Add Your Heading Text Here

This blog will introduce you to some of the great spots and activities in the Northern Kansai Region of Japan.

Kinosaki Onsen

-Feel the nostalgia of old onsen town

Kinosaki Onsen has allured many famous Japanese artists and writers as well as locals for over 1,300 years.  It is one of the most photogenic onsen towns in Japan with arched footbridges crisscrossing over the town’s gently-sloped river, providing the perfect backdrop for photos. The wonderfully-preserved architecture and authentic hot spring ambience can be seen and experienced along every street and alleyway. Listen to the rhythmic and calming clip-clopping of geta (traditional wooden sandals) as people stroll along the softly lit streets of Kinosaki Onsen.

Perhaps its biggest feature is town’s seven public bath houses. Each one has its own unique style and history. Most local ryokan include a ticket that gives you access to all seven for free with your stay.
It is also worth mentioning that all seven of the public bathhouses allow people with tattoos of any size, color, or shape.

Apart from trying one or more of the public bath houses, Journey to the East’s recommended activity while you are in Kinosaki Onsen is to visit Onsen-ji Temple. Onsen-ji Temple is the hot spring’s guardian temple. Visit the temple, as many have done before you, before entering these waters and receiving their healing powers. These hot spring waters are known for their healing abilities and this is where much of the town’s fame first came from. Onsen-ji Temple is located at the back of Kinosaki town midway up Mt. Daishi. You can climb the stone steps or take the ropeway gondola up to the temple.

Amanohashidate

-One of the top three scenic views of Japan

Amanohashidate is an iconic land bridge that straddles the Japanese Sea and Miyazu Bay. The land bridge itself has thousands of pine trees of all different varieties and beaches on both sides of the ‘bridge’ spanning 3.6K. Amanohashidate translates to “bridge to heaven” because it appears to be a pathway connecting heaven and earth when viewed from the mountains that rise above it on either side. The sandbar is quite thin—just 20 meters wide at its narrowest point. Most of it is occupied by pine trees. Amanohashidate is regarded as one of the top three most beautiful landscapes of Japan, along with Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture and Miyajima in Hiroshima Prefecture.

You can walk or cycle on the sandbar, take a cruise across the bay, visit several lookouts and see historically significant temples and shrines. Amanohashidate hosts many unique and high-quality accommodation choices and is an ideal place to base while you explore Northern Kansai.

Ine fishing village

-UN Club of the Most Beautiful Bays of the World

The village of Ine is like nowhere else in the world, and that’s not hyperbole. The village is built on the waters of Ine Bay, and the 230 “funaya” (boat houses) that line the bay trace their origins back to the Edo period. While Japan historically had other towns built along the water like Ine, natural disasters such as typhoons have destroyed them. But Ine village is enveloped by mountains that separate it from the Japanese Sea and it remained safely nestled within a lush mountain-scape.

A symbol of Ine village is funaya. Traditionally used as boat house and provide extra storage/living space, now many of these historic buildings have been converted into Japanese inns and quaint cafes while still retaining their original designs.

Miyama village and surrounds

-Traditional farming and crafts

The hinterland area from the Sea of Japan still retains traditional farming villages and woodland. It is rich in traditional crafts such as kimono silk fabric, washi paper making and sword blacksmithing. For travelers to this area, there is the opportunity for farm stays where you can learn the traditional farming methods of Japan, hiking and cycling, and visiting studios of skilled craft people.

Miyama village is one of those villages. Unlike most of the other thatched roof houses found in Japan, most of Miyama’s 200 houses remain private residences. Some of the residents are craftspeople, skilled in such practical arts as basket making and roof thatching. Kayabuki-no- Sato is Miyama’s main village, made up of 39 houses, the largest concentration of thatched roof houses in Japan.

These areas are mostly accessed by trains. So, why not travel north, beyond the golden route and the major cities of Kansai such as Kyoto, Osaka and Nara, to discover the beauty and hidden treasures of traditional Japan.

For more information, visit Visit Northern Kansai. If you would like to have a private tour including these areas designed by experts, please visit our Private Tours page or Contact Us directly.

1. Vending machines that serve you HOT drinks and foods

Japan is famous for its number and variety of vending machines. In addition, Japan has the highest density of vending machines worldwide. According to the Japan Vending Machine Manufactures Association, there is approximately 1 vending machine per every 23 people.

The most common vending machines you will find everywhere in Japan are for drinks. Although much fewer in number than those of selling drinks, there are some vending machines which sell ice cream, bread, snacks, books, magazines, T-shirts, even cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.

Japan’s vending machines usually have COLD (blue) and HOT (red) drink sections. So you can have not only a bottle of cold drink, but also a can/bottle/cup of warm coffee, tea or soup. The hot drink section of the machines become popular during the cold season, and you can find even more varieties of them.

Hot foods such as hotdog, hamburger, hot chips, karaage, takoyaki, yakisoba can also be purchased straight from the machine. They are cooked inside the machine in just less than 2 minutes and ready to eat!

2. Japan’s High-tech Toilet

You will be incredibly surprised how many functions Japan’s toilets have!

Toilet seat automatically opens as you walk in and lock the door. The seat is heated, so you don’t feel cold when you sit down on a cold day. They even play music or make sounds to disguise your doing the “business”, and flush automatically when you finish and stand up.

Nowadays, it is harder to find traditional toilet or “plain toilet” at people’s homes and in public spaces, especially in Tokyo and other big cities. Public toilets can be found quite easily at train stations, parks and department stores, and they are exceptionally clean and free of charge.

You might also find interesting that Japan’s home toilet usually has a hand wash basin over the toilet water tank. You wash your hands in clean water before the water goes into the tank and next used to flush the toilet. How clever and environmentally conscious is that?

3. Umbrellas lockers and dryers

Have you ever seen lockers for an umbrella? Department stores, office buildings, theme parks or attractions often have them in Japan. Japan has lots of rainy days, not just during the rainy season around June. So, an umbrella is a common item that people carry. (By the way, Japanese weather forecasts are pretty accurate, so it is safe to take an umbrella only on the days that rain is forecast.) In addition, a lot of Japanese people use a sun umbrella called “Higasa” to avoid sunlight on a fine day as well. The lockers make your life easier, keeping your umbrella safe while you are shopping or attending to your business.

The image on the right is an umbrella dryer. It has special fabric which absorbs water and drys an umbrella. Plastic covers were commonly used for wet umbrellas, however nowadays they are being replaced for environmental reasons.

4. Nomunication culture

When you are out at night in Japan, you might see lots of business people in their suit at Izakaya pubs till late night. Wonder why?

A Japanese modified word, “Nomunication” is made up of a Japanese word “nomu” (means drinking) combined with an English word, “communication”.

Japanese business people (especially older men) love going for drinks at Izakaya pub with their co-workers after work. It was believed that socialising with co-workers or business partners over drinks achieved a closer relationship, understanding each other better and thus successful business. Therefore, they often go out for dinner or drinks with their co-workers, bosses or clients after their working hours.

5. Queueing

Queueing is a big part of Japanese culture, especially in big cities. In Japan, everyone follows many unspoken rules in their daily life which maintain the peaceful harmony among people. Queueing is one of them. You will often see long lines of many people at train station especially during the peak hour. Once the train arrives at the station, they even move perfectly in a line and make some room for people who are getting off the train. .

You will see the queues on streets, too. Japanese people queues for popular items that were introduced on TV programs or magazines. You will probably see a long line of people in front of popular restaurant, bakery, cake shops and so on.  A long queue in front of the shop make us very curious. Some people actually get into the line without knowing what they are waiting for because they think there is something special.

Jokingly, some say, if you sand still on the streets in Japan, soon you will have a queue behind you.

These are just examples, but there are a lot more unusual or unique things you would find only in Japan. Would you like to share what your thing is unique or unusual in Japan? We would love to hear from you, and share on our future blog.

On our Blog page, you will find more articles about Japanese culture, Japanese cooking recipes and useful travel tips. Please check them out!

If you have been to Japan and tried okonomiyaki you would agree that it is one of the tastiest Japanese dishes. But did you know there is a long-standing battle between Osaka and Hiroshima style okonomiyaki? If you spoke to people of Osaka, they would say Osaka is the real origin of okonomiyaki and Osaka style okonomiyaki is tastier. But in Hiroshima, you would not mention that or you would be very unpopular. People of Hiroshima rightly believe theirs is the true okonomiyaki and the tastiest.

On this blog, we will show you their differences and recipes of both styles, so you could be the judge!

At Journey to the East, we are fortunate to have relationship with both regions. Our client support officer, Ritsuko is from Osaka. And one of our Japan staff, Eri is based in Hiroshima, and her husband, Ricky Chandra from Sydney currently works at an okonomiyaki restaurant Lopez in Hiroshima. The following recipes are from Ritsuko and Ricky. Thank you both!

Main differences

Basic ingredients are the same. Flour, shredded cabbage, eggs, pork, most importantly okonomiyaki sauce. The main difference is in the construction. The Osaka style mixes the shredded cabbage into the batter while the Hiroshima style cooks them separately. Eggs are whisked and mixed in the batter in the Osaka style whereas an extra egg is fried separately on hot iron pan and okonomiyaki is placed on top before it is flipped over to show the egg on top in the Hiroshima style.

The osaka style is usually thick and fluffy. To make it light and fluffy, grated yam and tenkasu (small balls of fried batter – a byproduct of making tempura) are mixed in the batter. The Hiroshima style is constructed by layers – crepe like base with a layer of shredded cabbage, then topped with sliced pork and other toppings.

The rest is very similar. The word “okonomi” means “as you like”, so the idea is you add anything you like. The most common topping is thinly sliced pork belly, but you can have seafood (prawns, octopus, squid etc.), cheese or mochi (rice cake). In Hiroshima, you often see the one with oysters, which is Hiroshima’s main product.

Now it is your turn. The recipes are provided below. In restaurants you see a large iron plate where chefs cook dozens of okonomiyaki at once, but at home, all you need is a frying pan (or two for the Hiroshima style).

Osaka Style Okonomiyaki Recipe

Osaka Style Okonomiyaki (serves 2)

• 120 g thinly sliced pork
• 100 g plain flour
• 160 ml milk (makes the batter fluffier than water)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon bonito stock powder *
• 2 tablespoon grated yam * (optional)
• 2 tablespoon tenkasu * (optional)
• 1 tablespoon red pickled ginger * (optional)
• 150 g shredded cabbage
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying

Toppings

Add Okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, bonito flakes *, aonori (green seaweed flakes) to your liking.

*you can buy these items from Asian grocery stores.

Cooking method

1. Cut pork into 10 cm long slices.
2. Place flour, bonito stock powder and milk, and mix well with a whisk to make batter.
3. Add beaten eggs, tenkasu, yam, and shredded cabbage and lightly mix (do not overbeat to keep the batter light and fluffy.
4. Heat a frying pan and add oil (medium to high heat)
5. Pour the batter in to the pan and evenly spread. At this point it is important to keep it thick (1-2 cm at least).
6. Place pork slices on top and cook the okonomiyaki on medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
7. Flip the okonomiyaki using a plate or a large spatula, and cook further 3-5 minutes until the pork side is nice and crisp.
8. Serve on a plate with the pork side up.
9. Spread okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise on top, and sprinkle over bonito flakes and aonori.

Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki Recipe

Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki (serves 2)

• 150 g plain flour
• 50 ml milk
• 100 ml water
• 3 eggs
• Cabbage
• Bean sprouts
• Dashi powder*
• Tenkasu * (optional)
• Salt
• Onion powder
• Sliced pork belly
• Yaki soba noodle (or egg noodle for stir fry)
• 2 x 26 cm frying pans
• Vegetable oil
• Okonomiyaki sauce (Otafuku brand is the most popular)
• Japanese mayonnaise, bonito flakes *, aonori (green seaweed flakes) as desired

*you can buy these items from Asian grocery stores.

Cooking method 

Crepes

1. Whisk one egg, water and milk until combined.
2. Add 75 g sifted flour to the egg mixture. Whisk the mixture until smooth and air bubble starts to appear. (Make sure you hit the side of the bowl when whisking to work the gluten.)
3. Continue adding the rest of the flour and whisk until you reach crepe batter consistency. (Do not overbeat the batter or you will end up with runny batter.)
4. Cover the batter with cling wrap and rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight preferably).

Cabbage

1. Turn the cabbage stalk side up.
2. Using cabbage stalk as a guide, cut the cabbage to half. Then cut the each half to two parts. By now, you will have four wedges of cabbage.
3. Cut the cabbage against the grain to long thin slices (approximately 2 mm thickness)

Okonomiyaki

1. Brush frying pan with oil.
2. On a low heat, pour the batter to the first frying pan. Using the back of ladle, spread the batter in circular motion around the pan to create the base. (The base of Hiroshima style okonomiyaki should be thin like a crepe.)
3. Fluff up the cabbage, create a ball of cabbage nest and place it to the base (crepe).
4. Add bean sprout and tenkasu.
5. Season with dashi, salt and onion powder.
6. Add sliced pork belly.
7. Drizzle a little bit of the crepe batter on top.
8. Increase heat to medium high.
9. Once the base turns golden brown, using two spatulas flip the okonomiyaki. (Now the pork is at the bottom).
10. Cook the okonomiyaki until cabbage is fully steamed and slightly charred.
11. On the second frying pan, stir fry the yakisoba noodle with a little bit of vegetable oil. Season with salt, while pepper and onion powder.
12. Spread the noodle on the second frying pan (same size as the okonomiyaki base), now transfer the okonomiyaki from the first frying pan to top of the noodle.
13. Press the top of the base to compress the cabbage and noodles until it sets.
14. Back to the first (now empty) frying pan, crack an egg and then transfer the okonomiyaki back to the top of the egg. Cook the egg to desired. Once done, using two spatulas, flip the okonomiyaki (now the egg side is up).
15. Brush the okonomiyaki with okonomiyaki sauce and sprinkle with white pepper and aonori.

Remember, okonomiyaki means “to your liking” so you can add toppings such as cheese, squid, prawns, mochi (rice cake).

I hope you enjoy the Japanese home cooking okonomiyaki recipes for Osaka style and Hiroshima style.

Journey to the East offers a range of excellent Food Tours of Japan and each of them include a fun cooking class by professionals. Please check them out!