Today's first location is one of the iconic attractions of Osaka, Osaka Castle! It plays a major role in the unification of Japan during the 16th century of Azuchi-Momoyama period. The original castle was built in 1583 and demolished in 1868, and was only rebuilt in 1931 and went through extensive renovation works in 1997. Today, it looks completely modern on the inside and houses a museum about the history of the castle and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The castle has a really huge garden! Took me about 30mins to walk from the streets to the castle, but only require 10mins to take photos of it 😒
Osaka Castle 大阪城
0900-1700hrs (daily)
#1: Osaka Castle.
#2: Osaka Castle.
#3: Osaka Castle.
#4: Beautiful flowers spotted along the road outside Osaka Castle.
Next, I headed off to Kuromon Ichiba, which is also known as "Osaka's kitchen". It is a 600m sheltered market and is famous for its fresh seafood and has recently became a tourist spot. Other than being a market, you can also find a huge variety of cooked food. There are also a few supermarkets and clothing stores. The place was quite packed and the food here are kind of expensive! Not really an ideal place to try street food, kind of feel the prices are purposely raised.
Kuromon Ichiba 黒門市場
0900-1800hrs (daily)
#5: Kuromon Ichiba, pufferfish sashimi.
#6: Caramelised grilled oranges and pineapple. The pineapple was so sweet and juicy!!!
#7: Tamagoyaki with grilled eel.
Around the corner is Naruto Taiyaki Hompo. Taiyaki is a fish-shaped pancake, and what makes this place unique and different from other taiyaki stores is that the pancakes here are individually grilled. They also offer sweet potato filling, which is rarely seen, as most stores do red bean filling. The pancake layer is thin and crisp, and the pancake is full of filling! I actually kind of wish the pancake layer was thicker with lesser filling instead.
Naruto Taiyaki Hompo 鳴門鯛焼本舗
1100-0500hrs (daily)
#8: Naruto Taiyaki Hompo.
#9: Super yummy taiyaki!
#10: Beautiful gingko trees along the street.
Walking down to Hozenji Temple, a discreetly hidden small temple, a piece of old Japan in the middles of the chaotic shopping streets. Built in 1637, Hozenji pays homage to Fudo Myoo, one of the 5 guardians of Buddhism. The temple is known for its statue of Fudo Myoo. As a tradition, splashing it with water is said to bring good luck. Thus, you will find the statue already covered entirely in moss due to the result of many thousands of visitors pouring water over it.
Hozenji Temple 法善寺
24hrs (daily)
#11: Hozenji Temple.
#12: Hozenji Temple.
#13: Hozenji Temple.
Following after, American Village, which started in the 1970s. You can find lots of streetwear and shoes here, but they aren't cheap, considering I can get something similar in Seoul for just 20% of the price. For example, a brandless jacket would cost SG$70-80, whereas in Korea, it's just SG$15-25. Other than that, you can also find vintage American clothing, jeans and second-hand records here. Firstly, I popped by Alice on Wednesday, an "Alice in Wonderland" concept store. The shop door is so cute, they purposely make it smaller, to mimic how Alice had to "squeeze" through the door in the movie. The store sells themed snacks, souvenirs, purses, bags, and normal accessories like earrings, clips, and so on.
American Village アメリカ村
Alice on Wednesday 水曜日のアリス
Address
1100-1930hrs (Mon-Fri), 1000-1930hrs (Sat-Sun)
#14: Alice on Wednesday.
#15: With a cute mini entrance!
#16: Alice's iconic "drink me potion".
#17: Themed coffee bags.
#18: Themed tea bags.
#19: Themed butterfly pea flower tea.
#20: Cheshire Cat tail lollipops, edible paper poker cards.
Moving on, I went to Kogaryu Takoyaki to get some takoyaki. This is one of the must-try takoyaki places in Osaka, and is listed in the Michelin guide. Then some Brown Sugar Boba Milk from Nonara Pearl. Next, to Namba Yasaka Shrine, an unique shrine in the shape of a lion's head. It is believed that the open mouth will swallow any evil spirits, leaving you only good luck. It is one of Osaka's most distinctive places of worship.
Kogaryu Takoyaki 甲賀流
1030-2030hrs (daily)
#21: Kogaryu Takoyaki.
#22: Kogaryu Takoyaki.
Nonara Pearl ノナラパール
1030-2200hrs (daily)
#23: Brown Sugar Boba Milk.
Namba Yasaka Shrine 難波八阪神社
0630-1700hrs (daily)
#24: Namba Yasaka Shrine.
#25: Namba Yasaka Shrine.
Stopping by Granknot Coffee for some coffee, then headed off to Umeda Sky Building. Umeda is one of the places in Osaka to catch a bird's eye view of the city. I initially planned to visit Abeno Harukas 300, but since it's free admission to Umeda with the Osaka Amazing Pass, I changed my plan - save ¥1,500! Umeda Sky Building is the 19th tallest building in Osaka. It consists of 2 40-storey buildings that connects at the top with bridges and an escalator. The original project was to build 4 interconnected towers, but due to the economic crisis in the 1980s, it was reduced to 2 towers. The building features a "floating" rooftop observatory and the long escalator leading to the observatory has became an Instagrammable photo spot.
Granknot Coffee グランノットコーヒーロースターズ
0900-1800hrs (Mon-Wed, Fri), 1100-1800hrs (Sat-Sun)
#26: Granknot Coffee.
#27: Pretty latte art!
Umeda Sky Building 梅田スカイビル
0930-2230hrs (daily)
#28: Umeda Sky Building.
#29: The beautiful skyline of Osaka!
#30: Beautiful skyline of Osaka.
#31: Beautiful skyline of Osaka.
#32: Beautiful skyline of Osaka.
#33: Beautiful skyline of Osaka.
#34: Cool UV lighting - makes white looks blue!
It is actually still pretty early though the photos are of night scenery. The sun sets before 1700hrs. Shopped awhile in the souvenir store, then took a short walk, before I head to Hanamaruken for dinner. I decided to try this ramen place because of its seaweed that is printed with words, and it turns out to be the BEST ramen place that I've tried during my trip! The shop actually says they are Namba's No.1 ramen place, which I have to agree to it. Bought some snacks from 7-11 and time to head home!
Hanamaruken 花丸軒
24hrs (daily)
#35: Hanamaruken.
#36: Self proclaimed to be the best in Namba!
#37: BEST RAMEN EVER!
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Exchange Rate = SG$1 : ¥79.30
Day 4 Expenses Kuromon Ichiba: - Takoyaki with Grilled Eel ¥500 - Grilled Pineapple ¥400 Vending Machine, Coffee: ¥140 Naruto Taiyaki Hompo: - Sweet Potato Taiyaki ¥200 (after tax ¥216) - Red Bean Taiyaki ¥180 (after tax ¥194) Alice on Wednesday: - Post Card ¥150 (after tax ¥165) - Coffee Blend ¥180 (after tax ¥194) - Peach Strawberry Tea Blend ¥180 (after tax ¥194) - Bluepea Flower Tea ¥180 (after tax ¥194) Kogaryu Takoyaki: ¥450 (10pcs) Nonara Pearl: Brown Sugar Pearl Milk ¥520 (after tax ¥562) Granknot Coffee: Cappuccino ¥550 Umeda Sky Building: - Postcard ¥100 - Magnet ¥352 - Okonomiyaki Senbei ¥405 (10pkts) - Takoyaki-flavoured Prawn Crackers ¥540 (8pkts) Hanamaruken: Happiness Ramen ¥800 7-11: - Egg Salad Sandwich ¥220 - Crabstick Salad ¥198 - Coffee ¥138 - Ippudo Instant Ramen ¥258 TOTAL: ¥6,770 = SG$85.40
Previous Expenses: SG$1,999.35
Current Total Expenses: SG$2,084.75