Japan 2024 Trip Part 19: From Hakata to Osaka by Shinkansen and Best Western Hotel Fino Osaka

Previously:

Japan 2024 Trip Part 18: Miscellaneous Things in Fukuoka City

We spent the next three days in Osaka before ending our Japan trip for this year.  From Fukuoka to Shin-Osaka, it will take around two and half hour by Shinkansen.  Then as we're staying at a hotel near Nagahoribashi Station, we needed to change and catch subway line to Shinsaibashi where is the next closest stop direct from Shin-Osaka.  It could take approximately 5 minutes' walk from there where otherwise only one minute away from Nagahoribashi Station. 

For JR Pass holder, you can make a seat reservation in advance and they will give you another ticket for that journey where it contains train name, departure and arrival date and time, car number and seat number.  With Japan rail, it is very easy to find the platform and car as there would be information sometime on the floor or arrows to point whereabout the carriage number.  So just simply follow the direction. 

For me, Eki (station) and Eki bento (food sells in a station), they always come together.  My shinkansen journey will feel incomplete without that ekiben.  My daughter even got the shinkansen container food for her, but she accidentally opened the food thinking it was just a toy and a couple of sausages and fish cake decided to escape and run to the floor.  What a shame 😞

You can also place your luggage at the back of the last seat

We stayed at Best Western Hotel Fino Osaka for three nights.  As I mentioned earlier that the closest subway station to this hotel is Nagahoribashi.  But as we got off at Shin-Osaka Station from Hakata, we need to change twice to get to Nagahoriashi or otherwise, it is only one line subway ride to Shinsaibashi Station.  From here, we then went out from exit number 2 and walked toward Crystal mall then kept staying in the underground level and walking toward exit 5.  Once there, we went up to the ground level and the hotel is just in the next alley on our left.  

The room, of course, it's clean and pretty much the standard of 3-star Japanese hotel with a business-style hotel interior and there is 7eleven just opposite the hotel.  Beside good location and reasonable price, there is nothing spectacular about the hotel itself.

  

Interconnecting room with 4 single beds

Best Western Hotel Fino Osaka

1 Chome 2-19 Higashishinsaibashi, Osaka

Ph: +81 6 6243 4055

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Osaka:

Day 17: Shinsekai, Osaka

Previously:
Day 17: Nara

Shinsekai is known as a dangerous neighborhood in Japan.  This image derives from the fact that there are lots of homeless living in this particular area and especially in the south side, the prostitution is quite open as police control the area with one-eye-closed.  However, it wasn't pretty bad when visit Shinsekai.

Beside all of those bad reputations, Shinsekai is actually a great place to visit as they have lots of restaurants to choose from and 'Kushikatsu' is definitely one of Osaka's best known specialties is served right here.  Kushikatsu is a skewered dish, battered then deep fried.  They offer a great range from chicken, meat, vegetables, banana, cheese to ice creams.

Then they also have Tsutenkaku Tower, which is built to imitate the Paris' Eiffle Tower.  Also here is famous with the Spa, a large number of pools with European and Asian themed floor. 

Stew Quail Eggs

Fried Squid Leg

Varieties of Kushikatsu: Tuna, Chicken Tight, Quail Egg, Pork Rib, Cheese, Sweet Potato, and Chocolate Banana

The thing that makes Shinsekai even more spooky is this 'women only' carriage.  This area is the only place we see that have a separate gender carriage in Japan.  It is good though to prevent something bad happen.  However, the reason behind this carriage exist make this place even scarier.


Stay tuned for the next blog still in Japan:
Day 18:  Tokyo Station Hotel, Tokyo

Day 17: Yoshinoya

Previously:
Day 16: Izakaya in Osaka


Yoshinoya is one of the very famous fast food chain in Japan selling a good range of Japanese cuisine.  When they say "fast" food, they totally mean it.  Once you place an order, the food will come just by just the blink of eyes.  Do not expect a luxury or artistic dishes here.  It's mainly the simple Japanese food served quick yet tasty in a very cheap price.  Moreover, most of them are open for 24 hours.

Chicken Teriyaki 540yen

Grilled Salmon Set 490yen

This the right way to have your raw egg.  Pour your raw egg onto the steamy hot rice then splash some soy sauce on top and give a nice stir then slurrrppppp and enjoy.  That egg will slightly cook as the rice is extremely hot.

Then we stroll around Dontonbori renowned as the busiest place in Osaka.  It was pretty early in the morning about 9 am.  What we saw the other night and this morning was completely different.  Dontonbori was very very quite, empty, just a few pedestrians walk pass by rushing to go to work and a few tourists like us who get up early to enjoy the morning breeze with a nice Japanese meal.

We can take as much pictures as we like and as long as we please, all the billboards have no queue and no need to share with others.

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Japan:
Day 17: Nara

Day 16: Izakaya in Osaka

Previously:
Day 16: Dotonbori, Osaka

Another thing not to miss while you were in Osaka is their favourite delicacy, which is Izakaya.  Small served dished (like nibble) along side with some beers and having a nice chat with friends or couple in the mean time.  This is a pretty common things that Japanese guys do with their friends after work.

The price per dish is generally quite cheap unless you be in the wrong place like touristy place.  So you can actually try a few different types of food without breaking your bank.

A bottle of Suntory Beer

Grilled fish

Stew Beef

Beef Steak

Chicken Karaage 400yen

Variety of Kushiage

The food we got from this shop were all awesome, beers also be a nice accompaniment.  The food came fairly quick and lovely service too.  What a great night that we had.

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Japan:
Day 17: Yoshinoya

Day 16: Dotonbori, Osaka

Previously:

Day 16: Takoyaki Museum, Osaka

If you were in Osaka, your journey will not complete without visiting this famous place called Dotonbori.  The place is full of light, very bright and mesmerising.  Packed with tourists and locals try to take some nice shots with all of these huge giant billboards.  The billborads here are very specials, some even go overboard, not only a flat screen advertisement but it is shaped into their specialty.  Like some of the pictures below..

 

I heard that this most popular "Glico" sign has been removed and replaced with a different billboard.  What a shame!!!

What a cozy place to have your dinner.  Decorated like a traditional Japanese dining room at home in the winter complete with soft cushion and blanket around the low table.  Everything looks the same, even the coat that they provided to the customers as well, the only thing is it is outdoor.

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Japan:
Day 16: Izakaya in Osaka