Tag: postaday

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

Sunday, February 22nd, 2026Thursday, April 9th, 2026food, Japan, Japanese food, Osaka, postaday, TatsunoFood, Slice of Life, TravelingLeave a Comment

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

Saturday, February 21st, 2026Thursday, April 9th, 2026food, Japan, Osaka, postaday, travel, travelingFood, Slice of Life, TravelingLeave a Comment

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

Friday, February 20th, 2026Friday, April 3rd, 2026Hobonichi, Japan, Nintendo, Osaka, postaday, Splatoon, stationerySlice of Life, Stationery, TravelingLeave a Comment

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

Thursday, February 19th, 2026Tuesday, March 17th, 2026food, Japan, Japanese food, postaday, yakitoriFood, Slice of LifeLeave a Comment

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

Osanpo Snaphots

Wednesday, February 18th, 2026Monday, March 9th, 2026postaday, snapshots, TatsunoSlice of LifeLeave a Comment

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/4, 1/1100 sec, ISO800
“Tombo Cover” Tatsuno, 2026

Here are some snapshots from my walk around the neighborhood today!

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 9mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO80
“Bicycle” Tatsuno, 2026

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/12000 sec, ISO80
“Late Afternoon” Tatsuno, 2026

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/3.2, 1/60 sec, ISO1250
“Osanpo Snapshot” Tatsuno, 2026

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/3.2, 1/20 sec, ISO1600
“Shoyu Ad” Tatsuno, 2026

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec, ISO800
“Town Vibe” Tatsuno, 2026

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 27mm, f/4, 1/2900 sec, ISO800
“Cool House” Tatsuno, 2026

Himeji Shopping and Shabu-Shabu

Tuesday, February 17th, 2026Monday, March 9th, 2026food, Himeji, Japanese food, postadayFood, Slice of LifeLeave a Comment

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/120 sec, ISO100
“Muji Stationery” Himeji, 2026

Today we headed over to the city of Himeji to do some shopping at Muji, one of my favorite stores. I love everything about that place!

Although they have a respectable sized stationery section, I resisted buying anything. I admit to having a mechanical pencil and notebook in my basket, but I put them back since I don’t really need them. My collection at home is already overflowing! However, I did find a couple of shirts that fit perfectly, so I bought those. They were at a great price too, at around ¥1,200 JPY ($7.50 USD) each. Such a steal!

After shopping, we went to Shabu-yo, an all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu restaurant. It was delicious and we stuffed ourselves! By the time we left the restaurant, it was full of high school kids. We later saw the sign outside that advertised a special price for high school students. No wonder! I’d be eating here all the time if I were still in high school! 😄

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO200
“Shabu-shabu” Himeji, 2026

Seaside Oysters at Tsudau-Suisan

Monday, February 16th, 2026Sunday, March 8th, 2026food, Japanese food, oysters, postaday, TatsunoFood, Slice of LifeLeave a Comment

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/160 sec, ISO100
“Kaki Section” Tatsuno, 2026

Today we headed to the seaside for lunch at Tsudau-Suisan, this amazing seafood restaurant perched right on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The views were absolutely spectacular! 🌊 We had reservations and they gave us one of the best tables in the house. I was so excited when they showed us to our spot! ✨

One of the specialties here (and the area in general) are the oysters, so naturally I went a little crazy. 😅 I ordered a whole bucket of oysters to be steamed at the table, some rice with oysters that were also cooked tableside, and oyster roll sushi. It was all delicious! We also got sashimi and gratin, plus I had a nama-biiru to wash it down. Such a memorable meal. Definitely recommended! 🦪

Afterwards we stopped at Road Station Mitsu to do a bit of shopping, and that’s where I saw the largest daikon I have ever laid eyes on. And it was only ¥160 JP ($1 US)! Unbelievable! 🥕

Lastly, I was happy to get my first stamp in my notebook. It’s so funny because it has an oyster and daikon on it! 📓