Japan is like no other place in the world and Osaka is pure delight. For any lover of Japanese cuisine, music, architecture, the sounds and lights and feelings to encapsulate the Japanese experience (withholding almost certainly, Tokyo and Osaka), this place has it all.
After a short plane ride from Shanghai, the adventure starts with a pair of Bento boxes and Tempura.
There are many districts of Osaka, but the two major ones that tourists frequent are Kita (Umeda) in north-central part of town and Minami (Shinshabashi and Namba areas) a few kilometers to the south. I am a fan of AirBnB and it is quite popular to use in Japan. We had a nice flat, centrally located that allowed us to get to either area quite easily.
Our street below…
Vending machines are super common in Japan. They have vending machines for everything. Even booze.
The busy streets full of life and energy…
Look, it’s the Colonel!
By night…
This is what we are really here for…
Radiohead was an intense experience for me. They are one of my favorite bands. Having seen them four times in my life, I was incredibly excited to see them in Japan. I have always heard that the Japanese take their rock music seriously and I was about to find out.
The concert stage…
Everyone likes getting cooled off on a hot summer day at a concert!
Plenty of art and other visuals…
The concert was right on the ocean and Radiohead started a bit after sunset. We took some time to get a few shots of a beautiful sunset.
We were right on the front rail for the common folk with the inside being reserved for VIP ticket holders. Great view.
Check out this shot of the moon right to the left of the stage. Sure, it doesn’t get captured too well on film… but it was just the perfect moment.
Food in Japan is just sublime. The quality and effort that they put into it is simply phenomenal. And I’m not talking about at just nice restaurants, even at the Family Mart or Seven Eleven. All the food was so good.
Of course, my favorite… the steak. Japan is famous for it’s Kobe beef. This dinner was exceptional.
Who wants dessert?
Osaka has some incredible shopping. Some things that are difficult to get in China are easily accessible here. I call this place a woman’s paradise because you could literally spend a week shopping here and do nothing else. Plenty of adult shopping to be found in Japan as well. 😉 So much STUFF!
I finally realized why all those Japanese imported CDs had extra tracks to make them so unique. The Japanese LOVE rock music, all kinds of music for that matter. Tower Records closed many years ago in the USA but it is very much alive and well in Japan. Five floors of just pure music. The only thing comparable we have in the USA anymore is Amoeba Records in California. Loved my visit here!
Umeda Sky Building….
Most importantly on our visit to Osaka, Aimee got to see her sister.
The thing I noticed the most, beyond the extreme kindness of the Japanese people, is the attention to detail they give in all matters of life. From food to fashion, cleanliness, driving, being polite, every detail is taken to a high degree. We can’t wait to be back to Osaka! Stay tuned as we move northward to Kyoto for the next adventure…
