🧳🇯🇵🧳 OSAKA, JAPAN - April 1, 2019 - Last day shopping, TOTO toilets and farewell

Hectic it was. I spent the last day doing some shopping and trying to relax from a hectic schedule of touring. It was not to be. Tired feet from walking too much and wandering around streets and malls. The weather was really mixed with wind cold and occasional rain and sun.

Protesters?

A reminder that bicycles are everywhere downtown Osaka and many places have separate lanes ... on the sidewalk!

Hmmm

And Osaka is Japan’s food capital. One must buy item is Uncle Rikuro’s Cheezecake. Usually cues are there to buy this treat!

At 725 ¥ ($C8.69) and quite large ... good value. Certainly enough for 2-3 people. While cheezecake is not my thing, I can say it was tasty, light and filling!

Vending machines everywhere 

 Vintage wagons used as flower boxes ... hmmm a closer look?

From flowers to toilets. I’ve posted about this before, but arguably one of the finest inventions of the last century was TOTO corporation’s invention of the Washlet toilet. For ones daily functions you have state of the art toilet. Warm seat, sanitizer, deodorant, drying AND the magic wand that sprays warm water in those orifices that require it. Makes the whole necessary part of daily life a much better experience. TOTO is the largest maker of toilets in the world. Based in Japan but now manufactured worldwide. TOTO rules !

It’s the end of my third trip to Japan. I enjoyed it very much. Despite being expensive in some areas, it scores a solid 81% in my scoring and rates high for food, nature, rich Japanese tradition and magnificent sights. Finally, a few of the faces along the way ...

🧳🇯🇵🧳 OSAKA, JAPAN - April 1, 2019 - About food

Safe to say by the size of me, I like food, Japan is noted for superb food, especially sea food and no one has taken food display to such an art form. While not every meal was fancy, I indulged a few times.

Example: Berkshire pork. Considered the best by some as it has extra fat. Certainly some of the finest pork I’ve ever tasted.

Example: Sushi ( actually had it cooked on top slightly ). The most famous of all Japanese dishes. 

Example: Apple. Fruit seems expensive in Japan, but is usually of the finest quality. I bought one very large apple. It was delicious by the way for 198¥ or C$2.38 

Or more simple fare, Udon Noodles with egg, plum, seaweed and tasty broth 

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And yours truly enjoying a strawberry with filling 

🧳🇯🇵🧳 KYOTO, JAPAN - March 31, 2019 - Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine and Tōfuku Temple

Today we went to neighboring city Kyoto. Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, dedicated to Inari, the god of rice was first.

Famous red Torii Gates

And lucky for us, a row of food stalls after the exit

I tried one of these... a bacon wrapped ball of tasty rice with cheese drizzled on top... 300 yen (C$3.60)

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Lovely Kimono ladies

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Tōfuku-ji is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto.

Bamboo forest ... miraculous because bamboo is actually a grass

Karesansui Zen style Japanese dry garden

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