Tag: Konnichiwa Kansai

Konnichiwa, Kansai! Kobegyu Steak Land @ Kobe – Affordable Kobe Beef Lunch

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If there’s one thing that puts Kansai on the culinary world map, it’s Kobe beef. Tender and succulent, this mouth-watering dish is the reason why tourists flock to Kobe on a gastronomic pilgrimage.

The significance of beef dates back to the 2nd century, when cattle was first used for rice cultivation and grown in small, isolated herds between the mountainous terrains of Japan. This led to unique types of beef throughout the archipelago. Back then, though, beef was not widely consumed.

Fast forward to post World War II,  and Japan’s consumption of beef has spiked.

Only Taijima cattle (a breed from the Japanese Black family) that are born and raised in Hyogo –  and meet a strict set of standards – can be considered Kobe beef by the Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association 神戸肉流通推進協議会. So prominent is it that not only has it become a registered landmark, but it has also been cross bred with local cattle in the US to meet the high demand.  

Kobegyu Steakland

Now that that little history lesson is out of the way, let’s get down to business… KOBE BEEF AT KOBEGYU STEAK LAND!

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Konnichiwa, Kansai! Remembering Kobe @ Meriken Park

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With a slight downpour on my third day in Kansai, I decided to take a break from old Japan and make my way to Kobe神戸, one of Japan’s busiest port cities. (Let’s just say that peeking at the sakura amidst an overcast sky and jostling with other tourists with an umbrella wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.)

Catch up on the rest of my Kansai trip here:

Kobe Meriken Park

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Konnichiwa, Kansai! Feeding the Deer @ Nara Park

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While researching my trip to Osaka and Kyoto, I realised that there are many cities in the Kansai region within easy reach of my home base in Osaka – no thanks to Japan’s ultra connected and idiot proof transportation system.

Yes, while the train system looks hellishly complicated at first glance, it’s possible to hop from city to city with one eye closed (the other on your Hyperdia app, of course, but that’s a post for another day). 😉

And so I spent my first proper day in Japan feeding the famous – or infamous, depending on what you’ve heard – sika deer in Nara Park!

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Konnichiwa, Kansai! Gudetama Cafe @ HEP FIVE, Osaka – Sanrio’s Laziest Egg Gets Its Own Cafe

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So… if you’ve noticed, I did not write at all last month, which I’ve never done before as I’ve always intended to keep this blog busy with new reviews, lists and so on since I started. Well, that’s because I was busy planning for my trip to Kansai, Japan!

This trip is a first in many ways for me – the first time I’ve travelled solo for the entire leg, and the first time I abandoned the tried and tested hotels and stayed all by my lonesome in an Airbnb apartment.

I was super duper excited planning my itinerary and looking up all the places I wanted to go (in Sakura season, no less!), and now I’m even more thrilled to share my solo adventures in the Land of the Rising Sun here. Starting with my very first stop  – Gudetama Cafe at HEP FIVE!

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Lethargic, unmotivated, and all around lazy – Gudetama was the perfect embodiment of me physically and mentally given that I started the day right after a red-eye flight. And what better way to celebrate my making it through in one piece than with dinner with everyone’s favourite lazy egg ?

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