Tag: Japan

Leaving Osaka: River Café, Muji Shopping, and Yakitori in Tatsuno

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO50
 “Chicken Nanban” Osaka, 2026

Time to leave Osaka and head home to Tatsuno. But not before one more good meal. 🍗

River Café specializes in chicken nanban, so of course I had to get the classic set. It was delicious and filling, exactly what you want before a two-hour train ride. Definitely worth a visit, just come early because the line can get long.

After lunch we squeezed in a bit more shopping, including a stop at my favorite store: Muji. I love their clothes because they are simple, good quality, and actually fit me well. This location at Grand Front Osaka had a really cool section with sample home rooms, kind of like IKEA but make it Japanese minimalist. I spotted a pair of shoes that caught my eye and took a photo for future reference.

Then it was time to grab our luggage from the station locker and make the trip back to Tatsuno. Once we got home and dropped everything off, we headed to a neighborhood yakitori spot for dinner and drinks. 🍢 A long day, but a really good one.

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO50
 “Cool Shoes” Osaka, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/270 sec, ISO40
 “The Train Home” Osaka, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/35 sec, ISO1000
 “Local Manhole Cover” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/5 sec, ISO1000
 “Yakitori Restaurant” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/50 sec, ISO250
 “Evening Drinks” Tatsuno, 2026

A Day in Osaka

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec, ISO800
 “Shitennoji Entrance” Osaka, 2026

We spent a full day in Osaka recently, and it did not disappoint. 🙏

Our first stop was Shitennoji to pay our respects to Mariko’s late grandparents and father. It’s a massive temple complex, and we happened to visit on a flea market day, so the grounds were super crowded. Rows of old dishes, trinkets, and who-knows-what stretched across the courtyard. Mariko and Bay came away with some new dishware. I browsed through boxes of old watches but didn’t find any treasures. It was mostly junk.

From there we wandered over to the Kuromon area for lunch and a little exploring. I did score a new stamp for my collection book, which was one of the highlights of my day. 🗺️

We wrapped things up with more shopping in Namba before meeting Mariko’s mom for yakiniku dinner. The food was great, and by the end of it we were thoroughly full and thoroughly happy. A good Osaka day by any measure!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/5.6, 1/1400 sec, ISO800
 “Shitennoji Pagoda” Osaka, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/6400 sec, ISO64
 “Shitennoji Torii” Osaka, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/1800 sec, ISO80
 “Okonomiyaki” Osaka, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO125
 “Stamping” Osaka, 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/4, 1/220 sec, ISO800
 “Making Sushi” Osaka, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/6400 sec, ISO80
 “Dotonbori” Osaka, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/60 sec, ISO1250
 “Namba Parks” Osaka, 2026

Umeda Shopping: Nintendo Store, Loft, and Tsutaya

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/120 sec, ISO80
 “Inkling” Osaka, 2026

We spent the day shopping in Umeda, Osaka, and it was a really good time. 🛍️

First stop was the Nintendo Store. We were in there for a while, just soaking it all in. I’m a big Splatoon fan, so I picked up a keychain and a notebook. I had my eye on a mini skateboard too, but no luck on that front.

From there we headed to Loft, where I found exactly what I was looking for: the Tomie A6 Hobonichi cover! Just the cover by itself, which was perfect since I can swap it right onto my current setup. Yatta! I also grabbed a Tomie Weeks (March start), which is super cool. I’ll use it for Japanese vocabulary notes. I still need a pencil board and an A5 cover to complete my Tomie Hobonichi collection, so the hunt continues. 👀

The last stop was Tsutaya Books, and wow, what a place. The layout is circular, so you just browse in one direction and loop back to where you started. They had an amazing wall of fancy fountain pens, a solid selection of more affordable pens, and even a camera section where I checked out the latest Fujifilm and Sony gear. Highly recommend if you ever find yourself in Umeda.

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/160 sec, ISO64
 “Nintendo Characters” Osaka, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/120 sec, ISO100
 “Splatoon Things” Osaka, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/120 sec, ISO100
 “Tomie Cover” Osaka, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO200
 “Fancy Fountain Pens” Osaka, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO250
 “Pretty Kakunos” Osaka, 2026

Kobe and Yakitori

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/125 sec, ISO50
 “Ikuta Shrine” Kobé, 2026

Today we traveled from our home in Tatsuno to Kobe using the Kishin Line to Himeji, then switching to the JR Kobe Line to Sannomiya. It took about an hour and 20 minutes and cost ¥1,340 (about $8.40 USD) 🚃. Tomorrow I have a health check-up in Kobe, and after that we’ll be heading to Osaka to meet up with Mariko’s mom.

Walking around Sannomiya Station was a lot of fun. There were so many people compared to Tatsuno, and so many places to shop! 🛍️ I bought a jacket and scarf at Uniqlo, and Bay picked up a new pair of glasses 👓. I also spotted some really cool Seiko watches, but they were way out of my price range! 😅

After shopping, we met up with Mariko and headed to Trattoria Bamboo (トラットリアバンブー) for yakitori 🍢. We ordered the classic negima (green onion and chicken), tsukune (chicken meatball), and kawa (chicken skin), plus tori sashimi — raw chicken. It sounds unusual, but it was actually delicious! Other standout dishes included tofu, risotto, foie gras, and karaage. Everything was incredible 😋.

Since my health check was scheduled for first thing the next morning, I wasn’t supposed to eat anything after 8 pm or drink any alcohol 🙅, so we wrapped up dinner and headed back to the hotel for an early night. What a fun day! 🌟

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO1250
 “Tarisashi” Kobé, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 9mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO400
 “Negima” Kobé, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO160
 “Tsukune and Kawa” Kobé, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO200
 “Karaage” Kobé, 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO1250
 “Soft Drink” Kobé, 2026

Another Afternoon Osanpo

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/250 sec, ISO200
 “Ume Blossoms” Tatsuno, 2026

I went for another afternoon osanpo after wrapping up work for the day. There’s just so much here in Japan that catches my eye and makes me want to pull out my camera! 📸

I’ve realized I kind of gauge how much I like a place by how many photos I end up taking. The more shots, the more I’m loving it. ✨

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/3600 sec, ISO80
 “Coffee” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/180 sec, ISO64
 “Torii” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/5, 1/900 sec, ISO800
 “Tombo” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/9, 1/450 sec, ISO800
 “Neighborhood Stroll” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec, ISO800
 “Elder Tree” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/4, 1/850 sec, ISO800
 “Wishes” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/4.5, 1/750 sec, ISO800
 “Through Trees” Tatsuno, 2026

Snowy Osanpo

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO500
 “Thru The Snow” Tatsuno, 2026

Today I bundled up and went exploring around our new neighborhood ❄️ It was a snowy day that felt magical… for about the first five minutes. After that I was freezing! Still, totally worth it.

We’re living in the historical part of town, which means all the buildings have that beautiful old-world charm, including our own place. Wooden facades, traditional details, narrow streets dusted in snow. It honestly feels like we’ve stepped into another era. I kept expecting a samurai to stroll past the corner. In fact, Tatsuno is known as a samurai town! 😄

That being said, I found the little slice of life scenes to be the most interesting. There’s quite a mix of Meiji and Showa styles going on in this town, in my opinion.

Here’s a link to some videos I took of the snowfall. It was so pretty.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/8, 1/170 sec, ISO400
 “Rooftop” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/4, 1/200 sec, ISO200
 “Bicycle Pumps” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO500
 “Wanwan” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO500
 “Mailbox” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/8, 1/80 sec, ISO400
 “Signage” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO640
 “Bicycles” Tatsuno, 2026

Travel Day Two

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/35 sec, ISO250
 “Olympics in Haneda” Tokyo, 2026

Day two of my journey to Japan was blissfully uneventful compared to day one. My United flight was comfortable, the food kept coming, and yes, there was complimentary wine, which certainly helped set the mood. I read quite a bit, did some journaling in my Hobonichi, and watched a couple episodes of Frieren. Not a bad way to spend a long flight across the Pacific.

Landing at Haneda was a breeze. I made it through immigration quickly and headed off to catch my flight to Kansai International Airport. That flight was delayed about 20 minutes thanks to a snowstorm sweeping across much of the country. Still, I was very happy to arrive today instead of tomorrow, when the weather is supposed to be even wilder. Better or worse depending on how much you love snow, right?

Once in Osaka, I sent my big suitcase ahead to our house in Tatsuno and began the long train journey west. It was a little confusing since Google Maps was not completely accurate with the train line names, but I managed. What I loved most was tapping through the ticket gates with my Apple Wallet. No paper tickets, nor fumbling at the machines with cash! So smooth. I have not been to Japan in ten years, and it is really neat how much has changed.

At Himeji Station, Mariko and Bay picked me up in their rental car, and we made the final drive to our house in Tatsuno. It was past 11 pm by the time we arrived, but I still managed a few pieces of sushi before slipping into the ofuro for a quick soak. Then it was straight to bed.

After two very long days of travel, it felt like the perfect ending. Japan, at last!