Chisan Hotel Kobe

... Osaka is definitely known for food and we have not been disappointed. We immediately went for the Kansai specialty of okonomiaki (Japanese pancake). Washed down with some shochu, our okonomiaki meal was excellent.

Our travels also took us through a very exclusive part of Osaka with many upscale shops such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, etc... I was asked if I would write in this blog something that would make fun of these establishments. At the time I said that I ...

... at Steak Ron, delicious Sakuyaki at Hariju and more helpings of takoyaki/okonomuyaki/yakisoba.

S teak Ron
1-10-2 Sonezaki Shinchi, Kita-ku | Umeda, Osaka

Hariju
1-9-26 Nishishinsaibashi Chuo-ku Osaka

Takontetsu (Pizza Ball House)
1-9-20 Maru Bldg Umeda 1 Chome

... this computer.　So far we did a bus tour of the main attractions in the city. Now we are looking for a place for fCub to have some Kobe beef. Tomorrow we will probably go to one of the famous shopping areas in Kobe. More to follow tomorrow. Sayonnara, Cubnelaine

Meaning to ruin oneself by extravagance in food. Heard another translation - "Eat, eat until you fall down." Why Osaka is my entry point to Japan. It also translates to eating as much Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki as possible. BTW Takoyaki - Octopus balls. Okonomiyaki - Pancake-ish dealies. Oh Osaka.

... we wanted to spend the night but eventually we decided to go to Roppongi. Tokyo is the largest city in the world and is divided into nine main major subsections of the city. Roppongi is the district that is known for having great nightlife and since the trains stop running around midnight we wanted to stay in the area we wanted to hang out in for the night. The other eight subsections are known as Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Otemachi, Ueno ...

... public areas like public baths and gyms (Matt had to cover them there too). Finally we visited the zoo with our adopted family. The family consisted of mother and father, both teachers (one in math and one in english), daughter 7 years old, son 3 years old and baby daughter 10 months old. The house was an apartment on the 9th floor overlooking a park- it was very nice! We spent one night day in Osaka ...

... not one to be religious but I wonder if the Japanese ever stop to think about how they've turned some of their most holy and sacred sites into god-awful (no pun intended) tourist traps. When you enter into the cathedrals in Europe, there's still that sense of awe-invoking silence and, more importantly, space to experience whatever it is you need to take in. Both of those things were in short supply at Kiyomizu...I just can't imagine that Enchin, the temple's founder ...

... friends (not an easy task on a full stomach). Next? Nothing better to follow a free all-you-can-eat feast than one you pay for. Years of food abuse in America had trained me well for that day, when I truly tested the limits of consumption. We ate at a traditional Japanese restaurant where we were served course after course for an hour and a half. With day turned to night we set out for karaoke. My comrades planned to sing until sunrise but I opted for just one hour ...

... our next stop. it was wild! i started work a couple days later, which is monday through friday. last weekend i went to see HONK!, completely in japanese, with keiko and kiyo in nagoya. what a hoot! and i quickly learned within 10 minutes that japanese people do not laugh out loud in a theatre. well let me tell you that by intermission, EVERYONE knew i was there. come on..the show is hysterical, and everyone was just chuckling to themselves. i couldn`t ...

... a ton of great family members there. It's very hard being away from all that. I would go back, but what would I do...at least I have a place here in Japan, I provide a service that is very much in demand...more than I can say for my work experiences in the States. I mean, I love talking to my dad or mom or friends, but it makes me think about these things and as happy as I am when I'm talking with them, I'm as equally sad after talking with them...does that make sense? I ...