Osaka Food Trip - Dotonbori

Osaka is a haven for food lovers. There is abundance of  snacks, fruits and dishes to eat. The two places to visit to sample Japanese food in Osaka is Dotonbori and Kuromon Ichiba Market.

Dotonbori is the busiest area in Osaka that I have visited so far.

 

Busier than the street markets of Taipei. Crowd starting to swell from 4pm. There are plenty of food stalls, restaurants, coffeshops, ramen houses.

The food is advertized via attractive business signs.

Long lines would mean the food is delicious. While lines are long, they move pretty fast

Ramen, Sushi, Gyoza, takoyaki, grilled crabmeat, scallops, beef cubes, taiyaki are some of the more popular snacks.

Along the riverbank are bright neon lights. Big crowds gather near the iconic glico man sign to have their photos taken.

glico man at daytime

glico man at night time

American brands like H&M and Starbucks can also be found. There are convenience stores as well.

Shinsaibashi-suji is nearby. It is a covered shopping street where you can find all sort of merchandise and restaurants.

You can get popular snacks and merchandise at reasonable prices at Don Quijote

Dotonbori is a must visit place when in Osaka. It is guaranteed you will find your favourite street food. Be adventurous and try all the food you can find.

How to get to Dotonbori:
From Namba Nankai station, take the north exit; search for the taxi stand and cross the main road. Walk straight toward the riverbank for 10 minutes and you will reach Dotonbori bridge

Fushimi Inari Shrine & Thousand Torii Gates

Located in southern Kyoto, Fushimi Inari Taisha is a Shinto shrine built at the base of a mountain named Inari.

It is one of the most visited places in Kyoto. It is famous for its thousands vermillion torii gates. The red-ish color represents the sun. .

The shrine is said to be dedicated to the god of rice and sake by the Hota clan in the 8th century.

The torii gates were donated by the national and local businesses and even individuals. Cost of a gate starts at 400,000 yen for a small one. Your name will be etched in black on one side of the gate.

There is a path in between the torii gates and walking through them is like you're thrown in a different space

Aside from the torii gates, you will notice statues of foxes. Foxes are seen to be the messenger of the god of grains.

There are lots of food and souvenir stalls along the street leading to the shrine.

for sale- umbrella in a nice casing

souvenir mini torii

Sample the freshly cooked snacks after a long walk.

takoyaki

king crab meat

xiao long bao soup

Unlike other temples in Kyoto, there is no fee to enter the shrine and the torii gates.

Best to visit early in the morning to avoid the crowd or late afternoon to early evening to enjoy the serenity of the place and to take photos minus the tourists.

How to get o Fushimi Inari Shrine
From Osaka station, take the JR Tokaido Sanyo line bound for Nagahama and stop at Kyoto station, transfer to JR Nara line bound for Joyo and alight at Inari Station. Walk 400 meters to the shrine.

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