Quality 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

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.

So sind jetzt weit** nach Kobe g**eist. Wied** mit den Shinkansen natürlich (da brauch ich imm** eine Weste, weils den Shinkansen imm** auf ein paar Grad ~20 °C od** noch we***** runt**kühlen), heute ist ** 295km/h gefahren. Es ist üb**haupt sehr sehr schwül in Kyuushu, und wir wechseln oft 2x am Tag uns**e Shirts. (Waschen dann am Zimm** alles aus - Salzflecken auf d** Hose sag ich nur - iacks sowas gibts in Öst**reich auch net...so eine ...

... hands-on games and demonstrations that illustrate how earthquakes cause damage and what each of us can do to prepare for their eventuality. After seeing all that horror and the reminder of how we are likely facing something similar to it in Seattle, we needed a drink. So we headed over to the Hakutsuru sake brewing museum. Instead of a factory tour, Hakutsuru offers a recreation of how sake was made before ...

... in most cities. However they seem to treat their companion animals extremely well! Everywhere we went we saw pure bred dogs (mostly smaller ones) being walked on leashes wearing little doggy coats. We saw a few cats in the park in Tokyo who looked well cared for, though they did have upper respiratory infections. Maybe it was the time of year? We didn't see any strays or malnourished animals or anything like that. I wonder if they have animal control and shelter ...

... I hoped it had a really good safety system -- if the cables were to break the car would ride that 45 degree angle to the bottom at a frightening speed, killing everyone! I hate heights! Hey, this system was put in place during the 1930's, so I wasn't sure that we were dealing with a modern piece of equipment. At the top the view of Kobe was okay but there was a great deal of humidity and smog in the ...

... were destroyed. It was one of the most costly natural disasters in modern history. The earthquake notably destroyed the Hanshin Expressway, an elevated freeway which dramatically toppled over. Despite this disaster the city has recovered well, and 10 years later is again thriving and remains one of Japan's top 3 ports. Also this month was SAKURA time! Sakura is Japanese for cherry blossoms, and they are one of the most well-known symbols of Japan. Hanami means 'flower ...

... easy feat. Here there are lots of deer, just like Miyajima near Hiroshima, which also like to eat maps (not mine this time). Transport in Nara isn't as good as in Kyoto so it took a lot longer to get to places, but I saw what I wanted to see. After 3 days of continuous walking, my legs were sore, but not as sore as I expected. I guess I'm getting used to it. On the evening of the 22nd I caught the overnight bus back to Tokyo. This bus was unbelievable - much ...

... just dial the cell phone and talk with people, and more than most of those...rasslin' and playing with Ginger!! ;) Man I miss that dog! Anyway, today was the company presentation, I set up a Japanese bank account, had a few lesson practicals, and we got our branch schedules...my days off are Monday and Tuesday, the positive being I guess I can travel around Japan without much traffic, which is very high on the weekends. Calling it an early night with ...