With the unique experience of a hiking pilgrimage complete, the following morning a ‘local’ train took us from the Kii Peninsula to the concrete jungle of Osaka, purportedly a paradise for foodies. Our hotel in the Dotonbori area is the beating heart of the food scene and action so we went out for a sampling from street vendors. Takoyaki (octopus) is all the rage and there were scads of queues for many of the little holes-in-the-wall, especially being a sunny Sunday afternoon. We watched many cooks rhythmically working their (octopus) balls with chopsticks and after choosing our favorite ‘show’ we indulged in a share plate before a walk to poke around the neighborhood. The video below shows octopus ball-making in action followed by the end result. You’re welcome to try this at home.

A superhero hanging out in Dotonbori, Osaka.

Octopus balls (takomaki) are surely the most popular food in Osaka.

Cross Hotel Osaka is less salubrious to our other hotels, but for one night it offered a very comfortable, quiet stay.

Breakfast at Cross. Unconventional but my choice.

Surreal giant pillars welcome guests to one hotel. Presumably they symbolize the ancient civilizations of West Asia, East Asia, Africa and Europe.

The large neon Glico Man sign is the unofficial mascot of Dotonbori. It is only by accident that I captured a photo of this. Now we can say we have “been there, done that”! Glico is a candy maker.

The beating heart of Osaka

A superhero hanging out in Dotonbori, Osaka.

Octopus balls (takomaki) are surely the most popular food in Osaka.

Cross Hotel Osaka is less salubrious to our other hotels, but for one night it offered a very comfortable, quiet stay.

Breakfast at Cross. Unconventional but my choice.

Surreal giant pillars welcome guests to one hotel. Presumably they symbolize the ancient civilizations of West Asia, East Asia, Africa and Europe.

The large neon Glico Man sign is the unofficial mascot of Dotonbori. It is only by accident that I captured a photo of this. Now we can say we have “been there, done that”! Glico is a candy maker.

The beating heart of Osaka

The next day we moved to Hiroshima, 90 minutes south by bullet train. On arrival we took a tram, then train, then ferry to Miyajima, a mountainous island about 15 minutes off the coast. It’s a popular day trip destination because it’s a beautiful spot with a small population of tame little deer that roam through the tourists expecting a handout. 

The Itsukushima Shrine torii gates appear to float on the water when the tide is high.

The deer on Miyajima are docile and sweet.

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The Five-storied Pagoda was built in 1407 and restored twice since then. The red lacquer is from the original style.

Another angle of the Five-storied Pagoda

The Itsukushima Shrine torii gates appear to float on the water when the tide is high.

The deer on Miyajima are docile and sweet.

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The Five-storied Pagoda was built in 1407 and restored twice since then. The red lacquer is from the original style.

Another angle of the Five-storied Pagoda

Sunset on Miyajima Island

Sunset on Miyajima Island

Every region in Japan seems to specialize in a type of food; in Hiroshima it’s okonomiyaki, a Japanese pancake. So after our ferry, then train, then tram back to our hotel, we were planning to dine on pancakes tonight. But first, as we arrived at the Mitsui Garden Hotel we were delighted to see Peace Boulevard was festooned with several city blocks of Christmas decorations!

When we were finally were too hungry to see more, we headed to Okonomura Village, a 3-floor food hall devoted to the savoury pancake, okonomiyaki. Customers sit around an open teppon (iron griddle) and watch the magical preparation from start to finish. This style of cooking is called teppanyaki (think Benihana). There are about 40 vendors to chose from so people stand around watching and then try to get a stool at the one that looks best.

After our okonomiyaki feed we took a walk through Hiroshima, ending up at Hiroshima Castle. We were amazed to discover that we could wander over the moat and onto the castle grounds; then up to the castle itself without seeing a soul. This is the way we love seeing a city at night.

The castle’s southeast corner turret.

The remains of the A-Bomb Dome which was destroyed by the atomic bomb during WWII. The night sky and lighting make it an exceptionally moving site.

After our okonomiyaki feed we took a walk through Hiroshima, ending up at Hiroshima Castle. We were amazed to discover that we could wander over the moat and onto the castle grounds; then up to the castle itself without seeing a soul. This is the way we love seeing a city at night.

The castle’s southeast corner turret.

The remains of the A-Bomb Dome which was destroyed by the atomic bomb during WWII. The night sky and lighting make it an exceptionally moving site.

The Hiroshima Victims Memorial Cenotaph is inscribed with the names of victims of the atomic bomb.

The Children’s Peace Monument is a statue dedicated to children who died as a result of the bombing. The statue is based on the true story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who died from radiation from the bomb. She is known for folding over 1,000 paper cranes in response to a Japanese legend. To this day children from around the world fold cranes and send them to Hiroshima where they are placed near the statue. The statue has a continuously replenished collection of folded cranes nearby.

Memorial Tower dedicated to Mobilized Student victims who died of bombings during the Pacific War.

The Hiroshima Victims Memorial Cenotaph is inscribed with the names of victims of the atomic bomb.

The Children’s Peace Monument is a statue dedicated to children who died as a result of the bombing. The statue is based on the true story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who died from radiation from the bomb. She is known for folding over 1,000 paper cranes in response to a Japanese legend. To this day children from around the world fold cranes and send them to Hiroshima where they are placed near the statue. The statue has a continuously replenished collection of folded cranes nearby.

Memorial Tower dedicated to Mobilized Student victims who died of bombings during the Pacific War.

Just over an hour train ride south on Kyushi Island is the city of Fukuoka where the final sumo championship wrestling tournament of the year was held over a two-week period. Sumo is Japan’s national sport. Fast paced, colourful and full of ritual, these tournaments are a fascinating glimpse into traditional Japanese culture. The first professional matches were a way to raise money for new shrines and temples of the 1600s.

Many of the rituals from centuries ago remain today, from the salt that’s thrown into the ring, symbolizing purification, to the ‘”strength” water the wrestlers drink right before their match. Even advertisements are paraded around the ring on fabric banners rather than big screens.

The stadium is split into three sections, the ringside and box seats have traditional Japanese seating (cushions on the floor), and balcony seats farther back have chairs. During really heated matches wrestlers can fall out of the ring and onto spectators. During pre-match rituals, the wrestlers attempt to intimidate their opponents and play up to the crowd. The matches themselves are just a few seconds of circling, locking bodies and twisting; they’re intense and face-paced. The wrestler who steps out of the ring first or touches the ground with anything other than his feet loses. There’s often a big difference in weight between the opponents, but it’s not always the biggest wrestler who will win.

The big name sumo wrestlers are in the top division and these matches begin at 4:20pm and are the last to compete each day. There’s a short ceremony between the sets with the wrestlers, dressed in colourful ceremonial aprons, walk around the ring and then clap before exiting again, a symbolic gesture of getting attention from the Shinto gods. This is when the atmosphere really starts building, and the crowd gets excited, with people cheering on their favorite wrestlers, and sometimes even throwing their cushions into the ring at the end of the last match of the day. It was an exhilarating experience to be part of this spectacle.

Finally, the actual match begins!!

Fukuoka is the birthplace of tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen and is the most famous in all Japan because Fukuoka’s ramen uses thinner, straighter noodles. They are supple and bouncy, and they go down smooth. A search for a highly rated ramen shop yielded a result that we absolutely loved, Ichiran, not only for its ramen, but for its atmosphere. It was across the street from the train station so the perfect location for us. Ichiran has created their Five Originals, five revolutionary elements of tonkotsu ramen:

• Original Spicy Red Sauce made from 30 ingredients
• An aromatic tonkotsu broth made from pork bone
• Ramen Focus Booths designed to allow the customer to focus on the flavors in their bowl with minimal distractions like nearby conversations and chef activity
• An order form listing the many choices to tailor your ramen to suit you
• Kae-Dama ordering system

As soon as we entered the small, low-ceilinged establishment we purchased a ticket from a vending machine and were allocated a booth from two rows of 10 seats. The wording on the wood tags above is in English; these have comments and can be used to communicate with the staff.

This notice on each booth described the wage, time off benefits and travel allowance for the employees working here.

The final product was a creamy broth with our chosen accompaniments.

As soon as we entered the small, low-ceilinged establishment we purchased a ticket from a vending machine and were allocated a booth from two rows of 10 seats. The wording on the wood tags above is in English; these have comments and can be used to communicate with the staff.

This notice on each booth described the wage, time off benefits and travel allowance for the employees working here.

The final product was a creamy broth with our chosen accompaniments.

The entire day was one delightful surprise after another!