The more conversations I have with Agnes on her Japan trip last year Spring, the more I miss Japan. You see, Japan never ceases to amaze me and it is my dream to go back once every year. Like my brother said, it’s almost like balik kampung.
Even better, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) promotion came on time. For only RM1,029 I get to enjoy:
* A round trip to Osaka (6 hours 50 mins per way)
* Comfort seat with legroom
* Blanket (keeping me warm throughout the flight)
* Unlimited beverages
* KL-Osaka:
1 breakfast (omelette with sausages, bun and butter, fruits, coffee/tea) and 1 snack (hotdog)
* Osaka-KL:
1 dinner (fish with rice, zaru soba, prawn salad, fruits, bun and butter) and 1 snack
(matcha ice- cream)
* In-flight entertainment
(lots of movies & dramas to catch up, or even listen to soothing music while sleeping)
* 30kg luggage allowance per way (mine was about 18kgs only for return flight)
* Wonderful KLIA facilities
Unlike the previous years where I travelled with my family (Osaka, Kyoto & Nara, Oct year 2012) and my beloved Jason (Tokyo & Nikko, Oct year 2013), this year it’s all about girls under Sakura! Group selfie is inevitable.
23rd March 2014, Sunday
Hello Japan!
My mind barely function following the 2 hours meal intervals during mid-night flight. Must they wake us up just to eat? Yet, standing here on Osaka ground was exciting! First thing first, is to leave the luggage at our Kyoto rental house.
The cheapest way is to buy Haruka+ICOCA card, according to my fellow travel companions who did the survey. Let’s see, a round trip pass for 4,000 yen, inclusive of 2 Haruka pass (to and fro) and prepaid card ICOCA loaded with 1,500 yen credit (another 500 yen as deposit). Only foreigners are allowed to purchase this where we have to show them our passports. Also, the return Haruka pass has to be used within 2 weeks from date of purchase. We all got ourselves the cuter Hello Kitty cover instead of the traditional Fūjin(風神)&Raijin(雷神), God of Wind and Thunder.
While it’s still early to board the rain (every 30 mins), we ran against the freezing wind to Lawson, just across the pedestrian link to Aeroplaza. I was spoilt with choices but managed to get myself a colorful bento for 450 yen. It comes with 689kcal, as stated at the back, along with all ingredients they used for this bento. How thoughtful and thorough.
We ran again to catch our train, while all those strangers staring at us. I suppose we must walk elegantly in Japan no matter what. Ah well, we finally catch our train, it’s time to enjoy the 1 hour ride while having my oishii bento.
Kyoto station is huge. We saw with our own eyes how a garbage trolley can literally “climb” stairs and how they would reverse the direction of a seat simply by lifting the handle up then putting it down in a triangle-like motion(video). They also have these rotating seats as their new technology 5 years ago. Now I feel like I just came out from a jungle.
We stopped at the stairs that supposed to lead us to our platform. Then we looked at our luggage again. We had to find alternatives to go up, but escalator and elevator are nowhere to be seen. Gosh I must jot this down in my achievement book: Successfully climbed at least 10% of Batu Caves steps (272 steps) lugging a 12kg luggage. I changed my mind, it should be at least 20%.
Here is a website called Hyperdia for those who do not understand the complicated Japan spider web subway map, made my life so much easier. All I need to do is to type in both departure and destination stations, Hyperdia will then suggests a few routes including details such as the duration and fare. It can also convey accurate real-time information as when the next train will come. I downloaded the app to my mobile for more convenient access. It is absolutely free.
From Kyoto 京都station, we took JR Nara line to Tofukuji 東福寺station, then change Keihan Main Line to Gion Shijo 祇園四条station. Total fare was 270 yen.
Now that we dropped the luggage at our rental house at Gion, it feels so much lighter.
We then had our lunch at Sukiya, a Japanese style fast food restaurant serving mainly gyudon (beef bowl). In Sukiya, they have up to 6 sizes of servings to suit people with different appetite. Here I have NegiTama Gyudon ネギ玉牛丼 mini size for 330 yen, top up another 100 yen for a small plate of pickled vegetables and miso soup おしんこセット, making total 430 yen (about RM14). Else, the cheapest food in Sukiya would be a plain bowl of mini beef rice for 230 yen (about RM7).
Most often than not, Japanese food is taken as synonymous with expensive food, but now you can scrap that off knowing there are quite a number of Japanese fast food restaurants (where plain water is refillable for free). It’s even cheaper than McDonald’s!
Now would you excuse me, my all-time favorite and also one of the popular food in Sukiya, the NegiTama Gyudon is waiting. What makes this different than the usual gyudon back in Sukiya Malaysia is this key ingredient of Japanese spring onion, the Negi. Also known as Welsh Onion, this leek like spring onion is less aromatic than our chive like scallion but the texture is so crisp, just by shredding it alone will go well with almost anything.
I separated the raw egg, placing the egg yolk nicely over the bed of negi, poke it and stir them together. So smooth, crisp, warm, and oishii!
Then I pour over the remaining raw egg white into the miso soup, as learned from Meshibana Keiji, a manga turned drama where the police office uses his extensive food knowledge to open up uncooperative suspects. Maybe the soup wasn’t hot enough so the raw egg white remains to be nasal mucus inside my miso soup. Uh-oh…