Become JapanHolic
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Become JapanHolic
  • Kim Lee Kyung-hee
  • 승인 2008.03.10 13:25
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The Fascinating Name, Osaka


At 5:00 a.m.  I waked up with expectation for traveling to Japan.  Many facts make me palpitate, but the best thing that makes me palpitate is a fact I travel to alone.  I got in an airplane with pit-a-pat heart, about 2 hours later I arrived in Kansai International airport in Osaka,.  Fortunately, there were Korean posts in airport.  I went to railway station fallowing Korean posts, and I got in the limited express to Namba. 

After I finished hotel check-in in business hotel, I went one of the main Osaka downtown, Umeda.  Umeda is a big site gathered five rail and subway stations.  In underground, there were many underground shopping centers like COEX, Korean typed malling site.  As good luck would have it, many dress shops were on sales, I bought pretty clothes cheaply than Korea.  After I finished shopping and eating some food, I rode a Ferris wheel located in the rooftop of HEP-FIVE building.  This red Ferris wheel can go up about 100 meters.  The night sight looked in Ferris wheel was twinkling, fascinating, and beautiful.  Like a nightless city Osaka, my heart hardly ever slept.


A City Match with Rain, Kyoto


Kiyomiztera(Left side) Yashaka Shrien(Right side), in Kyoto 

When I waked up at next morning, the weather was cloudy and it is raining outside.  I worried about my schedule because sites that I visited that day were my most expected sites.  Anyway, I got in a limited express to Kawaramachi station, Kyoto.  You may think easily that Kyoto is similar to KyungJoo in.  Like KyungJoo, there were many temples and shrines in Kyoto.  First I visited Gion streets, likes Insa-dong street in.  Gion streets revived the old Kyoto that it was a capital of old once a time, in a long time.  In Gion, I surprised that there were no peddlers who have a big noisy voice.  There were only calm Yashaka shrine, and visitor. 

Following calm atmosphere, I prayed my secret hopes at Yashaka shrine.  After I visited Gion streets, I moved to Kiyomiztera on foot.  While I was exposed to misty rain, I felt that Kyoto match with rain well.  Wasted pine tree, Japanese style fountain, any thing in Kyoto was matched with rain.  Kiyomiztera, a famous temple was matched with rain, too.  Kiyomiztera assigned World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, that history is as many as over the 1,000 years.  In Kiyomiztera, a famous mineral spring, each spring grants studies, relation, and health.  I drank mineral spring and hope a relation.  After I left Kiyomiztera, I moved up to the Kobe.


Small European City in Japan, Kobe

 

Chinatown (Left side), In front of Sannomiya station (Right side), in Kobe

When I move up to Kobe, the sun had set before I knew it.  Owing to this fact, I enjoyed Kobe well because night is better than daylight for enjoying Kobe.  This city was new harbor city in Kansai, there were many new buildings than other Kansai cities.  Also, other reason that Kobe has new buildings was the face Kobe underwent a big earthquake in 1995.  So the sight of Kobe was polishing.  After I took off the rail, I went to the Chinatown.  The red lamps, big Chinese style steamed dumpling welcomed to me, I felt that I visited other country aside.  I moved up to Harbor Land after I visited the Chinatown.  Harbor Land is a Kobe ’s landmark building, it was filled with many twinkling lamps and sculpture.  In restaurant of Harbor Land, I enjoyed night sight of Kobe harbor likes Kobe Tower and Merigen Park .  While I stayed in Kobe, I felt as if Kobe was a small European city.

 
Kitchen of the Universe, Dotombori

Funny and Fascinating Signs in Dotombori


Spending the last day in Japan, I think that I didn’t enjoy Japanese food until now.  So I went to the Dotombori which called the kitchen of the universe after visiting Denden Town.  When I arrived Dotombori, the sun had set so I could see another side of Dotombori.  Dotombori is similar to Myeong-dong located in Japan, the different thing is only one, there were no peddlers.  As soon as I arrived the Dotombori main street, I ate takoyaki, a Japanese dumpling diced octopus.  Its taste liked a soft cream and I could taste several delicious sauces.  Also I visited well-known omerice restaurant.  Do you know that the birthplace of omerice is Osaka ?  I ate a cream omerice, Is becoming to birthplace of omerice, its taste very great then ever before I ate omefice dishes.  But for these foods, every dished in Dotombori were great then ever.

This travel is my first free travel, and the travel with alone.  Many people worried about that I traveled with alone, but I did it.  Although I lost my way, got in an opposite direction bus, and rode in a taxi paying expensive cost, I am sure that this valueless experiences change more cool myself then past myself.  Do you want to have more gear your soul? Then I make a strong recommend to you traveling with alone.


Tips

Traffic
In Japan, the traffic expense is very high.  (A subway base rate is 230 yen.)  So I recommend 2 economy ways when you travel in Japan.  First way, when you want to travel to many cities not only Osaka but Kyoto, Kobe, or Nara, I recommend KANSAI THUR PASS 2 days or 3 days.  Through this ticket, you can use Kansai region’s all traffic devices except JR and Shinkansen during 2 days or 3 days.  You can buy this ticket at many center in Japan, the easy way to buy this ticket is buying through travel agency in Japan. 
Second way, when you want to travel only to Osaka, One Day Free Pass Ticket in Osaka is suitable for you.  You can go any subway station in Osaka with this ticket during one day.  This ticket costs 890 yen, and you can buy at vending mechine in every subway station.

Food
 I tell you with some lies, all of food in Osaka is very delicious.  In case of Japan, usually expensive dishes are delicious, cheap dishes are common, or tasteless.  I ate Osaka food from 400 yen dish to 2,050 yen dish during 3 days, every dish is delicious.  They taste was really great at same, but more expensive dishes is of a small quantity than cheaper one.  So don’t worry about a fact that you eat a cheap food.  Also, special recommend food is ramen, takoyaki, and omerice.


The last tip is adapted every case of travel, don’t excessive your schedule.  Actually when I visited in Kyoto, I wanted to visited more temple and shrine, but I gave it up because the weather was very bad.  After the next day morning, I caught a light cold.  If I had visited more places that day, I caught a terrible cold.  Travel is just enjoying yourself.  So you have not to excess your schedule, just enjoy yourself and that place.

(All photos from Kim Lee Kyung-hee)


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