Eat:
Kani Douraku has a branches all over Japan. However, the main branch on Osaka Doutonbori is pretty famous. On Doutonbori itself, they have 3 branches, one at each end of Doutonbori and HQ right in the middle. You can't miss their buildings which are all decorated with a giant crab. In the entrance area, there are aquariums swarming with the unfortunate critters waiting their turn to be gobbled up by the likes of us.
We were lucky to be seated by the corner window where we had a view of the famous Doutonbori. Where you end up in terms of seating is really a roll of dice. As for eating, you can try out the set menus ranging from 3500 to 22000 yen per person which provide a nice variety of Japanese crab dishes. In my case, I specifically ordered only the dishes I love. Crab (Kani) tempura 2750 yen, Kani croquette 730 yen and two Kani claw gratins for 1100 yen each.
Wanaka Takoyaki - Michelin guide listed octopus 'poffertjes'
For non-Dutch readers, poffertjes are Dutch mini pancakes, roughly the size of flattened golf ball. The takoyaki which literally translates as 'octopus bake' are balls of batter baked to a crisp on the outside, featuring a soft inside with a piece of octopus meat at the center. Unlike the poffertje which is all about melted butter and sugar, the takoyaki is savoury with bonito flakes and sauce on top. Wanaka located on Doutonbori is a great place to try out takoyaki. It has been listed on the Michelin guide for several years so it's a good place to virgin takoyaki tasters.
Warning about tourist traps
Beware of rip-offs on Doutonbori. I spotted some stands hawking charcoaled broiled skewers of wagyu beef on the street. For crazy prices. A single so-called top-quality wagyu skewer with only 4 or 5 bite-sized pieces was going for 13,000 yen. I was wondering, who falls for that? To give you an idea of how much top quality wagyu beef 10,000 would buy in a restaurant, see the photo of wagyu shashabu under Kanoko on the Nara page. We paid a total of 20,000 for a meal at Kanoko but we got 2 of those loaded wagyu plates. Or better yet, walk into the food section of a high-end department store like Takashimaya and you'll see what the kilo price is for this beef. You can even get wagyu cuts in the supermarket. In the photo below, you can see 133 g of wagyu going for 771 yen. If you have a hotel room with a kitchenette and a frying pan, just sautee the beef with some salt, pepper and garlic powder and maybe some yakiniku sauce. You'll have a delicious treat for a fraction of restaurant prices.
We were lucky to be seated by the corner window where we had a view of the famous Doutonbori. Where you end up in terms of seating is really a roll of dice. As for eating, you can try out the set menus ranging from 3500 to 22000 yen per person which provide a nice variety of Japanese crab dishes. In my case, I specifically ordered only the dishes I love. Crab (Kani) tempura 2750 yen, Kani croquette 730 yen and two Kani claw gratins for 1100 yen each.
Wanaka Takoyaki - Michelin guide listed octopus 'poffertjes'
For non-Dutch readers, poffertjes are Dutch mini pancakes, roughly the size of flattened golf ball. The takoyaki which literally translates as 'octopus bake' are balls of batter baked to a crisp on the outside, featuring a soft inside with a piece of octopus meat at the center. Unlike the poffertje which is all about melted butter and sugar, the takoyaki is savoury with bonito flakes and sauce on top. Wanaka located on Doutonbori is a great place to try out takoyaki. It has been listed on the Michelin guide for several years so it's a good place to virgin takoyaki tasters.
Warning about tourist traps
Beware of rip-offs on Doutonbori. I spotted some stands hawking charcoaled broiled skewers of wagyu beef on the street. For crazy prices. A single so-called top-quality wagyu skewer with only 4 or 5 bite-sized pieces was going for 13,000 yen. I was wondering, who falls for that? To give you an idea of how much top quality wagyu beef 10,000 would buy in a restaurant, see the photo of wagyu shashabu under Kanoko on the Nara page. We paid a total of 20,000 for a meal at Kanoko but we got 2 of those loaded wagyu plates. Or better yet, walk into the food section of a high-end department store like Takashimaya and you'll see what the kilo price is for this beef. You can even get wagyu cuts in the supermarket. In the photo below, you can see 133 g of wagyu going for 771 yen. If you have a hotel room with a kitchenette and a frying pan, just sautee the beef with some salt, pepper and garlic powder and maybe some yakiniku sauce. You'll have a delicious treat for a fraction of restaurant prices.
Other food tips for all over Japan:
See tips in the Tokyo page on Konbini and the Ebi (shrimp) burgers of McDonalds and Mos Burger.
Visit:
Nakanoshima Children's Book Forest - A dream library for kids and grown-ups
Thanks to my husband who manages the collection at a local library and our love for books, we found this wonderful book sanctuary with innovative ideas for nurturing curiosity and a love for books. The beautiful architecture was designed by Tadao Ando and the philosophy that forms the collection housed inside was shaped by the book director Masataka Haba. Books are not organized in the conventional manner but arranged according to 12 themes. For each theme the library houses as a mixture of books for all ages. The idea behind this is to allow a child to access books concerning a subject and to not limit access to books artificially according to age groups. For example, a child could browse books on life starting from microorganisms to insects and ultimately explore larger life forms like whales and elephants. And a child reading a story book on ants can also look into a scientific book on ants on the same shelf if so inclined. Why withhold books based on age? They also don't shy away from themes such as the birth, life and death and beyond; a theme that is housed aptly in a circular room. Many books are also displayed to show their enticing covers rather than the boring spines. I wish I had access to such a library when I was young.
Doutonbori
Normally busy places like this are on our 'avoid' list. However, it is worth experiencing once. I found that this street is mainly about food. See two recommendations I wrote above. This street is the embodiment of the expression 'Ku i da o re' meaning to ruin oneself by spending on food. The Japanese often say you bankrupt yourself on food in Osaka while in Kyoto, you ruin yourself by spending on Kimonos 'Ki da o re'.
TeamLab Botanical
This TeamLab experience is outdoors and very different from the indoors experience of TeamLab in Tokyo. (See Tokyo page). The exhibit is only open after dark and the various installations are situated among the trees and plants of the botanical garden. This alone sets it apart from all indoor exhibits. For many of the installations, you are encouraged to wander right into the area with plants, trees and lights. My favorites are the huge LED eggs that react to touch by changing color and the projection of a ghostly Japanese procession of dancing people, wagons, magical rabbits, bears and frogs that weaves through the forest.
If you want to shop for something other than tacky refrigerator magnets, try out some of these stores.
Stores like Muji, Tokyu Hands, Uniqlo and Zoff have branches in all major Japanese cities so you can plan in a shopping moment wherever you are. Please refer to the information on the Tokyo page for tips on what to buy at these stores
Thanks to my husband who manages the collection at a local library and our love for books, we found this wonderful book sanctuary with innovative ideas for nurturing curiosity and a love for books. The beautiful architecture was designed by Tadao Ando and the philosophy that forms the collection housed inside was shaped by the book director Masataka Haba. Books are not organized in the conventional manner but arranged according to 12 themes. For each theme the library houses as a mixture of books for all ages. The idea behind this is to allow a child to access books concerning a subject and to not limit access to books artificially according to age groups. For example, a child could browse books on life starting from microorganisms to insects and ultimately explore larger life forms like whales and elephants. And a child reading a story book on ants can also look into a scientific book on ants on the same shelf if so inclined. Why withhold books based on age? They also don't shy away from themes such as the birth, life and death and beyond; a theme that is housed aptly in a circular room. Many books are also displayed to show their enticing covers rather than the boring spines. I wish I had access to such a library when I was young.
Doutonbori
Normally busy places like this are on our 'avoid' list. However, it is worth experiencing once. I found that this street is mainly about food. See two recommendations I wrote above. This street is the embodiment of the expression 'Ku i da o re' meaning to ruin oneself by spending on food. The Japanese often say you bankrupt yourself on food in Osaka while in Kyoto, you ruin yourself by spending on Kimonos 'Ki da o re'.
TeamLab Botanical
This TeamLab experience is outdoors and very different from the indoors experience of TeamLab in Tokyo. (See Tokyo page). The exhibit is only open after dark and the various installations are situated among the trees and plants of the botanical garden. This alone sets it apart from all indoor exhibits. For many of the installations, you are encouraged to wander right into the area with plants, trees and lights. My favorites are the huge LED eggs that react to touch by changing color and the projection of a ghostly Japanese procession of dancing people, wagons, magical rabbits, bears and frogs that weaves through the forest.
Buy:
In Doutonbori, my husband got a flashy jacket...satin red with a tiger embroidered on it. I found it quite hideous. Apart from this, we didn't find anything special to take home from Osaka.
Stores with branches in all major cities:
Stores like Muji, Tokyu Hands, Uniqlo and Zoff have branches in all major Japanese cities so you can plan in a shopping moment wherever you are. Please refer to the information on the Tokyo page for tips on what to buy at these stores
Sleep:
See Nara page. We prefer staying in quiet and inexpensive Nara as a base when visiting the Kansai area. It's an easy 1 hour local train ride to Osaka.
