2 quick questions
Stupid Question #1. Wer'e staying in Osaka in the Dotonbori area for a few nights and we've read (in the LP? I think) that eating around there is not so great. However about 3 days after I read that I found a news paper article that says that eating in that area is tops. Well, I know its like any place you go to there are bound to be duds and fantastic finds in every corner of the world but can some one please recomend a place they LOVE to eat in this area. Also, I'm a massive Okonomiyaki fan so if there is a place - around Dotonbori or other that serves the best Okonomiyaki, at a reasonable price PLEASE let me know... I'm looking for that special place, like my favourite chinese place that appears cheap and nasty but the food is so hot and fresh and well priced that you over look the picnic chairs are decor.
#2. Is the Ninja house at Iga-Ueno (mentioned a few days ago)
I) worth the visit and
II) easy to visit en route to Tok. on the way home from Osaka. How long will the detour add to the trip and is it easy or do you have to do some serious detouring / back tracking.
thanks guys
Spanger
Huck a rock and you'll find great eats in Osaka. Dotonbori is full of restaurants, don't believe everything you read in LP. Okonomiyaki shops abound as well, just go out and look around.
Tons of places to eat in around Dotonbori in Osaka...no specific recommends, but I think you'll have trouble finding a BAD place.
#2 I enjoyed the Ninja yashiki in Iga-Ueno. I also lived about 30mins from there and could drive.
That said, its not at all and easy place to get to. And, there isn't much else in the town, and its a bit spread out and hard to navigate. Your only option by train is on the Kansai Honsen line, which is nearly all local trains, from Nara. It actually departs from a tiny JR station called Kamo (the end stop of the Yamatoji Express departing from Osaka station, 1hr) a few stops north of Nara. I think its about 30min to Iga from Kamo station. From Iga, you could take the same line on to Kameyama (about 45 min. further) and connect to larger lines bound for the Nagoya area.
Its very possible from Osaka, but involves some (slightly confusing) train connections. The Kansai Honsen line passes through some really nice country scenery though, so if you like riding, it might be worth it just for that. Not sure how bad you want to see Ninja, but I recommend if you don't mind the moving.
If you're really into ninja, you would probably find the displays at the museum in Iga-ueno very interesting. There's also a show put on that's hokey, but fun. In addition to the ninja museum, Iga city also has a small reconstructed castle, a teramachi district and museum devoted to the Edo-era poet Basho.
From Osaka Station, it takes about 2 hours or so to Iga-ueno on the JR Kansai Line, with a transfer at Kamo Station, and costs 1450 yen. From Iga-ueno to Tokyo takes around 4 to 4 1/2 hours and costs 11,840-12,040 yen, depending on whether you take a Hikari or Nozomi shinkansen to Tokyo. You would take the JR Kansai Line from Iga-ueno to Nagoya, with a change of trains at Kameyama, and then the shinkansen from there to Tokyo. It's certainly doable if you have a JR Pass, but unless you're a big ninja fan, I'd give Iga-ueno a miss as it's probably not worth the time and expense to get there.
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<hr>#2. Is the Ninja house at Iga-Ueno (mentioned a few days ago)<hr></blockquote>I thought so, but your mileage may vary. I'm not a ninja enthusiast, but I was curious, so it was good enough for me.
The castle is pitiful inside, in my opinion. A waste of entry fee. I felt it was better to photograph the outside and just the ugly sharp-toothed fish gargoyles.
The ninja house (demonstration in Japanese by women dressed as ninja, showing hiding places and secret doors) was amusing, but not anything extremely outstanding.
The museum was the highlight, because you got to see various implements and weapons used by ninja.
Great eats on the Dotonbori. Try the famous good takoyaki stand about 150 meters east of the Dotonbori (hikakebashi) bridge. Located at south end/southern side of pedestrian bridge. There will be a line waiting. Big tasty octopus balls! Ummm numnum! Most famous takoyaki place on the planet and been there since the war supposedly. Go the other way on south side of Dotonbori and turn left at Midosuji and soon see on your left the equally infamous ramen shop where every drunk lord stops to eat great ramen before taking two steps over to the curb to Linda Blair exorcist it. Best action after 11pm. The redder the slurping face, the better the subsequent action photo. Then turn around and walk north same side of Midosuji about 150 meters to Pig and Whistle (look for the Union Jack) for some vitamin brewski and raucous backslapping bonhommie.
Awesome, thank you all very much, except for maybe Pudman... I'm not sure if I want to thank you for that particular reccomendation. :D
The only fun thing about the Ninja House was the day after and I told everyone how awesome it was so that they would make the trek out there and then be just as disappointed as I was. It took forever to get there, and we read the map wrong and went to the wrong station and all sorts of stuff. Also, by the time we finally got there, most of the shows were over and lots of the displays were closed. Ohh, and I got stuck in a ninja hiding door thing. And banged my head numerous times in ninja hiding places. If you are over 2 meters, it is not a good time. And it took forever to get back from the . It made us late for all of the plans we had for the night.
As for finding an okonomiyaki place in Osaka, I am pretty sure there is one next to the karaoke bar. The karaoke bar is across from the takoyaki stand.
I have to second the advice about not really listening to LP for food. Food places come and go quickly, and we have often been misled about food and drink by LP in general. Dotombori is fine for eating, although you may want to consider posting on Chowhound.com's Japan board for more specific advice. Just look for places with high turnover and lots of local clients. BTW, the takoyaki in Osaka are famous and spectacular - it's pretty hard to get them that good outside of Japan!
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