I would say, pretty much everything I've heard about Japan is true. Like that the big city transforms into a different beast at night. #Osaka during the day is lovely, but the nights here have a very unique energy, bustling, electric, releasing.
@chuls Please also make a point to verify that fresh soba noodles are, in fact, delicious. (Do slurp them! You can't otherwise eat them while they're hot.)
@mirjam_diala Oko Okonomiyaki and for a traditional dinner, Asai Togei. Loved both to bits. Oko is where Inwentnfor my birthday and had the best time and Asai is where I’ve had the best food of my life.
🧵 1/8
Reserved our spots a long while ago - for a #chusen#dye#factory#tour
This is in #Sakai south of #Osaka but away from the other places we'd visited* a few times. So a different set of trains & a bit of a walk (nice sunny morning with cool weather).
We'd seen info on chusen and #tenugui at the Sakai traditional crafts museum - that had nice displays and videos. But we wanted to dig a bit deeper, especially for the kids to see
@Deus no plans to visit swordsmith. It's a fascinating process. We did however look at knife making in Sakai (most 90%? professional knives in Japan are made in Sakai)
Will update that thread* - teaser pic below. Didn't see the actual forging process etc but saw each piece of the process and got a kind explanation (mostly for the kids; I had a good idea of the details already). Not the same as seeing the forging and red hot differences in temp in the metal of course.
"Corporate leaders and govt officials in Kansai have emphasized that the expo is a national, not a local, project and that other cities and prefectures should prioritize it, even over their own needs." #Osaka#Japan https://mastodon.social/@thejapantimes/111221389419198543
🔸Déjà vu of Tokyo2020 'Recovery Olympics' which sucked up nationwide construction workers, thus delaying recovery work for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami for yet another white elephant.🙄 #NoMoreExpos#NoMoreOlympics#WhiteElephant
So after yesterday's late lunch*, walked about in Dotombori. Well not really walkabout, we went straight to Sennichimae Doguyasuji‡ to pick up some plates etc to use (we'd been there before for a quick scout + absolute essentials - wok etc earlier)
This time we also saw a terrific replica shop.
So many kawaii things! but passed on the expensive (Onigiri purse) or less functional/usable (keychain, magnet). #Osaka#Namba #DasInKobe
*see: https://mastodon.online/@SRDas/111115060346473554
Kids elected to get tiny Onigiri but without the earring hooks (kid2 will put her own on and make them), kid2 also got a lovely 🍤 hairclip
And then we were off to the other main place -that kid2 hadn't been that Kid1 only saw briefly when she tagged along on that initial quick reconnoiter before with us (see next)
Somewhat late #Saturday morning spur decision to head to #Osaka mostly to eat at a specific spot. We stopped there b4 - couple of times already, but getting there on weekend evening after days ventures the lines were too long& no more seats. So hoping late lunch will enable us to get in (It's Shunbun no Hi Vernal equinox but no luck trying to verify online or phone if they are open). Wish us luck!
No worries if not - plenty of spots there to eat (stomach & eyes) #Namba so taking the #Nara#train
PiC 2: While some might not like it but love the variety & diversity of the styles & structures of the buildings and houses - no uniformity, less utopian.
Failed miserably at - oh wait I did say I wouldn't livetoot - oh updating even.
(Will get back to that thread) but just a quick note to say that kids are going nuts in a not candy store.