Jemin Travels to Osaka, Japan Scrapbook

Last year, we finally managed to go for our long awaited trip to Osaka, Japan! We were supposed to go in September 2018 but due to the unfortunate typhoon Jebi, our flight got cancelled and we postponed our trip to March 2019. However, to take advantage of the flight promotion, we had to shorten our trip to 6D5N from 25-30 March. 

To make this scrapbook, I made used cutouts from a Japanese travel booklet and also stickers and also Japan themed scrapbooking stickers and cardstock that I got from Papermarket.

For our trip, we took a 6am flight from Singapore to Osaka with a 2 hours transit in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. By the time we arrived to Osaka, it was close to 4pm (Japan time). However, we were thankful for the short transit as we take a stretch and can grab a quick bite as the food on Scoot is expensive...  

After leaving the airport, we took an express train from Kansai International Airport (KIX) to Namba station where our hotel is located. Love the spacious and clean train! The legroom is even more than the flight! Also love how the train has a designated storage space at the back to keep our luggage. We had a comfortable ride to Namba in less than 40 minutes. 

By the time we settled down at the hotel, it was almost dinner time. Our hotel was near to the Namba station but not really to Dotonbori, where we had to walk around 15 minutes before the Glico Man Signage came into sight.

Love the bustling Shinsaibashi shopping street where there were lots of food stalls and retail shops. Did my reccee on the prices at the different drugstores so I could do my last minute shopping on my last night.

A must eat in Osaka is of course the Takoyaki, while queuing for the okonomiyaki restaurant, Pigg went to buy the takoyaki. He queued for the "famous" stall which have the huge octopus replica and long queues. However, we were disappointed as the texture was soft and mushy... 

And of course... in Dotonbori, we cannot miss out taking a touristy shot of the Glico Running Man Signboard! 

And the other huge food replicas and signboards adds to the charm of Dotonbori. After close to an hour queue, we finally got to try the Michelin guide recommended Mizuno Okonomiyaki. The okonomiyaki is special as the batter is made from yam, which is palatable and don't taste as cloying even after many bites. I also enjoyed the experience of being able to see my food made in front of me. And there, we ended our first night in Osaka, even the pothole lids are so aesthetically pleasing, an artwork of the Osaka Castle.

An overview how these two pages look like side by side, as I try to use the same background, using darker colors to represent the night and also strips with brighter colors to represent the bright signboards 

The next day, we went to Universal Studios Japan! We actually bought the tickets which was supposedly for our 2018 trip, but it was valid for 1 year.

The queues were atrocious although we went on a weekday, and I think it was because it was some Japanese public holiday. However, instead of slowly exploring the place, we decided to head straight to the Harry Potter Wizarding World, where we had our first and longest 2 hour queue for the less than 5 minutes Forbidden Journey ride. We did not know and should have gotten the timed entry ticket, but oh well, it was worth it as the effects was so real without having to wear any 3D glasses. 

By the time we were done with exploring the Harry Potter attraction zone, it was time for lunch and we ate at Three Broomsticks and tried the must-drink butterbeer! We got both the hot and cold butterbeer and our verdict is that the cold one tasted better as the hot was was overly sweet. We had our lunch outside with the view of the castle, although it was cold and windy, we braved the weather for the ambience.

As we did not have enough time to explore the entire of USJ, we decided to just go to the zones where Singapore do not have, which is the Minion Park and Amity Village. At Amity Village, we took a leisure cruise ride which soon turn into a fight for survival as we met with JAWS. At Minion Park, we took a ride which turned humans into minions. 

For these two pages, the borders are postcard inspired as I felt that USJ has transported us to different places (movie sets) and the multiple colors in the background represent the different zones and vibrancy of the theme park 

After watching the night parade, we headed back to Dotonbori for dinner at Genroku Sushi, where we had the highly raved sushi by NOC. Sushi is one food that I will never get sick of and will often crave for it. Genroku sushi is by far one of the freshest and best sushi that I ever had, and I could even see the chef preparing it fresh for me. The sushi was also affordable starting at 125 yen per plate!

The next morning, we headed to Kyoto! Our first stop after storing our luggage with the hotel is to Nishiki Market! The market is a long street full of food stalls, and we got different snacks for our lunch. Here, we understood the Japanese culture where we are supposed to finish our food in front of the stall and not walk while we eat. One of my favorite snack is the Tako Tamago, where they stuff a quail egg in the octopus head before glazing and grilling it. 

For these two pages, I used a colorful background as the colors look like Nishiki market's colorful ceiling lights, also the multiple colors represent the different types of food that we had

After lunch and a trip to Pokemon Centre Kyoto, where Pigg went crazy shopping for his favorite Pokemon merchandise. After that, we headed to Kaege station for our Jikkobune boat ride. And that's where we first saw cherry blossoms! Although it was not in full bloom, I am still very happy to see the flowers! We were almost late and could not catch the boat as we had difficulty finding the boarding point. We finally made it and managed to board the boat. It was interesting that we are supposed to sit facing the two sides of the boat so we can get a good view of the passing scenery.  

However, all explanations were done in Japanese and there was not many plum trees that are in bloom, so it was just a breezy boat ride...

After the ride, we headed back to the railway tracks where we saw the flowering plum trees and took some pictures with the first blooms. The railways also reminded me of Shifen Station, during our first couple trip together to Taipei.

For these two pages, I have chosen to use pastel pink and purple background to match the cherry blossoms

The next day, we checked off another item on my bucket list things to do in Japan: Wearing a kimono!

We took a bus from Kyoto station bus interchange to the kimono fitting shop. I chose a black kimono with cherry blossom flowers and also had them to do my hairstyle topped with a cherry blossom hair accessory for a complete look. 

After we have finished dressing, we were on our way to explore the area. We passed by this Japanese garden where we had our first mini photoshoot. Love the top photo that a Japanese photographer helped us to take. He then requested to take a solo picture of me and Pigg copied his angles to take the bottom right photo for me.

On our way to Kiyomizu-Dera Temple, we saw more cherry blossoms and also a willow tree by the cobbled steps where many people stop to take pictures of. We also headed to Kodaiji Temple where we  hanged our wishes as a couple before returning our kimono. 

For these two pages, I used a gradient pastel pink background decorated with lots of cherry blossom flower stickers as we saw lots of it. Then I added borders using a Japanese looking washi tape to represent our kimono dressing.

For lunch, we decided to eat something traditional and we headed to Okabeya Tofu Restaurant where they made their own tofu. Apparently, tofu cuisine in Japan is considered a delicacy and we had a full tofu course meal which did not really suit our palate. I guess we are more of meat eaters and prefer savoury food as tofu is quite bland in comparison. However, it was still an experience as I never had so many types of tofu in my life. We also tried making our own tofu by constantly stirring the soy milk till it coagulates.

For dinner, we had another delicacy which is PUFFERFISH! As pufferfish is highly poisonous if not handled properly, we decided to go for the best by making a reservation at Guenpin, #1 pufferfish chain in Japan. At the start, I was quite apprehensive of eating the pufferfish, once I got over the thought, I am able to fully appreciate the different pufferfish dishes. Although I am not a fan of raw food, I enjoyed the fugu sashimi. The interesting one is the soft roe aka Pufferfish Testicles which tasted quite creamy...

For these two pages, I chose the emoji background as it showed the different emotions, which help to depict the yay and nay for both cuisines we tried - the tofu cuisine which do not suit our palate and the pufferfish cuisine which is to our liking.

After returning our kimono, we headed towards Gion and Yakasa Shrine. The highlight of the shrine is the dance stage with large paper lanterns which will be illuminated at night. 

The next day, we woke up early as it would be a long day ahead since we have lot of places to visit. First on our list was Fushimi-Inari, where we were supposed to visit on on the day before but failed to as there was a fire on the railways. However, I was determined to visit the Torii gates as it was on my must-visit places in Kyoto bucket list. Therefore, we had a quick touch and go with some pictures to prove that we have been before heading to have Inari sushi! It was relatively difficult to take pictures as there were lots of people constantly hiking up, so we had to be fast and snap when there are pockets without people. 

For these two pages, I have used a darker pink background to match the red of the Torii gates and Yakasa Shrine. Along with the washi tape borders and Japanese stickers to represent the different Japanese cultural elements.

After Fushimi Inari, we headed to Arashiyama Bamboo Groves. Like Fushimi Inari, the bamboo groves is filled with lots of people and it was near impossible to get a good shot. We had to take from a lower angle in order to block out the crowds.

Thereafter, we headed to Arashiyama Monkey Park which is located up in the mountain and we had to take a hike up before we could see the Japanese macaque monkeys. At the monkey park, we are able to feed the monkeys with peanuts and apples from the inside of an enclosure.

On our way to the monkey park, I was excited to see a Rilakkuma themed cafe and store! Could not resist stopping by for a picture with my favorite bear and get some merchandise! We also got the cute Rilakkuma ice cream and cream puff to try!

After lunch, we took the subway from Kyoto station to Nara, where we fed some deers outside Todaiji Temple. The deers are only a dear when we feed them, otherwise they would hound us for the rice crackers. As we arrived late, we were unable to explore the Temple as they had closed when we finished feeding the deers.

For these two pages, I used a background which looks like Japanese origami paper prints.  

We spend our last full day back in Osaka and our first stop for the morning is to Kuromon Market!

Where we tried different food from onigiri burger to grilled snow crab leg and abalone and also cremia ice cream, my favorite of them all.

After the brunch session at Kuromon Market, we headed to Osaka Castle. I guess Japan skies has been good to us for the past days and it finally rained on our last day. While exploring Osaka Castle, the rain was still not as heavy and we also saw cherry blossoms which are more bloomed!

For these two pages, I also used a background which looks like Japanese origami paper prints, in the shade of pink and purple. 

Initially, we wanted to visit the Mameshiba cafe when we were at Nishiki market, but the timeslots were all full, therefore, we visited the cafe when we were back in Dotonbori. The Shiba Inus are like cats and not as friendly or enthusiastic like other dogs, making it hard to get a lucky picture with them. 

And that's the end of our Osaka, Japan scrapbook! Hope we can all resume travel and make more memories when this pandemic is over...