Back from Japan (part three)

There are, perhaps, a few more words needed to wrap up the trip in a nice neat package.

Unfinished Business

There is no denying that food in Japan is ….. great. What we didn’t experience, but very easily could have, is how well they do other people’s food as well. Because I have access to a world of food at my door, we decided we were going to enjoy Japanese food on our trip and not try Japan’s take on other food. Although we haven’t booked another trip to Japan (though we’ve talked about it) I am pretty sure we will go there again some day.

We really enjoyed trying new restaurants and returning to older ones. In Osaka, we went for ramen at a tiny restaurant at the edge of the nightlife district. Despite spending three years in Kansai, I knew so very little about the area south of Umeda. It had a good vibe somewhere between seedy and mysterious. In that same area, a student took us to a fantastic course restaurant–which wasn’t overpriced. He explained that they didn’t have a website and only took reservations over the phone. Without his help, we probably wouldn’t have been able to visit there.

In Kyoto we found the maze of food restaurants below the station to be very interesting. Sadly, some of the upstairs places we liked from our previous trip had already closed up shop. Things change in Japan–sometimes very rapidly. Nevertheless, we found some good sashimi places and tonkatsu places. Thanks to our Kansai ThruPass, we even went back to Kyoto just for some food. It wasn’t on the way, but it wasn’t out of the way either.

I had had katsudon on the previous trip and my girlfriend wanted to try it this time. We found a place on the Yaesu side of Tokyo station that served a good version of it and included a delicious milk pudding dessert. It became our go to restaurant on the trip. This is surprising because we had planned to visit another restaurant from our first visit more often than we did. It’s funny how things change.

In addition to all those foods, we took time to have onigiri from a multitude of convenience stores. We also went to several coffee shops to rest our weary feet. I have come to decided that Doutour is my favorite coffee shop. I suppose it is because they serve the coffee in real cups. I am tired of the paper cup coffee shops.

Rather than tell you about every single thing we ate, I hope the pictures I have included will help you.

The Bookstore

When I lived in Japan in my early twenties, a visit to the bookstore happened on almost every trip to Osaka. This time, I decided to go back to Umeda to find it. At first, I had a lot of trouble locating it, but when I did, everything came flooding back. I even knew which door to enter to be closest to the foreign books, and Japanese learning textbooks. The section is smaller, but the clerks were still helpful. They even wrapped each book my girlfriend bought in a book cover. I think that was very nice. If only Kansai Time Out were still being published.

The Tourist Information Centres

We visited official Tourist information centres in each city we visited. They were always helpful and the level of English was great. In Kyoto, the last time, it was very crowded and we had to wait ten minutes. This time, we breezed in right up to a counter. Maybe our timing was good. It was either that or the rain kept people from things.

Internet Access

This time around, we arranged for internet access. We had it sent to our hotel and it was waiting for us when we arrived. It even came with a power-bank so we wouldn’t run out of battery power. I think we could have survived without it, but the convenience factor was amazing. We could easily plan our trips and we even knew which train car to get on for easy transfers or exits. Returning it was easy as it went in the mailbox with the envelope provided.

Bike Shops

I came across many cool bike shops. They had a fantastic collection of bicycles. I even considered buying a less expensive Pinarello and bringing it back with me. I resisted. Sadly, I couldn’t find a jersey that would be both commemorative and a good souvenir. Also, there weren’t any in my size. I can still dream.

Miscellaneous

• Japanese bathrooms are still fantastic.
• People on public transportation do not try to take up two seats, don’t play their music without headphones, and do not engage in loud telephone calls that other people have to endure–this is my life currently on public transportation and it frustrates me to no end.
• It was so much fun to wander around areas that I hadn’t been to and to see ones I had been to.
• I chose pocket guidebooks from Lonely Planet this time rather than the large one and I was much happier. They fit into my pocket and supplemented both my knowledge and what I could drag from the internet. I should probably go onto Amazon and leave a positive review.
• We considered going to the movie theatre on a rainy day but there was nothing playing that we both wanted to see. However, the lobby of a Japanese movie theatre sells so many interesting movie related items that you would be surprised.
• I ate many of my favorite snacks and even brought some home. Sadly, they are all gone now and I might have to make a special trip to the Japanese store to get some more, despite the increased price.
• When my girlfriend bought some beautiful chopstick holders, the clerk noticed my bag of Tamiya models. He seemed excited and we exchanged some model nerd moments. It was nice to see someone express enthusiasm.
• Both the Team Lab and Harry Potter attractions are definitely worth seeing.

The Real Unfinished Business

Having visited Japan twice in a short time, you might have thought that I was trying to “get it out of my system.” I don’t think that is actually accurate. Japan makes a strong impression and a visit will probably only make it more interesting. While I do not want to go back and be a teacher there again, I do wish there was some way I could spend more time living there.

Only time will tell.