Japan Trip: Dotonbori

Oh, the rain! Umbrellas popped up all over place like mushrooms without birth control. Dotonbori is one of the more well known touristy areas in Osaka, famous for its neon lights and food. The thing about dining in Japan is that you'd hardly find yourself in a situation where you can't communicate your order. Most shops have very realistic plastic models of their menu and all you have to do is point!

Photography is much more of a challenge in this sort of situation because everything tends to be dull and gloomy. But times like this bring about a different character to the area. You see people scurrying around with umbrellas over their head. Somehow most of them seem to be using the same type. Transparent. In the mist of dinner you'll hear the electrical door hiss as it slides open, making way for individuals rushing into the shop. Here they find comfort in the dry interior while digging into a hot meal.

Dotonbori has tons of shops selling food. We had quite a few dinners that night. I wouldn't say that it was the best Japanese food that I've tasted but it's still pretty good. One thing that I've fallen in love with is ramen. Never liked ramen prior to this trip because of a bad first experience where it tasted like instant noodles.

I think the secret lies in the broth. Traditionally the broth is made from pork and this core ingredient is missing in our local versions. Noodles are similar to the Chinese yellow noodles but has its own local texture. A bowl of ramen is topped with slices of pork meat and served piping hot. Enough said, I was hooked instantly.

Later that night we boarded the bus with the rest of the tour entourage and headed back to the hotel. That was the last we saw of the rain and the next time we used our umbrellas was to shield from heat rather than rain.