Whether you are there for food, sightseeing or entertainment, Osaka and Okayama never failto thrill, writes R. Gowri
IT is only 8.15am on a humid October morning in Osaka prefecture and (...cringe), my oversized luggage’s wheels are loudly announcing my arrival on the quiet streets of Minamisenba, a chic urban district.
This really isn’t a good time to be faltering in Google-maps reading skills either. For the umpteenth time since leaving Kansai Airport on the Nankai Line Airport Express Train, I find myself wishing I had packed lighter for the trains, escalators, staircases and bus journeys to come in the days ahead.
Finally, my companions and I arrive at BSPK (Bespoke Hotel Shinsaibashi), a glass-fronted building that is just 280 metres from Nagahoribashi Subway Station! It’s a relief to be able to collapse onto the cool mattress and let my body moan in peace. I’ll be calling this spotless room home for the next two days.
By late afternoon, I am already making my way to Shinsaibashi Metro Station to head to the Harukas 300 Observatory. My route takes me past Dotonbori, a 12-minute walk from BSPK. You just can’t miss this shopping and eating hub with its swarms of people. Dotonbori assaults all your senses in larger-than-life servings of modern-day commerce; huge, gaudy, eccentric billboards that look like they were borrowed from a Pixar film, loud music, boats travelling down the Dotonbori canal, strolling mascots and event parties, ...and the smell of food! The place typifies the Osakan spirit of kuidaore, or over-indulgence in food. The range of foodcarts and restaurants is simply mind-boggling.
I continue further down to Shinsaibashi-suji street, Osaka’s most favoured shopping hub with tax-free retailers, all lined up under a high-roofed arcade. Surprisingly, this stylish street has a history that goes back to the Edo period of the early 17th century.
HIGH POINT
But my objective this evening is Osaka’s tallest building, Abeno Harukas.
From JR Tennoji Station, I use my Klook-booked e-ticket for direct entry onto the 60th floor of the Harukas 300 Observatory (58th to 60th floors). Getting a 360-degree view of Osaka prefecture from 300 metres above ground is humbling. The view stretches to beyond Kyoto, all the way to the sea and mountains. The sight is even more spectacular at night, with myriad colours and pinpoints of lights making Osaka look like a fairyland of sorts.
During daylight, visitors can clamber up metal steps to stand on a narrow deck called The Edge, hooked by safety harnesses to metal railings, and be rewarded by a dizzying view of Osaka.
While families can enjoy various fun activities at the observatory, with light shows coming on at night at the 60th floor, my favourite activity falls late in the evening — a ¥5,800 barbeque dinner with three kinds of meat and a free flow of wine and beer. The Sky Garden restaurant on the 58th floor with its tree foliage and cool night breezes blowing through the open roof is pretty surreal when darkness falls.
Day two at Universal Studios Japan is a fast-flowing day of thrilling rides, festive eats and parades. The Klook one-day pass for the theme park (getting there using the JR West Kansai Area Pass) enabled me to skip the queues.
Universal Studio’s most popular of rides, the Forbidden Journey in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, is not to be missed, nor the funny, exciting 4D Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem Ride.
GARDENS AND GHOST TOWNS
It’s my third day in western Japan. I arrive in Okayama, the capital of Okayama Prefecture, from Shin-Osaka using my JR-West Rail Pass, riding the sparkling Sanyo Shinkansen, one of Japan’s famous bullet train lines. The usual 45-minute journey had taken a little longer; typhoon Hagibis is making landfall some 550km away and the trains are running at slower speeds in a precautionary measure against strong winds.
Okayama, however, is calm, and cool. A short bus ride from JR Okayama Station (on the Korakuen Bus) deposits me at Korakuen Garden, which ranks as one of three most admired landscaped gardens in Japan. Dating back to 1687 to the time of the Ikeda Clan Lords, the garden received its name Korakuen (meaning “later pleasures”) in 1871. A decade or so thereafter, the clan ceded it to the prefecture.
Past the crane aviary to one side, I come upon a picture-perfect expanse of verdant grass, brooks, well-trimmed trees, large pond, and a little hillock, from where I sit and view this very poetic, and rather pensive, landscape. Walking paths trail all around the garden, for visitors are not allowed to step on the grass. This genteel setting is complemented by a tea cafe near some shrubs. As I head towards it, I am suddenly pushed forward by a strong gust of wind which blows across the pond, picking up water droplets. This fine curtain of spray is carried by the wind, skimming across the garden even as the tree branches bend from the force of the gust.
But nature’s startling might is felt only for minutes here in Korakuen, unlike in Tokyo, where the typhoon is already devastating homes. I can only sympathise with the poor folk bearing the brunt of it.
DENIM EVERYWHERE
Day four unfolds with an early start. I am told the place we are visiting today is a little piece of heaven for denimheads and wanna-be cowboys. Climbing down from the Jeans Bus (what else!) from Kojima Station at Kojima Jeans Street, I feel I’ve walked into a Wild West ghost town with old-fashioned store fronts.
Pairs of jeans can be seen hanging high above the streets, as if strung on ill-placed clothes lines. I expect to see the boys from
Rawhide riding down the streets, stopping to ask, “What’s happened to all them townsfolk?” Well, I don’t know, but the shops have quite a few tourists inside who seem to know a good denim outfit when they see one.
Kojima in Kurashiki city stands as the birthplace of jeans in Japan, known for its quality denim and skilled workmanship. It, in fact, supplies denim fabric to many famous brands globally. More than 30 brands, including Big John, are sold here in Kojima Jeans Street. You’ll also find a whole range of other garments and accessories made with denim. Don’t expect cheap bargains, though.
To get my own customised pair of jeans, I had Klook-ed a handmade jeans making experience at the Betty Smith Jeans Museum, a museum-shop.
At the quaint workshop, I choose my fabric (much of the stuff here is heavy, strong denim), my preferred cut, and then get measured for the length. Once the hems are sewn by the team of tailors, I get to attach my own pick of rivets and buttons from a large collection laid out in trays. There is a special machine for this and it takes a fair amount of leg power to punch in the rivets through the thick fabric but a supervisor is at hand, guiding. The leather label, of which there is also a large selection, is then sewn on by the professionals. Some 50 minutes later, I am admiring my (not quite) handiwork.
CONNECTIONS AND SAVINGS KLOOK & JR-WEST TIE-UP
KLOOK, an award-winning online destination services platform, gives travellers a hassle-free way to discover and book attractions, tours, local transportation, must-eats, and unique experiences around the world on its website.
In collaborating with West Japan Railway Company (JR-West), a variety of travel activities have been enhanced, covering major cities. These selections below, booked via Klook, ensured my trip to Osaka, Okayama and Hiroshima Prefectures was pretty much seamless.
JR-WEST PASS: Access major cities in Kansai with a single rail pass that offers unlimited travel within the designated area, including rides on Kansai-Airport Express Haruka, the Rapid Services, local JR-West trains, and JR buses, all of which run like clockwork. You can now also redeem your JR Pass via the newly launched digital redemption machines.
COMBO PACKAGES: These combine a JR-West Rail Pass with popular experiences. My chosen combo included entries to Universal Studios Japan, Harukas 300 Observatory, JR Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass — which granted me unlimited rides on the Sanyo Shinkansen, Express Trains, Rapid Services, and local trains for five consecutive days, and even included the Okunoshima Bus Tour.
ROAMING MAN 4G GLOBAL POCKET WiFi: My e-vouchers from Klook were shown or sometimes exchanged for physical tickets using a strong, uninterrupted Internet connection. For that, I had the Roaming Man WiFi device to thank. (Klook-ed at RM96 for seven days).
ICOCA card: This smart card issued by JR-West can be used also for journeys on the JR-West network of trains and subways, private railways and buses throughout Japan, though there are some exceptions. Also valid for shopping inside trains, vending machines, and select stores / restaurants.
TIP: It is far easier to pass through ticket barriers and get onto the numerous escalators (there aren’t always lifts nearby) if you’re carrying small luggage. Klook advises that from May 2020, reservations would be required for large suitcases on selected Japan Shinkansen Bullet Trains, failing which there would be a penalty fee. The Japanese also highly value train etiquette, such as minimal talk on board, limited use of smartphones and being litter-free.
MORE SAVINGS: Enjoy a discount when travelling in Western Japan by clicking on http://bit.ly/KlookJRWestJapan. And to check out the range of activities you may wish to include in your itinerary, visit www.klook.com/en-MY/
Immerse yourself with what Japan has to offer and save more with Mas Promotion.