We travelled standard class car on the Nozomi Shinkansen to Osaka. Not quite as plush seating however more than adequate. Before getting on the train we had witnessed the Shisa Kanto – hand signalling safety system used by station staff and is said to reduce human error by up to 85%, it was amazing to see it in action.
As predicted the train was on time and we connected to the metro to take us to the city centre.
We had a few things planned for our stay;
✅ Pokemon Store
✅ Osaka Castle
✅ Dotonbori/Glico Running Man
✅ Umeda Sky Tower
In addition we found an exciting district called Shinsekai, a retro area developed in 1912 and inspired by Paris and Coney Island! What a find. The area is dominated by the Tsutenkaku Tower – we went back at night to go up to the viewing platforms for night views over Osaka.
We had a day spare and had seen what was on our list, so we hopped on a local train to Kobe.
Kyoto – A short train ride away, we had booked a ryokan for our stay. Two nights of sleeping on futons on tatami mats! Kyoto is definitely the shy retiring cousin to the big brash Osaka. We’d assumed that we would miss out on the cherry blossom, however it was absolutely stunning along the canal. We headed towards Gion which is one of the Geisha area’s in the city, there are strict rules on photography in the area, but we hoped to see one. On our way, we found a street tucked away which housed the tradition wooden houses, so we took a detour. Ambling along enjoying the experience, when a Maiko (apprentice Geisha) overtook us. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. We walked across the river, along the canal and into the Gion district. Fantastic traditional wooden houses, however we didn’t see a Geisha
We slept in the next day, disturbed sleep as futons don’t equal decent sleep (well for us) once up and out we headed over to Fushimi Inari – Taisha, torii gates that form a tunnel up Mount Inari.
As predicted it was so busy as early morning is the best time to visit. We walked for a short while and then decided to head back to the city. Walked through Maruyama park which was filled with cherry blossom trees, then found a cafe to try the fluffy pancakes – limited edition cherry strawberry blossom ones! We headed back for a “siesta” as were had booked a table that evening to sample the local Wagu and Kobe beef. A tick off our bucket list and a treat.
We opted for a mix of both and the best grade of A5. Both agreed that the Kobe was our favourite, but of course it was the dearest. Walked back through Gion and it started to rain, the whole feel of the area changes. It was like a film set. Pretty quiet due to the rain and we took a few photo’s of the road with the beautiful lanterns. G then noticed a Geisha walking towards us on the opposite side of the road. We watched intently as she approached, she then turned into a tea house, turning round to face us whilst closing the sliding door and our eyes met. It was like a scene from a movie, we couldn’t believe our fleeting meeting with a Geisha.
