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.)

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!

Cycling in Osaka & Kyoto

I've read many blogs that recommend biking in Osaka and Kyoto. They say it's relatively easy even if you're not an expert cyclist. I'm thinking of giving it a try. The thing is, even though my husband and I know how to ride bicycles, we haven't tried riding on the road with cars before. It's always been in beach resorts. So I'm a little apprehensive about it.

Here's what I had in mind.

CYCLING IN OSAKA

9:00 am - Bike from bicycle rental shop to Minami Temma Park. Explore the park on bikes.
10:00 am - Bike to Osaka Castle Park. Explore the castle grounds on bikes.
11:00 am - Lunch at Saizou. (I wonder if they have bicycle parking.)
1:00 pm - Bike back to bicycle rental shop and return bicycles.

That shouldn't be too hard for us biking amateurs, right? A half day cycling through parks? Now cycling in Kyoto is going to be more challenging. We're only going to be there for one day so we have to make the most of it.


CYCLING IN KYOTO

9:45 am - Bike from Kyoto Station to Gion. Explore Hanami-koji Dori and Shirakawa-minami Dori by bicycle.
11:45 am - Lunch at Oshokuji Dokoro Asuka. (Again, I wonder if they have bicycle parking.)
1:00 pm - Bike to Nanzen-ji Temple. Park bicycles and explore the temple grounds.
3:30 pm - Bike to Philosopher's Path. Ride up the path until the end.
4:30 pm - Bike to Kamo River via Imadegawa Dori. Ride along the river to Kyoto Station.

This one I am more worried about because I also read that cycling in Kyoto can be quite chaotic. One blogger even described it as a "war" between pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Although he did also say that most drivers in Kyoto are considerate towards cyclists. But I'm not completely at ease about the idea yet. I even tried asking a blogger from Kyoto for advice. I'm waiting for his reply.

What do you think? Should we try cycling in Osaka and Kyoto? Or is that too ambitious of us?