Day 9: Last Day in Japan - Kuromon Market Again, Shopping and Osaka Airport

26th October 2018 (Friday)

My holiday in Japan was finally coming to an end. Flight D7 2 would be departing at 22:00 hours. I would leave for Osaka Airport at about 15:30 hours by train from JR Osaka Station. 

After counting the balance of my Japanese Yen last night, I knew I had enough cash left for Kobe beef this morning. I would leave some for my train fares and dinner at Osaka Airport. I would also be doing my final shopping for some souvenirs for friends.

Besides my camera, I had only a backpack and a 32 liter baggage for all the stuff that I had bought. Due to the distant to Tenjinbashisuji 6-Chome Station, it was no fun carrying this stuff for about 500 meter to the subway station Exit 2 (which I discovered this morning).

Taking the purple Tanimachi Line Subway, I arrived at Higashi-Umeda Subway Station. From there, I walked to Osaka Station to leave my baggage at the coin-locker, at the same location at South Central Gate when I first arrived. From there, I walked to Umeda Subway Station and took the red Midosuji Subway Line to Namba Station and exited Namba Station via Exit 14 to Dotonbori. 

I was hoping to use my Garmin eTrex 20x to plot the direction from Dotonbori to Kuromon Market but it failed to find Kuromon waypoint which I had saved yesterday. This was not the first time this happened. I turned off my gps and restarted it. It still failed to plot the route. In the end, I had to retrieve the track which I saved yesterday when I walked from Kuromon to Dotonbori and used it as a guide to Kuromon. Yet, I got lost. I saw Nippombashi Station Exit 5. Instead of looking for Exit 10 by turning left, I continued walking perpendicular to the railway track along the sidewalk across Kuromon side of the sidewalk. Eventually, I found my way to Kuromon Market using my gps.

Finally, it was time for me to splurge on whatever I wanted to eat. Top on the list was of course, Kobe beef. I did not just select any cut of the beef but the most expensive part at ¥4,500 per 100g or about MYR1,700/ kg. The three slices weight 145 g and cost me ¥7,047 (MYR265). The chef grilled and seasoned it with salt and pepper only. It was so tender, juicy with its beefy sweetness and literally melted in the mouth. It was truly well worth the price. Perfect score of 10/ 10 points.

As I walked along Kuromon, I tried other food too. I wanted to try the giant crab legs but I did not have enough cash left, unless I was ready to forgo my shopping and dinner money.

From Kuromon, I walked back to Dotonbori and went down to Namba Subway Station to take the red Midosuji Line to Umeda Station. 

From Umeda, I went to look for Don Quijote. Goods at Don Quijote were cramped into every available space, just as one from Sibu would see at Everwin Supermarket. There, I found Ichiran ramen in more varieties of packaging.

After shopping at Don Quijote, I went to pick up my baggage before proceeding to take JR train to Osaka Airport. I followed what I had read about taking Kansai Airport Rapid, i.e. the train would depart at Platform 1 and passengers going to the airport should get on the first four carriages on the train. The other four cars would disengage at Heneno Station and proceed to Wakayama.

Day 7: Dotonbori, Ebisubashi-suji, Shinsaibashi-suji (Osaka)

24th October 2018 (Wednesday)

The plan for today was to visit Osaka Castle. However, I have decided to cancel it. Osaka Castle was just a renovated building housing a museum and I really was not in any mood to visit it, especially with my persistent back pain.

Instead, I opted to look for Ichiran Ramen restaurant at Dotonbori, which I read was opened 24 hours a day.

Thinking that Dotonbori wakes up late, I did not go there early. I left the guesthouse at about 9:26 a.m. On my way to Exit 8 of Tenjinbashi-suji 6-Chome Station, I found Exit 5 across the road from Exit 8. From there, I took Tanimachi Subway Line to Subway Higashi-Umeda Station, and from there, I walked to Subway Umeda Station to take Midosuji Line to Namba Station.

At Namba, I followed the crowd to go up one level but was not sure which direction to take to go to Dotonbori. I decided to go back down to find the direction to Dotonbori before exiting. I found a station official at the platform and he told me to take Exit 14 in perfect English.

At Exit 14 entrance, I was not sure which direction to take to go to Dotonbori. There was no crowd nor direction sign to follow. I just thought most people were walking towards my rear and I decided to walk in the same direction.  Then, I saw small groups of people on a street. I had arrived at Dotonbori. It was 10:26 a.m. A little walk further down the street led to Dotonbori Bridge.

I went to explore the famous Dotonbori Street before going in search of Ichiran Ramen restaurant. At first, I saw Ichiran logo on the first floor of a shop house with a direction plan. I thought that the map showed the restaurant was in the rear of the shop. I realised my mistake and walked out of the shop to study the map again. I then realised that it pointed to the restaurant in an alley.

From Ichiran, I went to explore Ebisu Bashi-suji Street and Shinsai Bashi-suji Street.  At the other end of Shinsai Bashi-suji Street was Shinsaibashi Station. I took the red Midosuji subway back to Namba Station, one stop away. 

Namba Station seemed to be an underground station, with no physical sign of an above-ground building. I walked around the perimeter of the buildings which I thought would be part of Namba Station. The building consists of Takashimaya, with Nankai-Namba Station integrated into it. There were other retail businesses operating from the building. All signs of Namba Station pointed underground. Next to this building was Namba Parks, separated by a covered pass.

I then went to explore another covered street just a few meters away from Ebisu Bashi-suji street.

After exploring the streets near Namba Station, I went back to the underground Namba Station with no particular plan in mind on what to do next. Then, I saw Exit 14 again and decided to go back to Dotonbori and went for lunch at Yoshinoya.

I did not have a plan for the afternoon. My back was still experiencing pain. It was then that I decided that I would chill out at Dotonbori. The air was cool under the shade of the building. I only need to find a place along the river bank to sit and watch the world pass by, something which I had never done before. I was truly on a holiday. I would stay until night fall and take in the night scene at Dotonbori before returning to my guesthouse.