A weekend off at last. I feel as though I’m saying that more and more of late but well I knew what I was signing up for right? Well either way it’s always good to get some downtime and some rest. So naturally I spent the whole weekend travelling about.
The reason was actually because a friend from university is actually over in Japan right now on her honeymoon. During the trip she had a few days planned in Kyoto and asked if I’d like to meet up somewhere in Hyogo. We decided on Osaka and I set off bright and early on Saturday.
After the classic moment of phoning someone then realizing you were staring right at them we set off on the underground for Namba. I didn’t have so many plans for what to do really as I wasn’t sure what they’d be interested in. Also the weather was not on our side so anywhere indoors would likely be best.
Our first stop was Dotombori for some lunch. It was time to introduce my friends to Okonomiyaki. Definitely one of my favorite foods and as my friend is both vegetarian and allergic to milk a pretty safe bet. This time I actually ended up ordering Monjayaki by mistake. It’s very similar but the batter is much more watery meaning it has a gooey texture similar to melted cheddar. Still tasty though.Following our meal we walked a little ways away to check out Amerika mura, home of many imported clothing and other items. It wasn’t quite as exciting as I expected, I think it really comes to life at night. Still there was a burger king, something I hadn’t seen before in Japan, and also a shop that had it’s own DJ. Also all of the streetlights in the area had this kind of iRobot design that was simultaneously creepy and awesome. I kind of hoped they moved but sadly not.
Next we headed off to the national Bunraku theatre just a short walk away. This is somewhere I’d been meaning to go to for a while and was happy to have some people with me to share the experience. Arriving at the theatre it seemed fairly full, with a more or less even split between Japanese and overseas patrons.Bunraku is a type of traditional Japanese theatre using highly intricate puppets to tell the story that originated in Osaka. These puppets are incredible, usually about 2 to 3 feet in height and controlled by more multiple puppeteers dressed all in black. Accompanying the puppets are people playing the Shamisen and also a chanter known as a “Tayu”.
We decided to opt out of the English headset and just try and pick up as much as we could. I made the error of trying to read the subtitles above the stage rather than just siting back and being absorbed in the action and impressive movements of the puppets. I could understand more than I expected but still not much. Thankfully we were given a pamphlet with an explanation of the different acts.We only stayed for the first act since the whole thing takes 4 hours, although I was up for watching the whole thing so maybe I’ll go another time. We were quite fortunate really as the Bunraku season only runs for 20 days in November and actually finished on Sunday.
Cultured out my friends kindly headed back with me to Umeda so I could check into my hotel. Sadly it was back to the capsule hotel since I hadn’t managed to book into a hostel. On the way we stopped by a supermarket that was selling the autumn flavor range of my favorite (never thought I’d say that) Soy milk brand. Well I had to buy a couple to try out, purin and chestnut yum.Checked in it was sadly time to say good buy although not before introducing my friends to the wonders of でっぱちっか or department store food. The quality always amazes me considering the price. I spent the rest of the evening in a mangakisa since I couldn’t face the thought of hanging around a bunch of seedy old men in the capsule hotel. Plus free manga and anime what’s not to like.
The following day I set off bright and early for Ikeda, a district just outside of central Osaka. This was somewhat of a pilgrimage for me as it is the birthplace of instant ramen. It’s no secret that I’m a fan of instant noodles, I think I’ve been eating them consistently since the age of 3 so it shouldn’t be too much of a shock.
Before arriving however I sat down on the train and an old man sat next to me. Nothing strange about that but he started talking to me and obviously, it'd be rude not to, I responded. Suddenly we were having a conversation. I learned about his travels. His son in San-Francisco. His love of climbing mountains and plans to visit Yosemite next spring. He also told me about the time he'd spent in Italy and how he'd really like to visit England one day. All of course in Japanese. I think I might be getting somewhere finally and my responses were a little more than just 'hmm' and 'I see' for a change. Truly a light bulb moment.
Leaving the station and following noodle dori (no joke that's the name of the street) I soon came across my destination, the Momofuke Ando Istant Ramen museum. A.k.a noodle heaven. Greeting me at the entrance was a Christmas tree covered in little plushies of chicken ramen’s (the worlds first instant noodle brand) mascot. No prize for guessing what it is.
The museum was two things. Firstly very cool and informative, you’d be amazed at how much thought actually went into the pot noodle, seriously. Secondly it was jam-packed with people. The Japanese it would seem love instant noodles even more than myself.
The exhibits were well laid out, there was a reconstruction of Momofuke Ando’s shed where the instant noodle was invented and an entire wall displaying a timeline of potnoodle releases in japan. Sadly there were no English explanations but it was fairly simple, this place is actually aimed at school kids I think, so I got the gist. It’ amazing to think that the instant noodle has been around since th 50’s and that pot noodles are over 40 years old.
Anyway the highlight for me, and the hundreds of other people, was the my cup noodle factory. You got to make your own pot noodle, design the cup and choose the filling. Yeah ok I’m sad but I enjoyed it. Actually the cup I made will be a gift for someone else, maybe I’ll go again sometime to make my own.That's all for this weekend but I'll leave you with a few extra piccies from the museum cause I'm that cool..
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