When in Japan, make use of the efficient systems in place. We left Tokyo for Osaka on the Shinkansen train, also known as the bullet train. This line is the transportation artery that links Japan’s three largest metropolitan areas: Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.

Our trip took 3 hours; you can imagine how much longer the trip would have been if we weren’t on such a fast train!

We went to see the Osaka Castle, a 16th-century shogunate and Osaka’s main historical landmark. It is surrounded by a moat and park with plum, peach and cherry trees.

Osaka is also known for its bright and boisterous streets, which are very busy even at night.

This is the Dotonbori canal. The area around it – aptly referred to as Dotonbori – is known for its restaurants and eateries. If you look closely, you can see how many people are still milling about. It’s a really lively place where many neon lights exist amidst the surviving 17th century atmosphere.

This giant motorized crab (which moves!) is the landmark we’d been looking for. It marks the entrance of Kani Doraku, an iconic restaurant in Osaka’s popular Dotonbori street, known for its giant crabs (obviously).

We had crab, crab, and more crab! We had them as sushi, steamed, boiled, grilled, and barbecued.

The food scene in Osaka is quite exciting.  Osaka is actually known as a “gastronomist’s town”, so you know we had our fill of delicious food here!

And if you’re headed to this city, don’t forget to find some Okonomiyaki. These are thin Japanese pancakes, filled with different kinds of meat, seafood, and vegetables.

The Japanese really know how to cook their beef. This dish looks so simple but it was so good. Just look at this Beef Yakiniku from the same place we had the Okonomiyaki…

And this Hamburger Steak which we chanced upon in some hole-in-the-wall place…

And what do you do when you don’t have enough time to choose between sukiyaki or shabu shabu? We took the easy way out and had them both!

And the best way to end a hot meal? Matcha ice cream, of course — which is more often than not available in most Japanese restaurants all over Japan.

While Osaka gave me zero reason to complain about my gastronomic indulgences, I need to make a special mention for one of the best Japanese cheesecakes that originated in this city : Pablo Cheesecake!

Light, soft, and really cheesy! Just look at that. (I hear this is coming to Manila soon, c/o Suyen Corp’s Ben Chan!)

What a good way to end a meal and, for that matter, this post.

Stay tuned, I have more adventures in Japan coming right up!

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To see more of my Osaka photos, follow The Spoiled Mummy on Instagram and look up #TSMinOsaka.

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Read all posts from this Travel series on Japan:

Postcard from Tokyo

Tokyo Adventures: Food and More

L’Effervescence: A French Japanese Dinner in Tokyo

Historical Sites at Fukuoka and Hiroshima

Magical Kyoto: Its Scenic Streets and Enchanting Bamboo Grove