Tokyo to Osaka

Today the plan is to get the Shinkansen to Osaka but first we need to trade our rail pass voucher for an actual ticket. Luckily we are staying right across the road from Shinagawa Station. After hunting down a coffee and a false start at the wrong ticket office we were at the front of the line ready when they opened at 9.00am. Not a minute before or a minute after, right on 9.am 😀. The queue was way out the door by the time they did open, the rail pass is such a good deal I think nearly every tourist buys it.

OMG I feel like we’ve just finished the great pilgrimage. The trip on the bullet train went smoothly enough, 2 and 1/2 hours and we were in Osaka. OMG the trip over to Osaka Bay was endless. 3 train changes up and down escalators, into and out of lifts, all with way too many things to wrangle. One of the suitcases failed at almost the final step poor thing, I know how it felt, we both feel like we’ve been through the wringer.

Once we’d checked in and had a much needed break we got a taxi over to The ATC Hall where the Osaka Guitar show is. The taxi driver thought we were nuts because the Hall is literally about 500 meters away, but getting there requires walking up over a road overpass and we weren’t lugging those instruments up any more stairs. It’s looks like it will be a huge show with lots of exhibitors. There certainly is some stiff competition there.

Unfettered now we headed back into Dotonbori for dinner. So many bars and restaurants around it’s hard to pick one. We found a little laneway away from the main st which lead to a pretty little shrine and then on to another laneway with more intimate restaurants and bars. One of them had a grill behind the counter with plenty of options to barbecue.

It’s quite entertaining sitting at the bar watching someone cook your dinner. Only a young chef but he had all the moves down pat.
We had grilled shrimps, scallops, quail eggs,chicken gizzards, bacon wrapped asparagus, some mystery balls and red sausage which I was sure was just a cheerio 😃
A stop off into a Sake Bar on the way home and we were done for the day.Read more