Went to Osaka and Kyoto with Siew Mai for a well deserved break, plus I've always wanted to visit Japan in Spring!

On the 1st actual day of touring, we asked the hotel's concierge for a recommended tour route and he was soooo hilarious.  After 30 mins of talking to us, he realised that he was talking to us in Japanese and that triggered his food/restaurant recommendations.  Kansai people REALLY love their food and I must say that our trip turned into an eating one.  We were also told about the Sakura park where the sakuras were at their peak blossoming period! 吉村さん、ほんまありがとうございました！

Walking along a 'normal' park along the river which were flanked with sakura trees.  We missed their blooming by just a few days.


Lone canopy of what we later found out, was another breed of sakuras. Enjoy the photos!

The crowd!!

Tunnel of sakura

Waterfall of sakura

There even is a green-yellow sakura!

There was a festival next to the park, facing the river, where there were tons of street food stalls.  We decided to break for lunch and here's our feasting of the day:

takoyaki

Yakitori with Lamune

Yakisoba

After seeing the sakuras, we went to Osaka castle and amazingly, we WALKED all the way there....


Can you see the details in the gold designs?  These could be seen from far away and you could just see the power and wealth of the Tokugawas when they took over the construction of the castle.