Japan 2024 Day 6 Takayama-Osaka : Vibrant Dōtonbori!

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Japan 2024: Day 6 Takayama-Osaka: Vibrant Dōtonbori!

Kyoto, Takayama, Osaka, Japan Day 6: 2nd April (Tuesday)

Small Group (Non-cycling) This is part of a tour of the Kansai & Hida Regions, Japan:

Chisun Grand (Takayama)>van>Tōkai-Hokuriku Expressway>Yoro Service Area>van>Kyoto (Kyoto Station)>JR Kyoto Line train>Osaka (Osaka Station)>walk>Umeda Station>Midosuji Subway>Namba Station>walk>Dōtonbori (Dotonbori Hotel).

This is page 6 of an 8-page blog, Click Here To Go To Title Page.

< D5: Shirakawa-go | Go to Other Days | D7: Kuromon >

Route recommendations, here're some tips on travelling in and around Kyoto:

1. Traffic Directions!

Traffic in Japan is right-hand drive, so drive/cycle on the left. The same thing applies when crossing the road, take note of the direction in which traffic is approaching!

2. Clearing Immigration & Customs

To clear Immigration & Customs fast, foreign visitors can do an online registration at the "Visit Japan Web" page and register their details online. Those in the same family can register together in one form. Upon successful registration, a QR Code will be issued, share this QR Code to the phones of each member. Just show this QR Code at both Immigration & Customs, and one will be whisked through as long as one has nothing to declare.

3. Getting to and around Osaka.

We drove a rented van to drive from Takayama to Kyoto. After returning the van at Kyoto we used our ICOCA Travel Passes to get from Kyoto to and around Osaka (by trains & buses). This travel pass can be bought online via Klook which will issue vouchers and be redeemed for the actual tickets at the vending machines JR ticket gate at Kansai Airport. OR they can bought & be topped up at station vending machines at the JR-WEST Ticket Offices.
We navigated our way using Google Maps.

4. Route & Traffic Conditions

Traffic within Takayama was light. Leaving Takayama and onwards to Kyoto was smooth along the Tokai Hokuriku Expressway. From Kyoto we took the JR Kyoto Line train to Osaka, and then the Midosuji Subway Line to Dōtonbori. At Kyoto & Osaka, we used our ICOCA Travel Pass card to travel around by trains and buses.

5. Weather

In late March & early April 2024, daytime weather in Kyoto & Osaka ranged from 17°C to 22°C and night time ranged 4°C to 13°C. So bring warm clothing and practice layered clothing to keep warm and still allow for stripping during the hotter times of the day.

6. Communicating with Each Other

When travelling in a group it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest. We bought online 15-day 10Gb Japan Go! prepaid sim cards from Hello 1010. 20Gb cards are also available. The cards were delivered 5 days from the order. Alternatively, those using Maxis can opt for their Multi-country Roaming Pass.

7. Communicating with Locals

Except for those involved in the tourist industry, most Japanese don't speak English. Install Google Translate or Naver Papago apps to communicate. It will be good to pick up some basic Japanese phrases.

8. Places & Things of Interest

Enroute were several places of interest, some of which we visited and others we did not for lack of time (Note: click on GPS coordinates for a directional map to respective places):

Enroute from Takayama:
- Ichiichi Ittobori “Long Hand” statue (一位一刀彫「手長」像) (GPS: 36.14139, 137.25224).

- Itto Statue “Long legs” (GPS: 36.1413, 137.25225).

- Sarubobo Statue (ひと休みさるぼぼ) (GPS: 36.14348, 137.25899).
- Twin Arch 138 (ツインアーチ１３８) (GPS: 35.35770, 136.80906) near Ichinomiya, Aichi.
- Sakura Trees along the Tōkai-Hokuriku Expressway (GPS: 36.06273, 137.04578).
- Sakura Trees at the Yoro Service Area (Osaka and Fukui-bound) (養老SA (下り）) (GPS: 35.32104, 136.54268).
At Osaka:
- Dotonbori Street (道頓堀) (GPS: 34.66872, 135.50129).
- Ebisubashi Bridge (戎橋（えびすばし）) (GPS: 34.66906, 135.5013).
- Dotonbori Glico Running Man (道頓堀グリコサイン) (GPS: 34.66892, 135.50108).
- Dotonbori Bar Scene (GPS: 34.67033, 135.50358).
- Shinsaibashi Shopping Street (心斎橋筋) (GPS: 34.67242, 135.50103).
- Ebisu Bashi-Suji Shopping Street (戎橋筋商店街) (GPS: 34.66749, 135.50135).
- Hozenji Yokocho Food Alley (法善寺横丁) (GPS: 34.66798, 135.5027).
- Tombori River Walk (とんぼりリバーウォーク) (GPS: 34.66895, 135.50522).

9. Food

a. Breakfast:
Take-away sandwiches & pastry from Family Mart Takayama Station Store (b) (GPS: 36.14176, 137.25206).

b. Morning Snacks:
Cremia (Sofuto) soft-served ice-cream & iced desserts from Jugemu (じゅげむ) (GPS: 36.14269, 137.25927).

c. Lunch:

Japanese Octopus, Cremia (Sofuto) soft-served ice-cream, and other snacks at the Food Court of the Yoro Service Area (Osaka and Fukui-bound) (養老SA (下り）) (GPS: 35.32104, 136.54268).
   d. Dinner 1:
    Butadon (Pork Donburi) at Yoshinoya Midosuji Namba (吉野家御堂筋難波店) (GPS: 34.66880, 135.50006).
e. Dinner 2:
      Teppanyaki at Mitsuya (三矢) (GPS: 34.67040, 135.50388).

10. Stay

Days 6 to 8: A 3-pax room & a 2-pax room at Dotonbori Hotel (道頓堀ホテル) (GPS: 34.66856, 135.4988); booked much earlier through Booking.com at ¥216,600

(MYR6,600) total for 3 nights, ie at MYR440 per pax per night.
Other than free Wi-Fi, the hotel also provides free drinks & instant ramen at certain hours at the cosy lobby. The hotel has a coin-operated launderette. It is also near the Shinsaibashi and Ebisubashi shopping arcades & Hozenji Alley restaurant area.

11. Navigation

Geo-tagging of places of interest was done via Google Maps and FaceBook. Alternatively one can use MapMe.com, (it's an offline app, but one will have to pre-download the maps of the relevant areas). Driving directions were guided with Google Maps.

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PRELUDE

Yesterday, we had a good morning cycling around Takayama to the Miyagawa Morning Market, and the Sanmachi Historic District. After lunch we drove to Shirawaka-go, to visit this quaint village with Gassho-style Houses that are listed on the UNESCO Heritage List.
Today we head back to Kyoto, to return the rental van. From there we took the train to Osaka to continue our family holiday.

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DAY 6: TAKAYAMA-OSAKA

Small group self-tour of the Kansai & Hida Regions, Japan. Day 6 From Takayama to Kyoto to Osaka:

We left Takayama and drove to Kyoto to drop off the rental van, and then headed to Osaka by train to continue our holiday.
(Click here for the Takayama-Osaka Route Map)

It's a good morning as we say Hi! to Sarubobo, resting happily on a bench outside the Juroku Bank Takayama. Sarubobo (さるぼぼ) is a Japanese amulet, particularly associated with the town of Takayama. Sarubobo are red human-shaped dolls, with no facial features, made in a variety of sizes.

For breakfast, we had takeaway pastries from Family Mart Takayama Station, and on the way out from Takayama, we stopped by at Jugemu for Cremia (Sofuto) soft-served ice-cream & iced desserts. Yums!

After a short drive around the town, we said goodbye and headed towards Kyoto!

Passed by the Twin Arch 138, we were eager to reach Osaka, so did not turn in to visit. This is a 138m tall steel tower built in 1995, and has an observation platform at 100m.

In the past few days, we did not get to see many Sakuras trees. But driving along the highway, we were most glad to see them flowering along the road and also far away on the hillsides.

At our next stop, the Yoro Service Area, more Sakuras up close for us to pose with!
These were not in full bloom, but they will have to do.

Here too, we had a longer stop for lunch. The Yoro Service Area is quite a large R&R, one section was like a supermarket/retail area with promoters vending their stuff. One stall had a large variety of cooked and marinated baby octopus (chuka idako) which yours truly liked very much. And adjacent to this was a large food court with several stalls.

As we were leaving, I espied a large mock-up cone promoting ...... Cremia soft-served ice-cream and it was round two of our favourite ice cream for today.

3:00pm - Arrived at Kyoto Station and we dropped the rental van at the nearby nissan-rentacar.com branch.

But before catching the train to Osaka, it's time to top up the credit of our ICOCA Travel Pass. We will be getting around Osaka by train/bus, so best to have enough credit. This can be done at the vending machines at the Kyoto Station or at any of the vending machines at the JR-WEST Ticket Offices.

And off we went on the Special Rapid Himeji Train Ride from Kyoto Station to Osaka Station. Too bad it was a bit hazy, and the scenery en route wasn't the best, but we did catch glimpses of Sakuras trees.

At Osaka Station we took a short walk over to the Umeda Station, and were soon on the Midosuji Subway Line heading for the Namba Station, we were fortunate that the train wasn't packed. Namba Station is a stone's throw away from our hotel in Dōtonbori.

A short walk away we checked ourselves into the Dotonbori Hotel. I like this hotel and had stayed here a couple of times during previous trips to Osaka in 2012 & 2014. With four huge statue heads representing the different races of the world at its front facade, it's easily recognisable. And best of all, during happy hours (3pm-9pm), freebies (including ramen, sake, beer, cocktail, ice cream, etc.) are served at the hotel lobby. Cheers!

Out for dinner with Phing & Nicks at the nearby Yoshinoya Midosuji Namba. Had good porky don i.e. Butadon (Pork Donburi), and Unadon (Unagi rice). un (fresh water eels) are supposed to be good for the libido..... not to say this AhPek need help there heh-heh!

Dōtonbori always attracts me, its bright lights are like a magnet drawing me in to see what it has to offer. We walked along it and onto some of the more lively side roads, intrigued by the many shops selling varieties of food and consumer stuff! Some have rather unique signboards advertising their goods, even with big moving statues like puffer fish and giant crabs!

After a while, we decided to venture off from Dotonbori Street and ventured further along to its branch street. This seems to be the naughtier side of Dōtonbori - with many pubs, and bars, most with their own themes. On their signboards, some advertised anime-dressed waitresses, others K-Pop culture, etc.

I got a call from Kev - and it was Dinner Round 2! This time at nearby Mitsuya, Teppan restaurant. This place seems rather exclusive, needing to call ahead for reservations. It's a small bar and we sit at the counter which had side curtains that draws down to "partition off" individual groups to ensure their privacy. The food was very good - we had some Wagyu beef , and Yakitori, which included a unique fish.

To work off the double dinner, we walked along Tombori River Walk. It's a two-tiered boardwalk with some restaurants serving very tempting food at the upper tier!

As we ended our walk, near our hotel was Kaniyoshi West (GPS: 34.66882, 135.49903) which serves the renowned (or is it notorious?) Fugu (Pufferfish). But I chickened out (or should I say puffed out?) and refrained from going in.

おやすみ
(That's "Oyasumi", Goodnight in Japanese)

(For more photos of the Day 6, Click Here)

This is page 6 of an 8-page blog, Click Here To Go To Title Page.

< D5: Shirakawa-go | Go to Other Days | D7: Kuromon >

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