Trip 3: Days 11 & 12 - Nikko to Osaka

We woke early on day 11, a day destined to be consumed in its entirety by travelling, to an amazing clear blue sky over Yumoto Onsen (figures). We packed our shit together, said goodbye to our luggage once again, and headed for a quick soak before one last amazing ryokan breakfast.

With our goodbyes given to our delightful hosts, we headed for the Yumoto Bus Terminal and our 1 hour bus ride back to Nikko. From here on in there's not much of interest to tell. Arriving at Nikko Tobu Train station, we found that the typhoon had affected a portion of the track, so what we thought would be a quick run into Tokyo turned into a 3 and a half hour marathon involving busses and four local trains before pulling into Asakusa at around 1:30pm. Not rivetting reading I think you'll agree.

Once we arrived at Asukusa, the day started to look up. We made directly for our favourite restaurant and ate a well earned ramen and gyoza combo.

Well earned lunch of champions

After a quick coffee at Tullys (can you tell we've been in the sticks for over a week?) we jumped on the subway for Tokyo station. Finally ensconced on the Nozomi Shinkansen to Osaka, we could finally relax.

Cut to two hours later, and after we checked back in to our old Osaka hotel we headed out for dinner in Dotonbori. This time we chose a very lively Yakatori place that seemed more like an Izakaya than anything else. There was carousing, the clink of beer glases,  and smoke was heavy in the air.

The first yakitori of the trip. Yum!

We ate some tasty morsels and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. On leaving the restaurant we felt like a nightcap, so we walked further down Dotonbori to one of the fresh melonpan purveyors for desert.

Divine melonpan and softserve goodness

Both hot and super fresh and freezing cold all in one package - the fresh melonpan filled with soft-serve icecream was divine.

Day 12 dawned grey and wet in Osaka, and the rain never let up, even for a second. After a meagre breakfast in the hotel, we made our way back towards Hozenji temple and the small woodblock museum Kamigata Ukiyoe.

He we were not only able to view the exhibits, which were amazing, but we also tried our hand at woodblock printing; completing both the beginners and intermediate courses on offer.

Woodblock printing at Kamigata Ukiyoe.

This was great fun, immensely satisfying, and somethinng I've always wanted to do.

After our printing successes we headed for lunch at Hokkyokusei Shinsaibashi Honten - reportedly the very first restaurant to serve omu-rice in Japan. Of course that's what we had to have and it was sooo good.

Chicken omurice - delicious.

The rest of our day was largely unsuccessful. We braved the crowds of Umeda to visit the Hanshin Tigers baseball store and then the Pokemon Center. We also thought about visiting the sky tower, but the rain and the entry fee dampened our enthusiasm. In the end we just gave it up.

If you are still reading this, and why would you, then you'd know that another meal is due to close out this extended treatise. And you'd be right. After a little rest we ventured back to Dotonburi in search of Osaka style okinomiyaki. With the help of google reviews we found a great place right on Dotonburi itself and consumed yaki-soba and modanyaki made right there at our table.

Yakisoba and Modanyaki - glorious.

What a great way to end the day.