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Arrived in Osaka from Korea just today and have 2 days of freedom (Monday is holiday here in Japan). I will spend some time in Nipponbashi, Osaka's answer to Akihabara's electric town and do mostly windowshopping. Haven't been here in Osaka in a good long while, so will be interested in what I find. Next week, Akihabara and Tokyo. Will have a few hours in between work.
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Post by raveer October 10, 2009 (2 of 8)
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Enjoy. :) Just got back from there and I am slowly adapting to the normal EU life. I did a tour of almost the whole Honshu Island. Sunset in Hamamatsu is fucking unbelievable. Also Miyajima island and Arashiyama in Kyoto (wild monkey park and amazing Nintendo founded museum called Shigureden dedicated to the waka poetry) were one of the highlights I can remember, as there was absolutely too many things to see and process. In Osaka be sure to taste Okonomiyaki and/or Yakisoba.
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You saw many of the great scenic spots in Japan. I lived in Japan for 12 years and Miyajima is just a gorgeous spot, one of my favorites. Nara and Kyoto are other great places to visit and the food is always great. Okonomiyaki is actually better in Hiroshima than Osaka. Hiroshima is the home of the stuff, in fact. Osaka Okonomiyaki has too much of a pancake texture. Very expensive to buy anything now (with the yen-dollar exchange) so won't be buying too much. Still fun to look, though.
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Post by raveer October 11, 2009 (5 of 8)
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flyingdutchman said:
You saw many of the great scenic spots in Japan. I lived in Japan for 12 years and Miyajima is just a gorgeous spot, one of my favorites. Nara and Kyoto are other great places to visit and the food is always great. Okonomiyaki is actually better in Hiroshima than Osaka. Hiroshima is the home of the stuff, in fact. Osaka Okonomiyaki has too much of a pancake texture. Very expensive to buy anything now (with the yen-dollar exchange) so won't be buying too much. Still fun to look, though.
Oh, sorry for being smart and doing the off-topic. :) Just got back and I am still in the zone. Was an amazing trip. We (with fiancee) saw almost everything we planned, but still there are places I still dream about visiting or even do not know about. Anyhow we went from Chiba City to Hiroshima+Miyajima and saw almost everything in between along the Shinkansen (I miss them badly) line with a lot of side trips to nice places. There was sadly no time to see the North (Tohoku region and Hokkaido).
Kyoto is amazing, and there is too much stuff there. Luckily my postcard got to the monks of Kokodera in just the right time so I was fortunate enough to sit still for two hours and copy sutra. :) And Nara... was gorgeous, specially the Todai-ji, monks and agressive deers. Have 1k pictures of Kyoto and Nara alone.
Was in Hiroshima, it's sad and joyfull place at the same time. You question yourself there a lot of stuff... I had a survivour for a guide and that was an insight. I did not know that Okonomiyaki is better there. :( I starved in Kanto region but made up for it in Osaka and just assumed that must be it. As there I ate the most amazing stuff, on the streets.
And shopping. :) Got back with a lot of vinyl designer toys and a bunch of SA-CD and DVD-Audio discs picked up in Akihabara and Den Den. You get alot for an EUR theese days. Had to buy a handluggage suitcase just for the stuff. Thanks for the tips in other topic guys. It's strange as even there SA-CD is relatively hard to find, and a lot of people I was talking to did not know anything about it (even folks working for Yamaha and Kawai in Hamamatsu). Had an impression SACD is common thing there.
Anyhow sorry for the off-topic but I can safely say I did the Honshu properly - both sight-seeing and shopping. Kyushu and Okinawa next time around (whenever this will be). Will report if SA-CDs can be found there. :D
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No worries!
I think more common in Tokyo. Akihabara and Ishimaru-denki has loads of SACD. Also, Disk Union in Ochanomizu.
Also, I lived in Hiroshima area for a year and know exactly what you mean. Was at the peace park and actually was the tour guide for my Japanese girlfriend and now wife there.
As for Tohoku, lived there for most of my time in Japan (6 years in Tohoku) and miss that place too. Will be in Chiba (where I lived for 4 years) very close to the place I worked at.
Yep, you did most of Honshu very well. Kamakura and Nikko would be the only places right off that I would say you missed.
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Post by raveer October 13, 2009 (7 of 8)
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flyingdutchman said:
No worries!
I think more common in Tokyo. Akihabara and Ishimaru-denki has loads of SACD. Also, Disk Union in Ochanomizu.
Also, I lived in Hiroshima area for a year and know exactly what you mean. Was at the peace park and actually was the tour guide for my Japanese girlfriend and now wife there.
As for Tohoku, lived there for most of my time in Japan (6 years in Tohoku) and miss that place too. Will be in Chiba (where I lived for 4 years) very close to the place I worked at.
Yep, you did most of Honshu very well. Kamakura and Nikko would be the only places right off that I would say you missed.
Hey, sorry for a late reply. :) Busy with the work, it accumulated badly while I was away. Kamakura was actually on my list as there is a festival in the middle of september right on my bday, but I did not check other things before you said it, Now I wish I checked before and went there. And Nikko, how did I miss this hidden gem before? :( Ieyasu's mausoleum is there and famous decoration of three wise monkeys. :( Well at least I saw Kunozan Tosho-gu in Shizuoka, which I thought is the resting place of Ieyasu.
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So I was in Akihabara and Ochanomizu today. Not much that we don't know already about what is available. The Esoterics are prominently displayed at Ishimaru and Disk Union. I sure wish they'd do the Maag Mendelssohn 3rd, but don't expect it. Either way, didn't buy anything. I did pick up Shipway's Mahler 5 at Tower in Shinjuku yesterday, since that one is OOP in the US. Tower also has Paray's Schumann on RBCD for 1500 yen, so I may get that before I leave.
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