Osaka
I’m pretty sure that I’ve covered what happened in Osaka that first night. We were there for only half a day until we were whisked away to Mt. Koya. When we got back from Mt. Koya, I was overflowing with eagerness to explore.
DAY ONE- EXPLORING OSAKA (CAT CAFÉ, OSAKA CASTLE, TEA, OKONOMIYAKI)
When I got back from Mt. Koya, we were exhausted. Still, we wanted to fill our day with adventures. We quickly threw our stuff into our room at the Saint Regis Osaka before rushing out the door again. What I did glimpse, however, was a ginormous bathroom 
featuring a shower with six different sprayers. A king-size bed and even some elephants made out of folded towels. As much as I loved the room, we had half a day to spare. We started up with a cat café. Now, we have heard about these cafes and even dreamed about them. They are cafés where cats roam free among people. How could we not look forward to it? We walked around a covered street and popped into the first cat café we saw. Located in a pet store, how could it go wrong? It was just… horrific. I’m not even going to include photos of this… you’re welcome! The cats were all probably suffering from some disorder because they seemed to be all of the cats that no one would want. One had ears that just didn’t seem right and another cat was old and looked like it was about to drop dead.They were not the least bit interested in us, and there was poop smeared on the one bench they had set out for us to relax on. We purchased half an hour, but we ended up spending fifteen minutes before leaving. The most we got out of the experience was a can of Coke, which was included. After thoroughly washing my hands (no cat poop residue for me), I walked out of the cat cafe (if you could even call it that). We were headed to Osaka Castle, which we reached by subway. Even though the sun was threatening to turn us into a crisp, we managed to stumble inside the impressive Osaka Castle. Luckily, it was air conditioned and turned into a museum. We learned about the history of the castle, like who had owned it, what the 
times had been like, and other things that were nicely displayed with holographic images! It’s a great family activity. It was very informative and kept me actively involved. We returned to Osaka by train. Since we were so hungry, we headed off quickly to try a classic Osaka meal- Okonomiyaki. It was a bit of a walk, but some peach water from a vending machine kept us on our feet so that we could find an Okonomiyaki restaurant. Okonomiyaki is pretty much a mix of cabbage, veggies, and eggs put to cook on a heated iron plate in front of you. We were expecting a DIY experience, but instead, we received the food premade, and then were able to cook them on the hot iron plates. It was delicious. Even though it was over-dressed in Okonomi sauce, it was some good Okonomiyaki. After a great meal, we headed back to the 
hotel. Luckily, we were dealing with a Saint Regis. They got us right to our room and they also brought us a cake for my brother’s birthday, which was the next day. The cake was moist, fruity, and irresistable- a perfect snack before bed. The thought of that cake still makes me blissful. We went to sleep after a shower that sprayed from all directions, which, let me tell you, is awesome. Going to sleep never felt so good.
DAY TWO- DAY TRIP TO HIMEJI AND KOBE (HIMEJI CASTLE, TEA, AND KOBE BEEF)
Buzz! If that timer hadn’t gone off, I might have slept until the end of our time in Osaka. But the timer did go off, so I got ready for a subway ride to Himeji. Of course, when we got to Himeji, it was hot. We walked along the streets, taking in the smells and sounds of the early morning in Japan. People were pulling open the doors of shops and setting out sweet smelling pastries in windows. We walked straight, along with most of the other people on foot. Everyone seemed to be pulled like magnets to the big, Japanese style castle complex elevated on a hill in front of us. When we reached Himeji castle, the bright white of the walls nearly blinded me. We walked up through the bits and pieces of shade and then entered the building. As soon as we walked in, the first thing that we did was take off our shoes. Most places in Japan are no-shoe 
environments, especially places they want to preserve, which is pretty smart. Who would want dirty, dirty shoes on 1000-year-old wood? Not me! I also love being shoe-less because I feel more at home. Usually I wear socks without shoes at home, so I can slide around with more comfort. So we took our shoes off and walked into the main building. It was overall pretty great. We walked around, reading signs about each room, which look like they did in ancient times. It was cooler than outside because of the breeze coming from the open windows. Once we reached the top, the layout changed. It was still in an old style, but a stand was set up selling souvenirs in one corner. In the other corner, a big sliding door opened out onto a wonderful view of Osaka. Closer to us, we saw the far reach of the complex. Then, in the distance, we saw the high rises and parking lots of Osaka city. After a great view, we headed back down the steep steps. When we got back down, we wandered the complex in the heat, which wasn’t that scenic, just a lot of grass, and then headed over to a teahouse nearby. It was only us there. When we walked in, everything was traditional. Tatami mats lined the
floors. Circular windows and painted screens surrounded us. In Japan, it is easy to forget the rich history. At the surface, there are many new electronics, the highest skyscrapers, all in all a pretty gleaming, new, and modern feel. But really, when you see places like the tearoom we were sitting in, there is no doubt that Japan once housed emperors and was even isolated completely from the rest of the world. A woman brought us tea and sweets. The gummy and sweet wagashi (read more about this in The Gora Kadan post) balanced out the bitter green tea perfectly. The people working there tried to communicate with us and even though they didn’t speak English and we don’t speak Japanese, we had a really great “conversation” using the few words we knew and universal gestures. They were so welcoming that it reminded me how I can feel at home abroad. Once cooled off, we set out again into the heat. Heading straight to the subway, we caught a train to Kobe. Once In Kobe, we walked to Ishida, a prestigious Kobe beef restaurant. We were there a bit early, so we walked around the block. When we came back around the corner, we were giddy with excitement. We had heard so much about beef in Kobe- its juicy, tender, and unique taste. I hoped that my expectations would be fulfilled- maybe even surpassed! We walked in the door and were greeted by our waitress. She brought us to the menus and explained to us how to order. We would order a package of meat and appetizers (all seeming insanely expensive). Me and my mother ordered one together because we wouldn’t eat a lot. I could see the excitement building in my brother’s eyes and then an idea hits me. It isn’t just eating the Kobe beef that is so amazing, it is sitting here with the people I love most, in Japan. The fact that I can travel with them to new and exciting places… I’m pretty darn lucky. I keep on thinking until the excitement is too much and I just give in to the giddy feeling in my stomach.
Even though we were there for my brother’s birthday, it was a treat for me too. A chef walked in and started cooking. The chef set out plates full of salad as an appetizer. After we finished this, we started on the Kobe beef. The tradition is to cook the beef in front of the customer. The cut is so valued, some believed that they would go back into the kitchen and make you another cheaper type of beef instead of the highly valued Kobe beef. So he brought out the beef and set out salts and sauces for us to try. He started to cook the beef in front of us. A smell even better than homemade pizza (that’s a high standard in our house) started wafting over to me. I put the fork into my mouth and bit into the meat. It was so GOOD! It melted in my mouth as soon as it touched my tongue. The chef got a perfect cook so that the inside was nice and juicy. Even my father, who has been a vegetarian since he can’t remember, ate a nibble and loved it. It was so good, I might not be able to eat meat again. It just will never match up to the beef in Kobe. My brother got served a special dessert. I was way too full, so I just waited while he licked his plate clean of chocolate. When we got back to the hotel, I nearly fainted from exhaustion. I dove into bed as fast as I could, to get a good night’s rest before packing my bags and heading to my next adventure…
PARENTS CORNER
STAY TUNED FOR MY NEXT ADVENTURE IN KURASHIKI!
