Our mission today was to take the bullet train to Osaka, stopping in Hamamatsu along the way for some fresh unagi.
We started out early from our hotel because we wanted to make sure our luggage forwarding was all in order before checking out (apparently sending your luggage from Tokyo to the Kansai region for same-day delivery is not possible). After settling everything, we made it back to Tokyo station in time to grab a couple of bento boxes before heading to the Shinkansen tracks. Without our luggages, the long walk through the massive train stations was so much more pleasant - I had completely forgotten about the vastness of the underground network connecting stations and buildings in Japan. The insane volume of walkways and shops in all different directions, on multiple underground levels, makes our North American equivalents seem woefully primitive. Comfortable footwear is a must!
Once we were on the train, we tucked into our bento boxes - each filled with a different combination of salmon, chicken, hamburg steak, veggies, rice, and pickled items. It was our first of hopefully many more bentos, and it was glorious - if only we could get such affordable quality at home!
Before long, we were approaching Hamamatsu station, right on schedule (as per all trains in Japan). The unagi that was waiting for us was still a bus ride away, so we patiently continued our transit journey until we reached the restaurant: Sumiyaki Aoiya. Even though we arrived only a few minutes after the restaurant opened, there was already a queue to get in - luckily there was a second floor! After we each ordered an unagi don, we smelled the grill cooking the fresh eel - and were soon treated to a delectable meal of unagi served on rice, with pickled veggies and soup. Totally worth the stop.
With satisfied bellies, we continued our train ride to Osaka, arriving mid-afternoon. As soon as we got to Osaka station, the bustling crowds drew our attention to all of the stores, vibrant colors, clothes, and goods to explore. Since we had energy to spare, we took our time to walk through the many floors of buildings connected to Osaka station. We found tons of shops dedicated to women's fashion, lots of Japanese-made items (bags, baked goods, crafts), and character products (e.g. Sanrio, Doraemon, Miffy). As the time passed, the crowds in the shops grew larger and larger as people finished their work days, all dressed to impress.
Eventually, we found a place that was hopping busy, and advertised beautifully crafted parfaits. Of course, we had to put our name on the waiting list. When we finally got a seat, it was quick to put in our order: a strawberry and pistachio parfait with pudding, and a seasonal cherry blossom parfait with sorbet and custard. We were originally only going to get one, but that was before we saw the cherry blossom parfait! It's ok - there was still space in our stomachs for dessert, and the parfaits were epic: a feast for the eyes in addition to being as tasty as advertised.
With all the food we consumed, we opted to have a later dinner after a bit of rest at our hotel. We found an established okomomiyaki restaurant nearby and conservatively ordered a couple of dishes with some veggies. The okomomiyaki was cooked right in front of us at our own table teppanyaki-style, which was a fun experience. I appreciated the simplicity of the Osaka version, which mixed most of the ingredients together prior to cooking, and had fewer ingredients than its Hiroshima counterpart. If we had the Hiroshima version tonight, I don't think I could have finished!
Tomorrow will be our first day of staying in the same place - no more travel needed! Fingers crossed that our luggage will arrive in one piece!
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