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Mochi: the Japanese cake that kills (but is delicious)
A Japanese speciality that I first discovered in Thailand, mochi is a preparation based on sticky rice which, once kneaded, takes the shape of a dumpling.This same preparation is the basis for the famous Chinese coconut beads that I knew and appreciated for much longer.The toppings can vary but the mochi I like the most is topped with a strawberry, sometimes coated with chocolate.The preparation of the mochi can be very impressive, judge for yourself through these two videos taken in Nara in front of the famous Nakatanidou.Mochi is also known to be a killer cake! Japanese people eat an average of 1kg each per year, mainly during the New…
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Test & review of the Onsen Tenzan-no-yu in Kyoto (Japan)
To find out how a session in an Onsen takes place, it’s this way.We went to Onsen Tenzan-no-yu as it is about 15 minutes by bus from the Kyoto bamboo forest. After walking a lot, what better way to relax than a visit to Onsen?As usual, shoes are removed before entering and stored in a locker (no room needed).We recover the key of the locker and we are going to exchange it at the reception for another bracelet which is going to allow us to open and close our locker in the checkroom. With this same bracelet, we can buy drinks, eat at the restaurant or ask for a massage.We’ll…
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Test and opinion of the Funaoka onsen in Kyoto (Japan)
If Google and TripAdvisor list it as an onsen, it is a sento (without thermal water).We arrived for the opening at 3pm. Waited for about twenty people with a small half of foreign tourists.It is so far the public bath that we have done in Japan with the most tourists. The fault lies with the Lonely Planet in which it is listed.As usual, we take off our shoes before entering, no need for locker parts.No automatic machine to buy the tickets, it is a friendly octogenarian who runs the store.Unbeatable rates: 430 yen the entrance.Soap and shampoo aren’t included, you can buy them for 40 and 30 yens respectively.Don’t forget…
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Travel Diary Osaka (Japan) #3: Osaka Castle, cherry blossoms, Namba Walk, Bic Camera, SK-II
Read Travel Diary #1 here, #2 here Ohayô gozaimasu! (hello in Japanese), here I am to tell you the continuation of my trip in Japan If you only knew how hard it is for me to remember Japanese sentences! If you learned to say konichiwa from the movie Taxi, you should know that it is only used in the afternoon :'( And Japanese people seem to prefer to say Ohayô gozaimasu! even in the afternoon So, when someone says hello to me, I get stuck, smiling blissfully, processing “damn, what do we say after ohayô already? kadasui? gounamas? think think think think!!!” and the person in front has already had…
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Test & review of the Spa World Onsen in Osaka (Japan)
To find out how a session in an Onsen takes place, it’s this way. Spa World is the Disney Land of Onsen, it is unbelievable! Imagine an 8-story building dedicated to wellness On the 1st floor you have the reception. On the 3rd floor you can eat and drink. On the 4th floor you have spas with a European atmosphere (Rome, Greece, Atlantis, Capri, Spain, Mediterranean Sea and Finland) On the 6th floor a gym and spas with an Asian atmosphere (Japanese, “Islam”, Persian, Bali) On the 8th floor you have a swimming pool. Massage rooms, solariums, rest areas, … everywhere Difficult to make an inventory of all the services…
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Test & review of Irifune Onsen in Osaka (Japan)
To find out how a session in an Onsen takes place, it’s this way.Very little touristic, it is a very popular experience that you will live at the Irifune Onsen (in my opinion rather Sento (popular bath) in spite of its name).This Onsen isn’t listed on Google Map, so here is a link to locate it precisely.Even before entering the Onsen, you must take off your shoes and put them in a locker (no room needed).An automatic machine is available to buy your ticket but also to rent a towel, buy soap, shampoo, … (which aren’t provided).The exercise isn’t easy because everything is in Japanese. It took us a good…
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Test & review of the Tennen Onsen Naniwa Hot Spring in Osaka (Japan)
To find out how a session in an Onsen takes place, it’s this way.Located north of Osaka, on the 8th floor of a commercial building.You have to take off your shoes before entering (so plan 2 pieces of 100 yens for two lockers: one for shoes at the entrance and one for your clothes afterwards).You can buy your tickets through the ticket machine (800 yen for the entrance, 150 yen for the small towel). The directions are in English.The first time we hadn’t seen the machine, it is quite possible to buy the tickets directly at the counter.It is also possible to buy all the necessary hygiene items.The Tennen Onsen…
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A few words to our readers
This blog exists, since we start preparing our first world tour. Two years later, this blog is more active than ever and we are in the middle of our round-the-world tour n°2. Thank you for being so numerous. Some of you have never left comments, mails, or interacted on Facebook/Instagram, but we know you exist (it’s our tracking Analytics system that tells us so). Originally, this blog is addressed to ourselves, then to our loved ones – a kind of diary to keep memories, in the smallest details, and keep our loved ones informed of what we do. As the months go by, we begin to receive visits from people…
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Travel Diary Osaka (Japan) #2: our first onsen, Dotonbori and Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Street
If you haven’t done so, read our first Osaka travel diary here Hardly our suitcases scattered in the Airbnb, we are already outside, too eager to discover Japan, which we are visiting for the first time Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary Dobontori As we are cold, our first goal is to find a Uniqlo, where I am sure to find comfortable and warm pajamas. Of course, we’ll end up at Uniqlo last, being too busy looking left to right Our first stop is the local supermarket. We discover with excitement bentos, sashimis and sushi to take away – for a very affordable price…
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Travel Diary Osaka (Japan) #1: flight hours and our Airbnb
I am so excited to present this series of travel diaries to Japan. We are going to put online numbered travel diaries throughout our stay in Japan. The idea is to share our discoveries with you as we go along, because there is so much to tell about Japan that the usual three articles per destination aren’t enough So we chose to spend a month and a half in Japan, including a month in Osaka (and surroundings) and two weeks in Tokyo (and surroundings) Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary Da Nang => Osaka After a month in Hoi An and 2 days in…
