight to see. It gives you an idea of the damage that was inflicted on the city, and it is a place that means a lot to the locals as it is a reminder of how far the city has come since the bombing. We walked around the peace park which is next to the Dome before stumbling across the annual Flower Festival that happens during Golden Week. There was street food for miles, and live music, and the atmosphere was so lively. It was great timing that we were there to see this festival! Of course we had to try the street food, and listen to the music and just soak it all in. We were then able to check in to the hotel and rest our feet for a bit. Hiroshima is famous for okonomiyaki, but it's a bit different from what you'll find in Osaka. It contains noodles and is presented in layers with lots of cabbage and bean sprouts. There is a one stop okonomiyaki shop in Hiroshima, and that is Okonomimura, which is three floors of tiny okonomiyaki restaurants. As soon as I saw this on Youtube, I knew I had to check it out when I eventually made it down to Hiroshima. I was not disappointed! There was a wide variety of okonomiyaki on offer, from seafood, to pork, to cheese, vegetarian and more, and watching it being made in front of you makes the whole experience. I still can't make up my mind which style I prefer, Osaka or Hiroshima, I really like both of them!
The next day Miyajima island was on the agenda, and this place is famous for the floating torii gate and floating Itsukushima shrine. We arrived at around 9.30 and could wander the streets without bumping into too many people, which was a pleasant change from the crowds of Dotonbori and the Flower Festival the previous day. We took some photos and said hello to the resident deer, who are very friendly. We then found a quiet coffee shop and grabbed a coffee before tackling Mount Missen. My goodness, what a climb it was! It was 2.5km uphill, and the track had many uneven stairs to navigate. There is also a ropeway, but we decided to walk up to work off all the food we'd been devouring. This turned out to be a good choice as the track wasn't crowded and we could enjoy some beautiful nature. When you reach the top, you get a beautiful view out over the inland sea of Japan. It was kind of hazy, so you couldn't see too far, but it was still a breathtaking view. However, on the walk back down, Dad blew his knee! Maybe we should've taken the ropeway down... Luckily we found a pharmacy that sold voltaren and knee braces, so that helped ease the pain. Miyajima has many stalls selling fresh oysters, and dad loves oysters, so of course he had to try some, and said they were very good. Mum and I don't really eat oysters, so we left those all for him. By this point it was getting close to 3pm, and it would take about an hour to get back to the hotel, so we caught the ferry back over and grabbed some food from the bakery for dinner as dad wanted to rest his knee that night.
Monday was our last full day in Hiroshima, and the Peace Memorial Museum was on our hitlist. I had heard that this museum really makes an impact on everyone, and after experiencing it myself, I think you can't help but be moved by it. There are some extremely graphic images and stories, and it makes you really wonder why we go to war in the first place when it does so much structural damage, and hurts so many innocent people. Why anyone ever thought nuclear weapons were a good idea is beyond me. However, it also shows you how far Hiroshima has come since then and how they have rebuilt the city to what it is today. That night, I wanted to give mum and dad their first Japanese BBQ (or yakiniku) experience. We indulged in some delicious wagyu beef, and grilled pork as well as grilled vegetables, because it's all about balance right. :P
The following day we headed back to Tokyo, which took about 5 hours on the train, so that was most of the day gone. We wanted something a bit different and not Japanese for dinner that night, so we ended up having curry at an Indian restaurant in Solamachi shopping mall in Skytree near mum and dad's hotel.
On Wednesday we went to visit our Japanese friend who lives out in the countryside, about an hour and a half on the train, and he drove us a round for the day. I went and visited him last year, but mum and dad enjoyed seeing where he lives. The scenery really is stunning in that area, and it looked so pretty in spring! He also took us to an authentic soba restaurant for lunch.
Thursday (yesterday) came and it was time for mum and dad to fly back to New Zealand! I had a really great time showing them a lot of my favourite spots in Tokyo, introducing them to foods they'd never tried before, and also seeing Hiroshima for the first time. I don't know where my next trip will be, but this one definitely gave me back my motivation for exploring and travelling around Japan and eventually other countries too.
As always, thanks for reading all the way to the end, and I'll be back with another update again soon.
Love from Japan,
Hannah.
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