A visit to Kansai wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Nara, especially for the kids. The journey took about an hour by train from Namba, Osaka.
We arrived in the afternoon and made a stop at Nakatanidou, famous for its freshly made mochi. Watching the dynamic mochi-pounding process was not only fascinating but also entertaining.
The highlight of our trip was feeding the friendly deer in Nara Park. To top off the experience, we treated ourselves to delicious soft-serve ice cream—a sweet ending to a delightful outing.
Autumn seemed to arrive late in Japan, allowing us to catch the last glimpses of the season’s foliage at Osaka Castle. We took memorable photos with the vibrant ginkgo and maple trees, capturing the beauty of autumn.
In Osaka, we explored several iconic landmarks. We visited Osaka Castle, strolled through Kuromon Market to enjoy fresh seafood and Kobe/Wagyu beef, and headed to Dotonbori to pose with the famous Glico Running Man. Of course, we couldn’t miss indulging in local street food like takoyaki and the delightful 10-yen pancakes.
One of the highlights was dining at Gyukatsu Motomura, a favorite for everyone in our group. The delicious meal left us all thoroughly satisfied.
At the end of our time in Osaka, we attended Sunday Mass at the Catholic Osaka Umeda Church. The church's modern minimalist design exuded simplicity, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere during the service.
This trip marked our final vacation of the year. We chose Japan not because it was planned, but because we found discounted tickets from Singapore to Osaka. Having already visited Osaka before, we decided to explore a new destination, and Hokkaido became the highlight of our journey.
Our adventure began on December 13th with Peach Aviation, a low-cost carrier that had just launched its new international route from Singapore to Osaka on December 5th. The flight, scheduled for the odd hour of 2:15 AM, presented some challenges.
Unfortunately, the departure was delayed by two hours, and turbulence during the flight made it hard to relax or rest. By the time we landed, we were sleep-deprived and exhausted.
Upon arrival at Kansai International Airport's Terminal 2, we needed to transfer to Terminal 1 to catch a JR train to Osaka. The reserved seating was completely booked, so we ended up in the luggage coach for the 50-minute journey. After that, we walked another 15 minutes with our luggage to reach our hotel.
Once we settled in, we had a late lunch of omurice at a small restaurant near the station. A much-needed four-hour nap followed, and we rounded off the day with a late dinner of comfort food—McDonald’s.
