Osaka and Kyoto: The Beginning of a Dream Come True
As Kansai International Airport grows smaller and smaller in the rear window, I hand you one earbud and press play on a One OK Rock playlist. It’s an attempt to distract me, to direct my giddy energy elsewhere until we reach our Airbnb.
I’d been wanting to visit Japan for years—almost decades, plural. There’s so much I want to do, so much I want to see, and even though I know the cab is bringing me closer to the Airbnb, to the start of my next adventure, right now it feels like it’s containing me, preventing me from experiencing.
But only for about 30 minutes more…
Attractions
Kyoto
Kiyomizu-dera: This Buddhist temple has some of the most breathtaking views imaginable. I’m the exact opposite of a morning person, but I’d be willing to sacrifice sleep to be here at dawn.
Fushimi Inari-Taisha: One of the most iconic spots in Japan, Fushimi Inari-Taisha is a shrine that continues to draw worshipers and tourists alike, especially during festivals. The beauty of the torii, the red gates, has always drawn me, and I’d love to get an up-close look!
Nishiki Market: Markets can be some of the best places to visit when traveling to a different country. There’s food, drink, shopping…anything a tourist could possibly want.
Osaka
Dotonbori: In Osaka, Dontonbori is the place to go to if you want to see kabuki plays, opera, and modern dramas. Which I do. In addition, this area holds a lot of street side food stalls and bars, which are probably two of my favorite things.
Osaka-jo: Created more than 400 years ago, this castle has amassed an amazing history. Also, it’s a freakin’ castle.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Studios, Japan): Have I been to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida? Yes. Does that fact have any influence on whether or not I’ll spend time at that same amusement park in a foreign country I’ve traveled TK thousand miles to get to? No. And if you try to expelliarmus the butter beer from my hands, I will totally crucio you. In all seriousness, I think it would be amazing to spend time here. I can imagine being surrounded by all these people who, on the surface, are vastly different from me. We don’t speak the same language. We have very different cultures. But here, our love of Harry Potter is something that erases those differences and shows us that we’re the same. And that’s the whole point of traveling. #Ravenclaws4Life
Honorable Mentions
Restaurants
For ramen: Honke Daiichiasahi (Kyoto). How embarrassing would it be if we went all the way to Japan but didn’t eat our weight in ramen?
For book-lovers: Café Bibliotec Hello! (Kyoto). Pastries, coffee, books. Need I go on?
For sushi: Chojiro Hozenji (Osaka). Look, I don’t really understand why sushi on a conveyor belt sounds as cool as it does. I mean, it’s just sushi on a conveyor belt. But I want to see it, and I want to it eat.
For variety: Kyoto Tower Sando. One of the most difficult things about traveling is having to decide what to eat. There are just so many options and everything sounds good but a person can only eat so much before they explode and die. Places like Kyoto Tower Sando, which offer a variety of stalls in one place, are a good solution to this problem. Everybody can pick one or two things from different stalls and share; it’s more deliciousness, less hassle.
For takoyaki: Kogaryu Takoyaki (Osaka). The first time I ever heard of takoyaki was in an anime short. It looked so delicious, even though I was just looking at drawings. Since moving to Pittsburgh, I’ve found a number of restaurants that serve this dish, and it is every bit as delicious as I dreamed it would be.
For okonomiyaki: Chibo (Osaka). Because pancakes are the best, whether they’re sweet or savory.
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