Hanami in Osaka
- Nida Aquino
- Apr 14, 2020
- 10 min read
Updated: Jun 18, 2024
Hisashiburi!
It wasn't my first time in Osaka, in fact I stayed in this area when I was younger, so much younger than today I must say. After we dropped off our luggage at the hotel, we immediately found our way to Abiko, to show my daughter the neighborhood I spent my then first 6 weeks in Japan in. Hishashiburi, a greeting after seeing someone or something after a while; and it really felt good to be back after 18 years.
Surprisingly, the sakura adorning KKC (AOTS Kansai Kenshu Center), my very first home away from home, kick-started our hanami, the Japanese tradition of flower viewing in spring.
We took the same red line to Umeda Station. After nearly 2 decades, I felt so lost and couldn’t find my way. It took us forever to reach Umeda Sky Building and when we got there, we were already shivering in tiredness and hunger.
We followed the food stall signage to the basement and raked through the restaurant floor that to our astonishment was a miniature of an old town of Osaka, including torii gates and shrines. We stopped at the stall named Kiji for no apparent reason. It turned out to be a good find, manned by friendly and helpful staff, offering tasty and cheap Osaka-style okonomiyaki, derived from the the words okono meaning how you like it – battered noodles, cabbage, meat – and yaki meaning fried or pan fried in this case.
Umeda Sky Building
Full and satisfied, we also got discount vouchers to the observatory which we opted to redeem in the next hour or so, because at that instant, we perambulated the ground floor instead and found a mini park at the side. What really caught our attention was the line of sakura trees which, compared to the ones we had a glimpse of earlier, enabled us to see the cherry blossoms up close. It was an opportunity to view Umeda Sky Building in a different angle too – the long angle shot attempting to capture its entirety, but to no avail apparently.
After we had our fill of gazing at the sakura, we walked back and sat on the benches situated slightly in front of, but under the the centre of the edifice. Looking directly at the building's "bones and muscles"above us, we couldn't help but wonder about the complex structural system that braces and securely fastens its elements.
Umeda Sky Building has two towers connected by the roof top garden at the 40th. I remembered the first time I came – from the 3rd floor was a dramatic see-through lift – but I had no recollection of the other leg of the journey to the top. My two companions excitedly hopped on, while I was hyperventilating the whole time of the long and steep glass-paneled escalator trip from the 35th to the 39th floor, non-stop.
After the rather lengthy discomfort on my part, we immersed in the beauty of the Osaka Skyline through the clear windows of the covered deck and the open-air roof garden. What interested us the most was the intricate design that contoured its distinctive "Floating Garden" form.
Finding the way back was easier this time, however, the walk was still long for us to handle. My daughter amused herself by taking pictures of the dormant state of trees against the urban architecture of Umeda until we reached the station to go back to the hotel.
Non-smoking Room, Onegai
After dropping off our luggage in the morning, the check-in process took place when we got back to Ark Hotel in the late afternoon. They provided us a triple bed, however, the reek of cigarette in what they claimed to be a non-smoking room was so strong that even the aerosol they sprayed on did not help at all. In just a couple of minutes, the stench started to hurt my nose and my head, I pleaded on getting another room.
At first they said the hotel was fully booked that there was no other room available. If I wasn’t cognizant of the difficulty of finding another accommodation at that time, I would have walked out, but I waited for the hotel to remediate the situation. After a while, they came back with a key to a smaller room which we didn’t mind as long as it was indeed no terrible cigarette niff.
What awaited us was a bijou Japanese room, our onegai granted. We took off our shoes, customary when entering a room or a house in Japan, before stepping onto the tatami floor. A sliding door separated the bedding area where my travel buddies were blissed out to sleep on fluffy futon over tatami mat; I was too, until I realised the difficulty to manoeuvre without a bed or stool to sit on.
Eat Till We Dropped... or Not
We rested for an hour or so and then made our move to find what was in store for us in Dōtonbori, a place not only known to be the kitchen of Osaka but also associated with the word kuidaore, which roughly means "to ruin oneself by extravagance in food" – the plan was to eat until we drop.
My daughter instantly spotted the kiosk making takoyaki, or octopus balls, and unknowingly ordered 15 pieces. We blissfully chew them down but my mom gave up after a bite and requested for a more familiar taste. Quicker than us finding another food to buy, she saw Burger King from a distance and hinted to eat there.
Our plan of hopping from stall to stall and sample Osaka delicacies was utterly ruined. Since then I'd been cautious of including street food in the itinerary depending on who I go with, to avoid disappointments in missing out travel experiences had one bailed out.
First night and we already ended in shopping spree – electronic gadgets were expectedly cheaper and matcha-flavored Kit Kat was everywhere. As we scoured the area for Japan novelties, we reached Shinshaibahi-suji, a covered shopping street, and since we were already halfway through, we went back to the hotel by foot.
Muggle's Day Out
Totally drained, we had a good night sleeping on the tatami floor. I set the alarm as we needed to prep early for the next day's itinerary – a muggle day out at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Japan is one of those countries with more complex, multi-line train systems in the world. HyperDia was very useful in our travel preparations – just input the entry and exit points and it will provide the routes, with expected departure and arrival time, and the cost of the trip.
Lesson of the Bamboo
Worn out from our affair at the Universal Studios Japan the day before, we only got up around 11am. As we cancelled the day trip to Kobe, we revisited the other places of interest, moved the schedule and/or deleted the item we couldn’t squeeze into the itinerary.
We decided to go to the National Museum of Art. I checked the train route to the place, but I did not bother checking the website for any announcement. When we reached the museum, there was a big sign that maintenance/repair activities would not be completed until the end of the month or so. At least, we had seen its unique structure, claimed to be modelled after bamboo. But it was still upsetting that after all the trouble of getting there, we didn't see the art display. At that very moment, its bamboo form reminded us to be resilient, to gracefully bend to where the wind blew, to keep calm and get over the frustration.
And so we did! We went around the vicinity and found few sakura tress and not far were benches to rest and enjoy hanami with warm drinks from the nearby vendo. My mom was dumbfounded as I explained that vending machines in Japan offer both cold and hot beverages, in can or bottle or open top disposable cups. It can be anything from drinks, snacks to hot meals, to eggs and vegetables. They're scattered in every corner and they exist in remote places too.
Symbol of Osaka
We made a move to Dobutsuen-mae Station and walked towards the Tsutenkaku Tower. Back in the olden days, Tsutenkaku reminded the locals of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, that it became the symbol of Osaka. Having said that, this erected one is a new structure, rebuilt after World War II.
I haven’t ascended the tower that I was willing to try, however, we preferred to wait for the dusk to fall with kushikatsu and kushiyaki at the adjacent restaurant. It was a better option as we delighted ourselves with an array of fried and grilled skewered food, respectively, dipped in a sweet and tangy sauce.
There are certain house rules in eating kushikatsu and kushiyaki – no double dipping! It so happened that our dipping sauce was served only to us. But as a rule of thumb, we should really refrain from doing so.
We might have not eaten until we dropped in Dōtonbori, but we had identified with the meaning of kuidaore while confronting 27 sticks of kushikatsu and kushiyaki in this part of Osaka.
We’d be transferring to another hotel the following morning. We initially planned 3 nights in Osaka; the few months of anticipating the trip withal, gave us some time to think of other agenda eventually adding one more day. As it was a peak season, there were only few choices left at that time, and we selected the one near Osaka Castle where we’d go next.
The Pie that Made a Difference
With our luggage, we took the subway to Osaka Business Park Station and walked to Hotel Monterey. Upon leaving our luggage at the reception, we hurried back to the McDonald’s store we found on our way. Without any expectations whatsoever, we ended up digging in strawberry pie and sakurambo-flavored milkshake (it somewhat includes the word sakura but the term actually refers to the cherry fruit). For a long time, I had believed in the placelessness of McDonald's (that it doesn't emanate a sense of place most of the times). I was proven wrong by this pie that made a special relationship to this place and time; at the very least, it did – the savour of Japan in spring.
Hanami
Passing through the street full of bare trees, it was a pleasant bimble to our destination. As soon as we touched the portal of the bridge, the ambience suddenly changed from winter to spring. The riverbanks boasted sakura in full bloom, shade of pink in either side of the bridge where we stood. It was a jaw-dropping sight as we walked towards Osaka-jo Hall, an explosive welcome to all visitors who wished to experience hanami at the Osaka Castle Complex.
We went on a peaceful riverside amble, resting on the benches, along with the locals, once in a while to take in the moment. My travel buddies were very pleased to see cherry blossoms in close proximity.
As we got deeper into the park, different shades and varieties of blossoms came to view. From single to double petals, from single-coloured to dual-toned, from pale pink to fuchsia – it was overwhelming but we cheerfully differentiated one from the other, untroubled by the confusion of whether or not we were looking at a cherry or peach or plum. At last we thought we distinguished and picked the right one... or did we really?
Japanese customary enjoy hanami with food and drinks, thus the reason for food stalls nearby popular sakura sites.“Hana yori dango” is a common phrase to depict preference of sweets, or food for that matter, over flowers; and 'twas the colour my girl wore that day. She was immensely happy to taste the Japanese version of crêpe as we paused before proceeding to the heart of the complex.
From the inner moat, we found our way to the central tower. Interestingly, RedXman, and I would have called him by his character had I known who he was cosplaying so please allow me to name him RedXman, was there to vie the attention of the flower viewers to himself or to the dazzling white and green castle behind him.
He sure was a flashy photobomber, quite a rare and distinctive embellishment to a keepsake of our visit to Osaka Castle.
The interior of the castle had been greatly upgraded to accommodate tourists. I wouldn't be surprised if the only relics are the intricate exterior; the interior and the rest underwent not only preservation but renovation like installation of elevators and stuff befitting the city museum that it is. That said, it was still worth discovering the history behind the great architecture and such.
The weather was on our side as we exited the complex – the sky was a little clearer and the ground was a little drier. After getting lost in thought walking under the clouds of the revered white and pink petals, we came to a standstill to register a mental picture of our wonderful hanami at the Osaka Castle Park.
After all, hanami is more than just a spring activity – it's a reflection of what had been and a hopeful anticipation of what would come; the awareness and the appreciation of the ephemeral beauty of sakura.
As we trudged back to the hotel, we chattered about how satisfying the trip was and, most often than not, the whats and wheres of souvenir shopping.
I searched for a 100-yen store and found one at the nearby mall. We scanned the shelves for cheap but useful presents and we ended up buying more than JPY 5000 worth of this and that. We did not have time to look for a restaurant, so we ended up going to the supa, the local term for supermarket to get yakisoba, teriyaki and sweet strawberries for dinner.
Leaving Osaka
In the morning, the view of Osaka Castle Complex greeted us from our hotel window, the Hotel Monterey. It was, well partly, the route we had taken as we wrapped-up our hanami in Osaka.
We didn’t bother getting up early because the train station was just around the bend. There was even a covered walkway from the hotel that even with a number of suitcases and a plethora of other things we had, it wasn’t difficult to reach Osaka Station, or so I boldly assumed.
Anxiety kicked in when I couldn’t find the way to the platform and the clock was ticking as we went up and down a few escalators. I was very well aware that trains leave on time in Japan. We missed the train we were supposed to catch, but since we didn't intend to take the bullet train there was no hassle of buying another ticket; we just simply waited for the next one.
No harm done; it merely delayed our arrival to and continue our Hanami in Kyoto.
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