Dressing Up

Another day another train!

We decided to have a relatively local day today as we have a trip to Tokyo tomorrow, so headed off to Osaka for the day.

We got the Shinkansen to Himeji and then the Super Hakuto Express to Osaka station.  This train has a great big nose, but best of all it isn't a shinkansen so you can watch the driver - we had reserved front seats so we could sit and watch - the hour's trip went very quickly.

Lunch - stuff on sticks

The Longest Shopping Street in Japan

When we got to Osaka station the Twilight Express was in again so we stopped for a quick look again and then got ourselves on the Osaka Loop Line to Temma Station where we walked along the longest covered shopping street in Japan (Tenjinbashisuji) I think it stretches a good 10 km. I really enjoy these streets, they are full of restaurants and independent shops, no chain stores to be found here - all little family run shops and in this case the odd pachinko parlour.  There were quite a few clothes shops here so we were hoping to find some cheap boy sized shinkansen t-shirts, but it wasn't to be - found pink girlie shops but no boy shops!  Nevermind.  We stopped at a kushikatsu restaurant (stuff on sticks) and had a selection: ebi, mochi and cheese, garlic, sausage, fish sausage, fish, potato - the usual suspects really.  Tom ate up ok.

Dressing Up

We then carried on as today our plan was to visit the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living - we had found out about this via watching NHK in the UK - and seemed like it would be a fun day out.  We weren't wrong.  It was located on the two top floors of an office block (a very unlikely place - and thank god Matt can read Japanese as there was nothing anywhere in English).  The top floor was a mock up of Osaka in the 1830s - so all wooden buildings, sliding doors, minimal furniture, dogs in the alley ways, cats on the roof etc.  There were a number of festival items on display as well.  All very interesting, but the best bit was that we could all dress up in kimonos and yukatas - for free.  Well it had to be done.  I've never managed to get Tom to dress up before, but we prepared him for this last night and told him he was going to have a chance to dress as a Japanese boy and he seemed up for it.  It was almost a disaster from the onset though.  The village has a roof which has different light projected on it so that you experience a full day in 30 minutes - including fireworks at night time.  We arrived during the fireworks and Tom wanted to leave immediately.  Very strange as we had real fireworks during the dragon boat festival in Aioi last week and they didn't bother him at all.

Almost ready

Anyway once they were over he cheered up, there was a little stall with children's games for him to play with and that got him engaged.  They were basically the same toys as you would get in a living museum in the UK - I thought they would be different considering Japan was isolated from foreign influence for so long.  They included a spinning top, catch the ball on the stick, and a flippy floppy wooden thing (I remember them from my childhood but don't know what they are called - I'll ask Matt - I can't remember either).  We had a quick look round and then found the dressing up room.  A little boy was having a yukata put on when we arrived - as soon as Tom saw him he immediately wanted a go - we had a job holding him back.  He had a huge grin on his face the whole time - he loved it.  It seems to be that  if dressing up means dressing up Japanese style he's up for it - I swear he is half Japanese!  He did look gorgeous - he had his photo taken by pretty much everyone there - was hugged by girls and took it all in his stride.  At this point I will have to apologise for the quality of the photos.  Matt's camera gave up the ghost on the train ride into Osaka today - it refused to recognise that there was a lens attached, which meant it wouldn't take photos.  This meant that we were reduced to my little point and shoot - which is OK for general photos - but not as great for indoor ones - shame.  We also took some video - which Matt may upload in the next couple of days.

Japanese Family?

We were allowed the kimonos etc for 30 minutes, and took full advantage of them - didn't want to take them off - they were very comfy as well.  Can't say I would have chosen the one I was put in, but it was good enough.

Once we were done there, we went down to the next floor, where there was a recreation of a school room - Tom really enjoyed this, he seemed very at home at school - I was made teacher and gave him some homework.  We had to drag him away from it to see the rest of the museum, but had to return for another go afterwards (since when are children supposed to like school?)

The second floor had lots of big models of Osaka at different points in its history.  They were really well thought out and interesting to look at - Tom did get into them in the end as some of these moved, had buttons, went from daylight to night time etc.

My Japanese Boys

It was getting on to 3pm when we finally left. We decided to walk back to the station, but only after purchasing Tom a pair of yukata pyjamas from the shopping street - we couldn't help ourselves after seeing him all dressed up in the museum!

Tom and I then got the Super Hakuto back to Himeji (he fell asleep on me after about 10 minutes and stayed asleep until I woke him up for our stop).  Matt stayed in Osaka as he is meeting up with a friend for drinks / dinner.  Tom was obviously tired from today's exertions as normally he would demand a game of football, but he just wanted to watch Mr Tumble on the telly, have his dinner (he ate up really well) have a bath and go to bed.

Anyway a good day, I hope you enjoy the pics.

Oh, and Matt got the post for Tom - thanks Granma and Pop Pop, Tom was delighted to receive it.