Osaka - power shopping

It's getting closer to the return. I have so many things I want to take to America; including Tabi socks to sell! :)

Going to Osaka.
These are beer/sake vending machine, and Tabaco machine.


It is time to get back in shape, also... I better check out how much the classes are...
Chacott has classes for adults... I don't have guts to go to back to professional classes with all the people whom I used to know before, so adult classes are just fine for me...



Anyone needs anything?
(their costumes are FANTASTIC! but at least you have to pay $1500)


Oh, I forgot. There is Hard Rock Cafe in funny place in Osaka...

This is under the interstate. There are 3 stories/0.62 miles of underground shopping center and subway underneath... Also, they are all wholesale price!!!

Lunch time! $7 lunch at Vietnam restaurant

Lunch special

I bought an bottle of the seasoning that goes over rice... it is popular things in Japan.

This one was very interesting. shrimp and pineapple flavor... was good!

Shopped for 8 hours... wow

My cousin met me before... and decided to go eat!

There are too many places to go... I would say thousands of restaurants - not exaggerating. Because of that, restaurant hire people to draw customers. They are very aggressive. They will give you coupons, and show you the menus so we will chose the restaurant...

We saw a Spanish restaurant! Tapas!!!

Nice isn't it?

This is the reason we chose this place... $5 for all these tapas and sangria

We ordered Japanese Beef with balsamic sauce

IT WAS FANTASTIC

the drink is Orfo (?spell) Spanish version of Grappa

See, these are all restaurants/bars

Spanish was a little pricey, so decided to go eat Octopus ball! (we shared this)

another place

the proof that octopus balls are national/Osaka food

There are 3 places in the same area

we found another place :)

We finally ate enough... :) and head to home

On the way to the train station, I saw interesting ads. This is very popular in Japan now.

Because there are so many great medical equipments here, people from other country come here to get PET scans and physicals. They stay in great hotels, and receive great services.

Osaka - downtown

visiting my friend to Oasaka

It was already lunch time we I got there. My friend let me borrow her dad's bicycle to go shopping to the "shoutengai" my favorite place to shop or eat!


The street has almost everything.


But mainly food. This is how tofu is sold. This store sells all tofu stuff.
It is like a milk. In different stage of making, it creates different form of food. We even eat the soy bean wastes. They are all very nutritious


LUNCH TIME!
typical lunch in Osaka is...

Takoyaki! (octopus ball - as you know by now)

Very old and small place. That's normal here

Back to the street. Ready to eat food. Cheap too!

Kind of potato... I've never seen it

more food to go. SO convenient

seasonal fish

Blow fish is in season!

This mushroom, "matsutake" which only grows on red pine tree is in season, and is very expensive this is about $12 for 3

other vegetables

Vegetables and Japanese herbs

After getting stuff for dinner, it was time to pick up her daughter...

This is in the kindergarten.

Mom's picking up kids. They come with bicycles

on the way back, we passed grammar school. They are getting ready for "Physical Education" day in October. It is like mini Olympic

We made Gyoza (water boiled) for dinner I learned different way to wrap it

with edamame - also in season

kid dancing to the cartoon song. They are very energetic

night time snack :D

Nara - my home town

My town is celebrating 1300th anniversary of Heijou-kyou capital this year. (We may had capital even before, but we don't have a written/solid proof yet) They are opening the buildings of the capital now. As a Nara citizen, I had to visit!

Train to Nara city. I used to ride this everyday to go to High School


This is the shuttle to the event... This is when you know you are in Japan


suzaku-mom (gate)


My cousin is waiting for me at the garden... 20 minutes away...

at the garden. this is "murasakishikibu"

garden

this is the clock that they used 1300 years ago.

there is a place you can take pictures wearing the clothing from 1300 years ago

This cloud is called "iwashi" clouds = "sardine" like the skin of sardine

We rented the costumes too. only $3!

This is the main building.

inside

This is the thing that is on top of the roof

I found cute boys with the costume

1 pm. They are simulation of how they changed the guards at the gate

Time to eat! This is how we carried lunch long time ago. wrap rice ball in bamboo leave.

This is the original character of the event. Monk with deer antlers. 2 typical/famous things in Nara together... not so cute.

parade

We wrote postcard to our grandmom with special post card and stamps

We have Buddha in Nara

Sento-kun = character of the event

Kids LOVE him... there was a long line of people who want to take pictures with him

we were supposed to go see museum, but we couldn't get in. (we needed to reserve ahead) So, we went to Nara city for shopping/sightseeing

we found the Japanese noodle store that my cousin wanted to go for a long time.

Had to check it out

This is the famous noodle in fried tofu bag.

huge fried tofu with deer stamp

They were delish! looks the same, but taste slightly different

Nara station. VERY different from 15 years ago

This is what we supposed to see in the museum, just small model

eggs from yesterday, and round meatloaf, which we call it "hamburger"