To be honest, I didn’t want to write this post - but Universal Studios Japan took up the entire day and was so fun, it had to be a separate post on its own. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter I was most excited for this place because one of my cousins is a Potterhead. So we ended up going there early (to the point where the cast members had to tell us to return later for crowd control purposes). It was cool (hehe) to experience Wizarding World at a lower temperature - the snow-capped buildings didn’t feel so out of place. Regardless, we had loads of fun immersing ourselves with themed souvenirs, photo opportunities, and of course - BUTTERBEER. Our only disappointment was that Forbidden Journey was down on that day due to a ride fault (Yes, the ride SMRTed on us. Grr…). Note: Until now, it is still assumed that you need to line up on the day itself and hope that there are still tickets / timeslots left to Wizarding World for the day. What we did was to buy the Express Passes in advance which guaranteed access to Wizarding World, together with express lines to a few other rides. Just remember to buy your entry ticket separately as well! Cities of USA - New York, San Francisco, Hollywood Main street is always a joy to walk through - definitely putting you in the mood for the theme park itself. Hollywood is home to a crazy amount of shops and Mel’s Diner, where I had one of the greatest burgers ever (I’m not a burger person), as well as the queue to Hollywood Dream, one of the tallest and longest rollercoasters in Asia. The Tiger and Sarah went on this ride before, you can stand in line for up to three hours. New York was where we had fun with the Spiderman ride, one of my favourite rides in the park. Be careful when you’re heading here during parade times though - it can get rowdy! Food and souvenir carts are aplenty here as well. Minion Park A new addition since we last came - the minion park was chock full of people, curious or just enamoured by the bright colours and adorable minions dotting the place and just making the environment an amazing place to be at. The Minions 4D Ride is also great fun - unlike its Universal counterparts in the USA, Japan’s version will have you experiencing Gru’s lab and minion training the moment you step off the queue, and into the ride’s pre-show. Just remember to resist the temptation of the banana. Universal Wonderland While this place is definitely for the children, I was sure my Mom had the most fun here. Universal Wonderland boasts areas for various childhood characters - Snoopy, Sanrio (Hello Kitty and friends), and Sesame Street. Mom was decked out in full Elmo gear just for this moment - and got a snapshot with their Easter Elmo as well. Rides here are mostly sheltered and milder to cater for the younger age group, peppered with bright colours to boost the happy atmosphere. Like you do with Duffy Bear in DisneySea, don’t forget to say hi to Moppie - a Universal Studios Japan-exclusive (ish) character who can always be seen around Elmo and other Sesame Street friends. # And that’s it for my trip to the Kansai region! If you’d like to see the places we went to in one place, search for the Osakejiak18 blog posts or click here.
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I saved Osaka city for the last post because it was our ‘homebase’, so to speak. That being said, be prepared for a longer post - and all the places we were to around the city. We stayed in Higashishinsaibashi (Eastern Shinsaibashi), just a stone’s throw away from the main shopping area in Osaka. Here’s a glimpse: Shinsaibashisuji & Dotonbori We stayed near Shinsaibashisuji the first time we came here in 2016. Fast forward two years later, I brought my parents, neighbours, and cousins to the same place. Very much like the main shopping street of Central Osaka, Shinsaibashisuji is a line of shops and branches of restaurants leading across the river to Dotonbori, another popular area among tourists. On top of the many clothes, accessory, and shoe shops, these two places are lined with snacks and gifts as well. Some of the places we enjoyed were: Disney Store It was nice to walk through this place - since this trip didn’t include a visit to either DisneySea or Tokyo Disneyland. If you’d like, you can buy tickets to the two parks on the second level as well. 2 Chome-1-23 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo, Osaka Tsutaya Ebisubashi A 24-Hour Bookstore on Dotonbori, spanning five (5) levels and a basement. Grab a drink at the Starbucks on the first level and have a seat on Level 2 with a book. If not, each level has a specific category for your reading needs (that is, if you can read Japanese). One of my favourite places to head to in Osaka. 1 Chome-8-19 Dotonbori, Chuo, Osaka PABLO Shinsaibashi Speaks for itself, doesn't it? Also, note - there are two branches along Shinsaibashisuji itself - one where you can buy takeaway tarts, and the sit-down restaurant. Another note: Remember to check out their seasonal specials and branch exclusives! 2-8-1 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo-ku, Osaka The Second Best Melon Pan Here’s a statement of confession: I regret not getting one of these the first time I came to Japan. Here’s another statement of confession: I regret not getting two of these when I came back again. Like the less greasy, more heavenly version of the Po Lo Bun, Melon Pan is one of the most iconic foods we know from Japan. Located in a food truck along the Dotonbori shopping street, get in line early or fight the long queues! 1 Chome-4-19 Dotonbori, Chuo, Osaka Kinryu Ramen It’s not difficult to spot this place - just find the dragon. I knew I wanted to eat Ramen, but with so many noodle places to choose from, and with such a large group - the parents just wanted somewhere convenient to eat. No matter, the Ramen here was still a warm bowl of comfort amidst the cold weather - and one thing I was super grateful for: NO PORKY TASTE / SMELL. (One of the reasons behind why I cannot get used to Ramen here is the strong meat aftertaste or smell in many tonkotsu-based Ramen places.) Kinryu only has 2 items in the menu - Tonkotsu Ramen, and Tonkotsu Ramen with extra meat. Take your pick! 1-7-26 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka Eggs N’ Things According to my cousin, the potatoes here can send Anime wind onto your face and through your hair. While looking for breakfast places that could fit up to 7 adults, I came across Eggs N’ Things, which was a straight road down from where we were staying. Founded in Hawaii, Eggs N’ Things serves Western / Hawaiian-style breakfasts - sweet and savoury. Eggs N’ Things serving sizes follow the American portion, so if you’re not a big eater in the morning, I suggest you either give this a miss or come in for lunch. Also, note that you might have to queue for the Shinsaibashi branch. Nishishinsaibashi 2 Chome-10-2-CriceNikko, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi Kuromon Market A holiday without a visit to the destination’s markets is kinda like a wasted opportunity to see how the locals live. Located in Nipponbashi, this market was a ways from where we were staying. Despite that, it was rather straightforward to get to the moment we knew where to turn. Filled with stalls selling produce, snacks, fresh seafood, cooked breakfasts, and many more to choose from, Kuromon market is an ideal place to head to if you’re thinking of a Japanese breakfast but have no idea of what you’d like to eat. Personally, I recommend any stall selling Yuba Doughnuts, Oden, or Croquettes. And the lady selling grilled fruits on a stick - that one’s a winner. Note: 2nd regret of the trip and possible excuse to return to Kuromon Market again - I DIDN’T TRY BLACK VANILLA ICE CREAM. /writes note to self for when I return 2 Chome-3-2 Nipponbashi, Chuo, Osaka Umeda Together with Shin-Osaka, Umeda is one of the most bustling city centers I’ve been to. The only difference? Shopping in Umeda just has that many more options. These were the places we touched base with in the middle of the bustling city center: Umeda LoFT Ever since I went to the huge LoFT in Shibuya, I knew it was going on my list of permanent to-visit places whenever I return to Japan. Apart from their huge range of lifestyle products (AND different from Tokyu Hands), LoFT is also distributor to some of my favourite stationery brands - Hobonichi and Kokuyo, just to name a few. Also, I finally got my Nintendo Switch from here. 16-7 Chayamachi, Kita, Osaka Pokemon Center Umeda Also, what’s a visit to Japan when you don’t visit the Pokemon Center? It’s on the 13th floor of Umeda’s Daimaru Building, sharing the floor with a Uniqlo branch. While not as big as the main store in Ikebukkuro, Tokyo, Umeda’s Pokemon Center still gives you that jump into your childhood with familiar tunes piping through the speakers, and colourful pokemon in various forms and functions. Daimaru Umeda, 13F Momofuku Ando Cup Noodle Museum We’ve seen this in various videos on the Internet for a while now. Also, Cup Noodles is the embodiment of childhood MSG memories. With that in mind, we made our way a little out of the city area, towards an area known as Ikeda. Set up to give recognition to the father of the instant noodle, Momofuku Ando, the museum covers almost every product Japan had to contribute to the cup/bowl noodle trade, together with how this product came about. It was crowded by the time we got there, so the fam decided to skip out on getting the custom Cup Noodles. However, do give it a shot if you decide to head down for this - it’s ¥300 per plain cup, before you add all your desired toppings. Again, another reason to return! 8-25 Masumi-cho, Ikeda-shi, Osaka # So that’s our Osaka Homebase adventure post - stay tuned for the coming and last post for this series - Universal Studios Japan. Again, check out posts for this trip under #Osakejiak18 or here.
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December 2018
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