A LONGGG walk to the castle. but it was beautiful. and the crepe shop outside sells amazingly delicious cheese & blueberry crepe. try it! as for the castle, if you can fit it in your itinerary, why not? it’s beautiful and iconic. not really just a tourist trap since it IS really beautiful. like WOW AMAZING beautiful.
caught an airplane in my shot! the walls of the castle and water surrounding it. Continue reading “[Osaka] Osaka Castle & Osaka Station”
my main point today:
asses. okay okay just joking. but how can any visit to Kansai be complete without visiting Nara? Continue reading “[Nara]”
how ironic. I told myself to devour all the Korean food since I wouldn’t be back in Korea in 2 months, but there I was, drinking Kirin. (and I also had CHINESE food for my last dinner in Korea) with a frozen poop on top. =D. yummay.
met up with David but that good looking American Korean friend of mine refused to let me take a picture of him so one less eye candy for you. had the Kirin beer at a place called Bee located at Itaewon if you’re wondering. great interior and ambiance by the way. Continue reading “[Osaka: Namba] MOULiN”
I am back here in Kyoto. again.
after 4 months. right after midterms. but the only thing was, I had REALLY LIMITED TIME. so this was what I did for a day! it might even be a good reference on where to go from AM to PM =D. I returned to Osaka since I stayed there at around 6pm though =D.
ahhh. the streets of Gion. I actually like shopping here compared to other places because the OPA and some other malls here were actually pretty good! Continue reading “Kyoto and Osaka in a day”
my friend living in Kyoto didn’t even know about the existence of this fabulous small scaled restaurant. but once he had it, he said it’s amongst the top 10 sushi he had ever eaten. and guess what? he’s from Hokkaido; where all the amazing sushi are.
there’s also another place called Hanaore which is said to serve the best Sabazushi (came here for this!) in Kyoto but I placed my bet on Izuju as it has a longgg history plus it’s more affordable (main point!!!!)
opposite the shop is Yasaka Jinja Shrine. a relatively famous shrine at the Gion area. we went near new years day so there were LOADDSSS of people. Continue reading “[Kyoto: Gion] Izuju, the 100 year old Kyoto style sushi”
I’m a big fan of cheese. and cheesecakes.
so there’s this huge hype over cheesecakes in Osaka and if you’re a foodie like me, you’ve probably heard that Pablo and Rikuro Ojisan (grandpa) are the best in Osaka. these shops often have a long queue outside them but I didn’t stand in line too much as I bought them late since I stayed in Kyoto and I didn’t want to carry the cake everywhere I go. they are really popular in Osaka and each time I pass by their shops I feel like buying another one. D=!
BUT the thing is, you gotta buy the whole cake. which.. isn’t too big. but certainly not for one..
I could only have two slices at one time (out of 8). so we left the rest of it at the refrigerator.
we first tried out Pablo as the advertisement of it drives me gaga. and at 780yen I’d say it’s a steal. I mean, even a slice of cake at Hongdae at a nice place would cost you around 600yen. Continue reading “[Osaka] Pablo Cheesecake VS. Rikuro Cheesecake”
so upon exiting the garden, we found ourselves at the famous bamboo grove of Arashiyama!
this is another popular landmark of Kyoto other than Kinkakuji. Although I personally prefer Ginkakuji over Kinkakuji. I loved the bamboo grove though. and I felt it is really a must visit if you have at least 2 days in Kyoto. it isn’t number 1 on my list but it is more than just one-visit worthy.
somebody please tell me what they say hhahahaa. Continue reading “[Kyoto] Arashiyama – Bamboo Grove”
it is a little complicating to travel around Kyoto but it is definitely cheaper than many other cities as you can ride on the bus as much as you want for only 500yen.
note: the buses in Japan are quite different from Seoul and other places. you get on the bus from behind and pay in front. for the day pass, just get in front and tell the bus driver and make sure you prepare 500yen! I am not sure how to ride on it normally because apparently the fares are all different depending on where you’re riding. so if you’re riding for more than 2 bus rides or a far one, the day pass would be best. and later on you can just flash your card (showing the date) to the drivers and enjoy unlimited rides! will blog about that next time! and pay another 500yen and you can take unlimited subway/train as well! but we only opted for the bus as we don’t take the subway too much.
however, we took the train there!
the unique seating system in Japan. different in almost every line. amazing. Continue reading “[Kyoto] Arashiyama – Togetsugyo Bridge”
I actually have no idea what this walk is called but it is situated at the highest part of Kyoto Station and it is BEAUTIFUL. I am pretty sure it looks just as beautiful in the day but tad bit more romantic at night ^^.
such amazing steel and glass architecture =3. alongside with the shooting stars which I guess are only available around Christmas. the sky walk is from the ramen floor and the whole right side of the walk has ramen exhibitions showing the many many many kinds of amazing ramen. but my favourite is still ABURA SOBA!!! Continue reading “[Kyoto] Kyoto Station Sky Walk”
first day in Kyoto was amazing because I went to so many places in just a few hours. basically the famous few hang out places are pretty cramped up in the middle of Kyoto and they are either of walking distance or just a bus ride away.
above’s Shijo. there are like rows of shops and I can say.. it’s awesome. I loved it there. and at the end of the street there’s my favourite Sabazushi shop as well. there are loads of shopping and also.. OPA!!! though the name is weird but there are plenty of pretty shops in there!!! Continue reading “[Kyoto] Shijo, Gion & Kyoto Station”