Day 2: Japan (Osaka)
The second day of our Japan vacation is to go around Namba area, buying the items in our wish list.
Before leaving the hotel, I ate my breakfast which we bought from 7-Eleven last night. My niece taught me how to eat it.
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| Mini-Altar at bedside table |
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| Breakfast bought at 7-Eleven |
Our first stop would be at Tower Knives. On the way, we stopped to take photos from time to time. That's when something untoward happened. Anyway, lesson learned. Maybe best to take photos with your cellphone (no sound) than a regular camera. Avoid taking pictures with people in them unless you are in “tourist” areas.
When we reached Tower Knives, it was still closed. It opens at 10 AM. We decided to have coffee in one of the stores nearby. Chose cafe du petit.
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| At cafe du petit |
Before 10 AM, we went back to Tower Knives. It is a good experience as I have learned something new about knives. My niece chose the Santoku (a Japanese knife), and petty knives with different handles. The way to choose a knife is to use it and see how it feels in your hands when you are using it. The lady who assisted us also did some demo and gave snippets of information.
- Do not push the knife down when cutting.
- When cutting "hard" food, slice the knife back (Asian style) or slice forward (Western style). Best is slicing backward.
- When cutting soft food like tomatoes, slice back then forward.
You can also have your name engraved on the knife. My niece did it by putting the Japanese name.
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| Engraving at Tower Knives |
Next goal is to buy my On shoes. We would be going and walking our way to Abeno Q's Mall where the main branch of the shoes is located. On the way, passed by Tsutenkaku Tower. It is a 103-meter-tall landmark in Osaka’s retro Shinsekai district that serves as a symbol of the city.
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| Tsutenkaku Tower |
Back to my shoes. They do not carry my size.
Since we were already there, we had our lunch at the mall's food court--Q's Kitchen. The serving was so big that I did not finish my food.
We went back to the hotel first, dropping off our purchases and to rest a little before our afternoon activities. This is my first train ride in Japan via Osaka Metro. My niece taught me how to get the icoca card and have it loaded up. It can be used for trains and buses.
Our first stop is at a Kimono rental where my nieces already made an appointment for the kimono rental and our hair was done. We walked our way to Osaka Castle wearing Japan's traditional dress. 😊
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| Osaka Castle |
This is where we had a lot of photos taken. We no longer entered the castle. It is enough that we explored the grounds outside the castle, usually the castle as a backdrop of our photos. On our way back to where we rented the kimono, it started to drizzle. Thank You, God, for the rain did not fall hard.
We then went to Dotonbori for some (window) shopping and to have our dinner. We ate at Tempura Makino Namba. My nieces have already researched where to eat so I can try them. It is my first time in Japan. They have been to Japan several times. I ordered their Tamago-Ten-Tsuki. It is a shrimp tempura set meal with egg tempura. The food is very good. I have not finished the food because I am already full.
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| Tempura Makino Namba |
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| Inside the Tempura Makino Namba |
For dessert, we tried the Strawberry Mania. Tried their Daifuku Daifuku.
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| Strawberry Mania |
I also had my picture taken in front of the Glico Man billboard. They said if you haven't done so, you have not been to Osaka. LOL. The Glico Man is a famous, 33-meter-tall LED billboard in Osaka's Dotonbori district depicting a runner in a victory pose on a blue track. Installed in 1935, it symbolizes the energy-boosting properties of Ezaki Glico's caramel candy, with the "running man" mascot representing the 300 meters of energy provided by one piece.
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| Glico Man |
We passed by a Gashapon. My nieces wanted me to try it. They chipped in with coins and guided me how to do it (enter the three coins one at a time, turn the dial fully to the right, pick up your "prize").
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| Gashapon "prize" |
Before going back to the hotel to call it a day, we passed by Don Quixote for some souvenirs. They said, it is a must to experience buying at Don Quixote. And again, we went to 7-Eleven.
Labels: coffee, food, photography, travel
posted by ~GFA~ @ 2/27/2026 07:00:00 PM
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