Osaka in a Heartbeat

Ta-dah! I just got back from a 2-day trip to Kansai - the western region of Japan. And a great 2 days it's been, filled with experiences and things I've wanted to see and do for a long time now. The flight was cheap and my schedule was willing, so why the hell not. You only live once.
 My first stop in Kansai was the heart of it. The third biggest city in Japan after Tokyo and Yokohama, Osaka is vibrant and lively and has a totally different vibe than what you get here out east. With the limited time I had, every hour counted, so I went right smack for the most exciting part of the city: Dotonbori.

Located in Osaka's central Namba area, Dotonbori is district that's explosive with energy and colors. Dragons and cows and crabs burst out of buildings here, each one trying to lure you into a restaurant or a shop or another. It's no wonder the place is such a famous tourist destinations in Osaka. And somehow, amidst all the chaos and colors, Dotonbori manages to have its own identity. It's campy but flashy and somehow alluring - the district kind of represents everything I know about Osaka and its people. On top of that, it's a great destination for both shopping and eating.

Takoyaki, Kushikatsu, Okonomiyaki

Eating, which I got to do quite a bit of. Osaka's food culture is a little different from that of Tokyo's, and therefore has its own local specialties. Many regard Osaka's takoyaki, the octopus-filled batter balls, as being the authentic one, as it was pretty much invented there. They're more tender than their Tokyo counterpart, and ten times as easy to find in a street corner.
Kushikatsu is also a famous local dish, consisting of deep-fried vegetables or meat on a skewer. It's tasty, but I wouldn't overdo it. Since the sauce is served in a communal pan (at least in the restaurant I went to), double-dipping is a serious offense.
And last, there's also okonomiyaki, which is kind of regarded as Osaka's soul food, and is pretty much a mix of vegetables or cheese or meats or a mix of those thrown into batter and made into a giant pancake. I find it to be pretty heavy.

Of course, the adventure wouldn't have been complete without some run-in with the locals. Osaka people are known to be much more passionate and fiery than their mild-mannered Tokyo counterparts. A man I met at the small okonomiyaki restaurant I went to promptly engaged in conversation with me.
"Where are you from," he asked.
"I'm originally from Canada," I said.
"I got a girl pregnant in Vancouver once," he began, and told me all about it. I lost most of the conversation to his thick local accent.

Despite the short time I spent in Osaka, it was a great experience and I'm so glad I got to do it. It's difficult to cram all the things I saw and did into one short blog post, but I've got to move on - Osaka wasn't my only stop in Kansai, and I've got lots more to share. Keep an eye on the blog! I'll be posting frequently in the next few days!