Imperial Hotel Osaka

For our 5D/4N Japan Trip, we only spent 1 night in Kyoto at Hotel Granvia, and 3 nights of in Osaka.

Arrived at Imperial Hotel Osaka after had our dinner

at Ganko Kyoto Sanjo Honten (三条本店).

 We're allocated with twin bedroom.

 

 Modern bathroom with clean and large bathtub,

bath robes, towels embroidered with hotel's logo and toiletries.

Sofa set beside the large window.

    

Our tour guide wanted to go to grab his dinner at the nearby shopping mall.

We wanted to join him because he said it's just a short stroll from the hotel.

But  we didn't see him after waited at the lobby for 5 minutes...

then we just try to walk there ourselves.

Sigh... didn't see any shopping mall after 15 - 20 minutes walk at the quite neighbourhood, so we decided to go back to the hotel.

   

Stopped by mini mart to just 'see see look look'

ended up bought waffle icecream to reward myself for long walking.

Just know that Carrot is called 人参 (Rénshēn = Ginseng) in Japan.

 I think it's quite safe to leave the bike without locking it here.
Anyway quickly snap a photo before the owner came out
thinking that I wanted to steal the bike :P

  Breakfast menu catered for our group...


mostly same menu for 3 days..


so didn't take repetitive photos for breakfast.
 

 Start to survey the hotel surrounding after breakfast...


because our room was over viewing the river...


We didn't see the river when we went out through the main gate.
To access to the river, you need to use the back door.


Nice spot to rest and watching locals walked pass by to start their daily activities...
 
 
  
Handsome and charming Okawa River Bank.


But, we didn't expect to see the park here.

Beautiful and spacious parkland between the hotel and Okawa river.

 

Endless rows of cherry trees dressing the park in
pale pink blossom contrasting with blue sky in Spring!

 

Excellent view of the Sakura by the river before heading to
Universal Studio Japan.


 Sayonara Land of the Rising Sun~!

 

Let's take some photos outside the conference room

where we had our breakfast for 3 days...

 
 while waiting for coach to send us to Kansai Airport.

 

   Yes, finally finish posting my Japan trip~!

Imperial Hotel Osaka

Add: Japan, 〒530-0042 Osaka Prefecture, Osaka, 北区天満橋1−8−50

[Osaka] - Shinsaibashi Suji (心斎橋筋)

Leaving Kobe after 1 hour shopping at Kobe-Sanda Premium Outlets...

   

 then arrived at Shinsaibashi Suji in Osaka to continue shopping...

Shinsaibashi (心斎橋筋) was already an established 

shopping area in the Edo Period with rich 400 years history.

This shopping haven stretching 600 meters long from Mido-suji Street to Dotonbori...

        

Let's start our food hunting at this famous Shinsaibashi Shotengai.

Shotengai is a term used to describe shopping street in Japan.

   

 We have mission to accomplish...

 

Our guide recommended us to buy nail clippers, because he said Japan has the best nail clippers that always sharp and can be use for 7 generations~!!! As that's the only item he recommended, die die we must find it, right?! LOL~!

 

Before we forgot, quickly went to Matsumoto Kiyoshi Drugstore.

It's like Watson, you can find a lot of beauty products here.

 

Bought blue color nail clipper (9 cm) and white one (7 cm).

It's really steady and sharp... But where's my white clipper yah?!

Remember to buy nail clipper when you're in Japan, ok?

We walked to Daimaru as hubby was urgently looking for restroom. It's a huge departmental store, but we only walk to the food section.

 

 
Each of the stall has the banner with ranking
(maybe the most favorite stall or most sell food).

Japanese Curry is the best seller?!

This stall is like Singapore hawker economy rice stall... Looks yummy!

This endless shopping Shinsaibashi stree somehow quite resemble to Jeonju Film Street in Korea. They are both roofed making it weather-proof for shoppers to stroll for shopping. 

 Didn't step in Daiso... afraid that I'll be 'trapped' inside :P

  

All kinds of shops lining along this street such as fashion boutiques,

 Hair Salon,...

 

Shoe Stores, Traditional kimono tailor,...

Optical, and others retailers too.

Did I mention about endless restaurants, fast foods, bakeries, and stalls...

selling so many types and and variety of foods...

   

including local dishes and snacks?

Other than those fine Japanese cuisines, there are countless mouth-watering snacks to entice every fastidious tongue at this shopping street. And when we're considering to buy Authentic Japanese food for two kiddos at home...

 

we saw quite a long queue outside Pablo shop...

 

  

Oh~it's our darling Cheerry loves the most... Japanese Cheesecake!

 

 Fruit tart - 1,220 Yen | Rare Cheesecake 741 Yen | Medium Cheesecake 741 Yen.

 

 We bought Medium Cheesecake because worrying that  it'll be very messy 

if the cheese melted out when carrying back to Singapore.

   

 Hiks... since cheesecake is not for my consumption... 

let's grab Hop chou a la creme to satisfy my sweet tooth :P

6 puffs with mixed flavors - 920 Yen

You know... I love to eat custard cream puff. When I was young, I love to eat 'Kue Sus' from Roti Ganda Siantar. My parents normally will stop to buy 100 puffs or so on our way to Lake Toba or back to Medan. You know it's actually not enough... because I can eat 10 - 20 at one go! :P

  

The cream inside was so cold... like ice cream,
while the thin skin puff was still hot and crispy.

It shocked me when I bite it! Yummy, but it's better to eat it on the spot. We bought pack of 6, when we reached hotel the 4 puffs became soggy as the cream was melted.

 

The iconic and vibrant shopping experience not ended there... 

This is the opposite side of Shinsaibashi-suji is Step shoe store.

We strolled to the other side, but came back to the other wing for our dinner.

 Osaka is famed as being the Nation's Kitchen.  

In particular, Dotonbori is the gourmet centre where you can all sorts of the most sought-after street food such as Ramen, Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki,...

    

 Ramen is indisputably most popular treats in Japan.

You can see almost every restaurants and eateries serving Ramen.

 

The springy noodles and special thick broth make the perfect 

combination to your taste-buds.

 Gyoza (Japanese Pan-Fried Dumplings).

  

 You should never consider yourself ever visited Japan

if you miss out the indigenous Ramen.

 

 Ippudo (一风堂) Japanese ramen restaurant.

 

Waiting for our coach in front of Zara store...

 

and being entertained by the street performance.

  

Shinsaibashi Suji (心斎橋筋)

Add: 2-2-22 Shinsaibashi-suji Chuo-ku, Osaka, 542-0085 

By subway 

From Umeda: Take subway, Midosuji (red) line; it takes 6 minutes to Shinsaibashi station.

From Yodoyabashi: Take subway, Midosuji (red) line; it takes 3 munites to Shinsaibashi station.

From Namba: Take subway, Midosuji (red) line; it takes 2 munites to Shinsaibashi station.

Nearest station and exit:
Shinsaibashi Station (subway Midosuji and Tsurumi-ryokuchi lines) exit number 5, 6, and 10.