When you come to Osaka, of course you have to eat some piping-hot okonomiyaki. Cabbage, pork, and other ingredients are added to the batter, then it's cooked until lightly browned on both sides, topped with rich sauce and mayonnaise, and finished with bonito flakes. The aroma comes out right away.
The most interesting part of okonomiyaki is watching it slowly cook on the griddle as the steam and aroma keep drifting over,
Bâton d'or
Glico, the brand known for Pocky and Pretz also launched a luxurious dessert sweet in 2012. It’s called Bâton d'or, meaning “golden stick” in French. Each rich, buttery pretzel stick is made with a dough that’s packed with refined butter and cooked to perfection, along with an aged, golden butter sugar blend.
Ezaki Glico’s Bâton d’or comes in many different flavors, and every one of them looks tempting enough to take home and try. After trying several flavors this time, chocolate was still my favorite!
The chocolate aroma is rich, and the chocolate coating pairs well with the crispy biscuit stick. Each bite has a light, crunchy texture, while the chocolate has a slightly bittersweet taste instead of being simply sweet, making it very easy to eat.
Miyajima Omotesando Shopping Street
The most vibrant street on the island, the "Miyajima Omotesando Shopping Street" is lined with stores showcasing Miyajima's specialties. Spanning approximately 350 meters, this arcade street leading up to the grand torii gate of "Itsukushima Shrine" is packed with souvenir shops, stores offering local crafts, and eateries serving Miyajima gourmet delights. With a dense collection of stores offering souvenirs and local foods emblematic of Miyajima, it's recommended to stroll this shopping street first when you visit the island.
As you stroll along Miyajima Omotesando Shopping Street, the most distinctive sights along the way are all the different Miyajima specialties. There are many souvenir and snack shops lining both sides of the street, and momiji manju is a treat that you almost have to eat and take home when visiting Miyajima.
Besides momiji manju, Miyajima has another very distinctive specialty—rice scoops. Miyajima has long been known for making rice scoops, and you can see all kinds of wooden ones along the street, from small, cute souvenirs to practical household items, all with distinctive designs.
You can browse Omotesando while looking for unique Miyajima trinkets, eat a piping-hot momiji manju, and even see deer weaving through the crowds along the way. This shopping street isn't just a place to buy souvenirs; it also holds quite a bit of Miyajima's local life and culture.
Exclusive Kabuki Viewing at the Kyoto Minamiza Theatre
Kyoto Shijō Minamiza, said to be the oldest theatre in Japan, began operating as one of the seven theatres certified by the Tokugawa Shogunate in Shijō, which flourished as a town of plays in the early Edo period. To this day, many Kabuki actors continue to put on splendid performances on this stage.
When I passed the Kyoto Shijō Minamiza Theatre, I was immediately drawn to this theater filled with traditional Japanese charm. Minamiza is one of Kyoto's most iconic kabuki theaters. Its exterior has a strong traditional Japanese feel and blends in with the surrounding Kyoto streetscape in a very distinctive way.
This time I only passed by and didn't plan to go inside for a performance, but after reading about the theater, I thought the kabuki viewing experience sounded quite special. I don't usually have many opportunities to experience traditional Japanese performing arts, so I think it would be interesting to see a performance in the theater in person.
