Where to buy Ohgiya Noriten and Wasabi Aji Fried Ika in Japan

I've been researching where I can get the items in my Japan shopping list, and I realized that two of the items, which I really like, are either unknown to locals or not very popular in Japan.

wasabi seaweed tempura (noriten)

This wasabi fried squid is addicting!

For example, when I googled "where to buy ohgiya noriten in osaka" and "where to buy wasabi aji fried ika in osaka", most of the results I got were from Japan import/export companies. I saw someone on Tripadvisor ask where he could buy Ohgiya Noriten in Nagoya and the Japanese person trying to answer his question didn't know what he was talking about. I also asked our Airbnb host and he has never heard of both delicious Japanese snack items either. (I even messaged him the pictures just to be sure he knew what I was talking about.)

Then I asked my sister-in-law, who had given us some as pasalubong from her trip to Japan before, where she bought them. And guess what? She bought them at the airport.

So are Ohgiya Noriten and Wasabi Aji Fried Ika just for tourists? You know, like dried mangoes and otap for us? (Tourists always buy dried mangoes and otap as pasalubong when they come to Cebu but we locals rarely eat them. Well, speaking for myself anyway.)

Actually, our Airbnb host did say that maybe wasabi flavored snack items are popular in the Kantou area (around Shizuoka or Tokyo). In the Kansai area (especially in Kyoto), it's matcha flavored everything. So it's most probably more of a regional thing. Each region has its own specialty, and a person may not be familiar with another region's specialties. I know there are many times when someone goes home to some province and brings back a local delicacy that I've never heard of. It's probably like that.

Now I know that these two yummy treats are not native to Osaka, but I'm still hoping to find them in a Family Mart, 7-Eleven, Don Quijote or Matsumoto Kiyoshi. :-)

*A "pasalubong" is what Japanese people call "omiyage." It's a customary gift you give to your boss, colleagues or family when you get back from travel. It's kind of like a souvenir. But I think this custom is only practiced in some Asian countries? So you might now know what I'm talking about.

What To Buy In Japan (My Shopping List)

One of the things I am excited about is buying things from Japan that I either can't get / don't have enough choices of in my country or are cheaper when bought in Japan. And to make sure I don't miss anything, I'm making a list and checking it twice!

Here is my list of things to buy in Japan:

• Kose Sekkisei Moist BB cream shade 01



My Sekkisei BB cream is running out! I don't think it'll last until November. :-(

• cosmetics - I wonder if they have the Maybelline Age Rewind concealer in Japan. I've heard good things about it. I've been asking salesladies at the malls if they have it, but the answer is always "it hasn't been released in the Philippines yet."
• Wasabi Aji Fried Ika わさび味いかフライ 



These wasabi flavored fried squid are very addicting.

• Ohgiya noriten のり天



Ohgiya noriten tastes way better than the seaweed tempura available in our supermarkets!

• takuan - daikon pickled in a rice bran-based fermenting medium rich in bacillus subtilis
• shibazuke - chopped cucumbers and eggplant pickled in red shiso
• ninniku misozuke - garlic cloves pickled in miso paste



takuan



shibazuke

ninniku misozuke

• nori
• furikake
• green tea
• Ippudo Instant Ramen 一風堂
• Nissin Raoh Instant Ramen
• Nissin Chilli Tomato Cup Noodle
• Maruchan Instant Yakisoba
• chopsticks and chopstick rests



Who can resist the cuteness of cats?!

• Japan keychain - to replace my more-than-ten-year-old favorite Beautiful Malaysia keychain that I've had to glue together to keep the inner part from falling off

I love this keychain. It's just the right size. I like the design and metal quality; the edges are so smooth. It looks exactly the same from the other side. The inner circle spins around.

• bag with a cat design - just because I like cats

  

  Look how cute these cat rucksacks are! Can't decide if I want the グレー (gurei or gray), ブラック (burakku or black), or アイボリー (aiborii or ivory).

• Osaka and Kyoto refrigerator magnets - to start my refrigerator magnet collection of the places I've been to in Japan :-D

Kyoto Bicycle Route (Plotted on Google Maps)

I was plotting our Kyoto bicycle route using Google Maps today and I wanted to save it, so I did some research. And yes, you can save routes! I'll post the link to where I found the instructions at the end of this post.

But first, here's the route I came up with:

We're staying in Osaka for the entire duration of our stay in Japan, so we'll have to take the train to Kyoto Station early in the morning. Luckily, Kyoto Eco Trip where we're going to rent bicycles is just a few minutes' walk away from Kyoto Station. Our Kyoto bicycle adventure starts there.

9:45am
Bike to Gion 祇園.

• Ride through Hanami-koji Dori 花見小路通, the heart of Gion found in tourist books. Wooden buildings - tea houses and restaurants - line both sides of the street.
• Ride on to Shirakawa-minami Dori 白川南通 which is one of the most preserved streets in Kyoto. It is one of but a handful of streets in Kyoto that has both a traditional look and no telephone poles or wires.
• Wander the back streets as well to escape the crowds.

11:15am
Bike to Oshokuji Dokoro Asuka お食事処明日香 for lunch.

1:00pm

Bike to Nanzen-ji Temple 南禅寺.

• Park bicycles in the small bicycle parking area near the main gate. 
• Explore the Zen Buddhist temple complex, especially the Sanmon, the most famous temple gate at Nanzen-ji.

3:30pm

Bike to Philosopher’s Path 哲学の道.

• Ride to the end of the 2-kilometer stone path, appreciating the autumn foliage along the way.

4:30pm

Bike to Kamo River 鴨川. 

• Ride all the way down the riverside until Shiokoji-dori 塩小路通, where you turn right to reach Kyoto Station.
• Return bikes at Kyoto Eco Trip.

6:00pm

Eat dinner at The Cube Food Court, 11th floor of Kyoto Station Building 京都駅ビル.

We take the train back to Osaka right after dinner, and we'll probably fall asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow! 

According to Google Maps, our planned trip is 17.3 kilometers and approximately 3 hours and 28 minutes on foot, so we should be able to complete the journey at a leisurely pace by bicycle. If our legs don't fall off halfway through the route, that is. I still haven't started my Three-Part Training For Japan, so I might be in trouble. ;-p

(For those who are interested, here's where I found the instructions on How to Plan a Road Trip with Google Maps.)

Cycling Osaka: Minami Temma Park and Osaka Castle Park by Bicycle

We plan to cycle two parks in Osaka following this 10-kilometer route.

First, we take the train to HUBchari Dinana Matsuya Building (center of the above map screenshot) where we rent bicycles for the day. That is where our half-day bicycle adventure begins.

9:00am
Bike North to Minami Temma Park 南天満公園.
Bike up the park along the riverside until you reach the Osaka Mint Museum.

10:00am
Bike to Osaka Castle Park 大阪城公園.
Explore the whole park instead of taking the usual tourist path from the station to the castle. Ride through the plum grove, the apricot trees and past the fountain. Find a spot to sit and enjoy being in nature.

11:30am
Bike to Saizou 菜蔵 for lunch.

1:30pm
Bike to HUBchari America-mura and return bikes.

We spend the rest of the day on foot checking out Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street, Ebisubashi-suji Shopping Street, two of Japan's famous discount stores: Matsumoto Kiyoshi and Don Quijote, and the also famous Ebisubashi Bridge (where the Glico running man is). The we eat dinner at Oretachi no Curry Ya, which is just a short walking distance away.

Has anybody tried cycling through Minami Temma Park and Osaka Castle Park? I'd love to hear your opinions and suggestions, because I'm not quite sure our legs will hold up in Shinsaibashi after a 10-kilometer bike ride!

9-Day Food Itinerary: Where to Eat in Japan (Osaka and Kyoto)

No trip to Osaka is complete without a food trip. It is, after all, called the "kitchen of Japan". I have already researched and planned where we're going to eat lunch and dinner during our entire nine days in Osaka so that when we're there:

1. we don't waste time looking for good places to eat;
2. we get to try the "best" restaurants in the areas we'll be exploring;
3. we don't break our piggy banks overspending on food.

(If you're wondering about breakfast, we plan to just get something from a convenience store or department store basement food hall the night before and eat at the apartment before heading out for the day.)

I don't know how accurate or up-to-date my internet sources are, but here are the places that I chose based on reviews and average prices per meal per person.

Day 1

• Dinner: Ichiran Dotonbori Yataikan 一蘭(道頓堀店屋台館) - ramen, around ¥1,000

Day 2

• Lunch: Saizou 菜蔵 - heigawari teishoku or daily set meal, around ¥700
• Dinner: Oretachi No Curry Ya 俺たちのカレー家 - full option curry plate, around ¥900

Day 3

• Lunch: Kuromon Ichiba 黒門市場 food trip - fresh seafood, oden, takoyaki, etc., around ¥2,500
• Dinner: Ippudo Namba 一風堂( なんば店) - ramen, around ¥1000

Day 4 (Kyoto)

• Lunch: Oshokuji Dokoro Asuka お食事処明日香 - teishoku or set meal, around ¥1,000
• Dinner: Ginza Hageten Kyoto Porta Shop 銀座ハゲ天 - tempura / tendon, around ¥1,080

Day 5

• Lunch: Okonomiyaki Chigusa お好み焼き千草 - okonomiyaki, around ¥1,000
• Dinner: Hanamaruken Hozenji 花丸軒(法善寺店) - ramen, around ¥950

Day 6

• Lunch: Universal Studios Japan
• Dinner: Ootoya Gohan Dokoro 大戸屋ごはん処 - teishoku or set meal, around ¥1,000

Day 7

• Lunch: Naniwa Kuishimbo Yokocho (gourmet theme park)
• Dinner: Yoshinoya 吉野家 - gyudon (beef rice bowl), around ¥480

Day 8

• Lunch: Sukiya すき家 - gyudon (beef rice bowl), around ¥590
• Snacks: Kushikatsu Daruma Tsutenkaku 串かつだるま - kushikatsu (fried skewers), around ¥2,000 for a samplers set
• Dinner: Dotonbori Food Trip (Kuidaore! Eat 'til you drop. Last night out ;-p)

Day 9

• Lunch: Kamado Gohan Sachifukuya 釜戸ごはんさち福や - teishoku or set meal, around ¥1,000

There are still a few more restaurants I wanted to try out, but I couldn't fit them in. Just as well or I probably won't fit in my clothes by the time we leave Japan!

Three-Part Training for Japan

In order to get in shape for our nine days of adventure in Japan, I have come up with a three-part training plan:

Part 1. Walking
Part 2. Cycling
Part 3. Speaking Japanese

Walking
Walking is something that we're going to be doing a lot of when we go to Japan; and my meager 15-30 minute leisurely walk home isn't going to cut it especially when I'm mostly sedentary the whole day. So I'm going to gradually increase my walking time and walking intensity.

Stage One: 1 mile walk, 16 minutes a day

Stage Two: 2 mile walk, 30 minutes a day
Sorry, the 2 mile walk video has been deleted from YouTube. But I already downloaded it a couple of years ago so I can still do it. :-)

Stage Three: 3 mile walk, 46 minutes a day

Cycling
Bloggers say Osaka and Kyoto are the ideal places to cycle in Japan. So I thought we'd give it a whirl. The problem is my biking skills or lack thereof. Yes, I know how to ride a bicycle, but I have next to no experience riding on public roads where there are pedestrians and other vehicles. So I need to practice. Of course, I'm not going to bike on the streets of Cebu. I don't want to die just yet. We were thinking of practicing at Camp Lahug. Anybody have a spare bike I could borrow for a couple of months? :-D

Speaking Japanese
I have been trying to learn Japanese since I was in college (after falling in love with Saito Hajime and Aoshi Shinomori of Rurouni Kenshin ;-p). I have a few books on learning Japanese and the Pimsleur's Japanese audio courses. I've also watched countless Japanese movies, TV shows and anime. But after all these years, I still haven't reached a level of fluency where I can converse in Japanese. Why? Because I have chronic lazinitis. I just do not have enough self-discipline and willpower to persevere with the lessons day after day after day. Why can't we have one of those The Matrix-like contraptions where you just stick a cable into the back of your head and download a language into your brain?!

Anyway, cue the theme from Rocky and let the training begin!

Itinerary Overview: 9 days in Japan (Osaka and Kyoto)

Yes! I'm finally done with our itinerary. For now, anyway. Actually, it was already done months ago. But everytime I opened the file I kept making revisions. I was beginning to think it would never get done. Ha! Me and my OCD.

Here's the overview: 

Day 1:
Arrival and check in
Dotonbori

Day 2:
Minami Temma Park
Osaka Castle Park
Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street
Ebisubashi Bridge / Ebisubashi-suji Shopping Street

Day 3:
Minoo Park
Kuromon Ichiba
Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shotengai

Day 4:
Gion: Hanami-koji Dori, Shirakawa-minami Dori
Nanzen-ji Temple
Philosopher’s Path
Kamo River

Day 5:
Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street
Hozenji Yokocho Alley

Day 6:
Universal Studios Japan

Day 7:
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
Tempozan Marketplace / Naniwa Kuishimbo Yokocho / Mount Tempozan
Umeda

Day 8:
Tennoji Zoo / Tennoji Park
Nipponbashi Den Den Town
Shinsekai: Jan-Jan Yokocho Alley, Tsutenkaku
Dotonbori

Day 9:
Check out
Departure from Osaka

The itinerary I made is actually a lot more detailed than this overview. I scheduled everything to the minute, but it's just a guide so the schedule is flexible in case there are unforeseen delays or the train schedules on Google Maps aren't accurate or we get lost or miss the train. I also included some additional information that might be helpful. For example, here are the details for day 1:

Day 1 in Osaka, Japan [Click on image to enlarge.]

I'm so excited! This is going to be the greatest adventure of my life... so far. ;-D

What?! No more Cool Japan in Universal Studios Japan???

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Cool Japan 2017 in Universal Studios Japan was only until June 25??? Evangelion XR Ride, Attack on Titan: The Real 4-D:2, and Godzilla: The Real 4-D were the top attractions I wanted to visit when we go there this November! Wah!!! I wonder what's replaced them.

Looking at a USJ studio guide a friend of mine brought home from her trip there last May, the only attractions left that I find interesting are:  

Dragon Quest: The Real
Immerse yourself in the world of Dragon Quest all on your own, with weapon in hand, to embark on a thrilling adventure! It's the first Dragon Quest theme Real Battle Attraction ever!  

Jurassic Park - The Ride
A desperate situation! Then a 25.9 meter, headlong drop to escape a dinosaur!  

JAWS
A boat tour of fear, where a gigantic man-eating shark attacks!  

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey in 4K3D
Soar across the vast sky above Hogwarts and feel the powerful excitement of the thrilling immersive realism as the Golden Snitch races by as if whithin reach on this amazing unrivaled attraction.

Spiderman, Terminator, Backdraft, and Waterworld are just meh... and I've seen pictures of the Hollywood Dream rollercoaster ride and I am not getting on that monstrous thing. I'd like my food to stay in my stomach and my brain inside my head, thank you very much.

So I guess we're going to have to hang out with Elmo, Snoopy, Hello Kitty and the Minions. Or I could just take my 7,600 yen and go on a food trip. :-p