Osaka Adventures~
I spent this past weekend exploring around Osaka itself. On Saturday, we went out to Amemura to see Chelsey in a kimono fashion show that was happening at a club there. Given the fact that she had only been trained that day, she did well. Though the club itself really wasn’t my scene, it was still interesting. I found a nifty little VK (visual kei) shop there. It was well hidden, but well-worth the look. Compared to other shops that sell similar clothing, this was quite the deal! One of the girls who worked there was absolutely adorable—dressed up in a black/pink plaid bondage loli dress and cat ears/paws, welcoming patrons with a cute “irasshaimase~”. She came over by us a lot and asked us about America (of course), and generally chatted with us. Seriously, she was so cute! I should have gotten a picture of her. I ended up buying a nifty hoodie and a hat…both of which were shop originals. I’ll probably have to stop by there again. After that we went to Sweets Paradise, a buffet-type restaurant that specializes in desserts. It was rather delicious. From there, we bummed around the shadier parts of Shinsaibashi and ended the day hanging out in Doutonbori, watching the lights and the hosts do their business. Heh.
Sunday was spent going around Osaka-jo koen. First off, we walked through the park and saw a bunch of bands. One, in particular stood out among the rest. They were called Mutsunokamiyoshiyuki (yes, quite the mouthful). They’re aesthetic is “Samurai x Rock” and their music is a reflection of that: traditional Japanese music with a modern rock edge. I bought their CD and intend to catch them in a concert sometime in the near future. After that, we checked out Osaka castle. It was interesting, especially since I shelled out 300 yen to dress up like a samurai. Win. The rest of the day was spent bumming around Shinsaibashi again (can you tell that I really like that area?). We plan on making another trip out there in the near future in order to get tattoos. Yay~
Outside of Shinsaibashi station. It was a parade of sorts…I’d like to think that they were trying to run the gaijin out:
The fashion show:
View from Triangle Park in Amemura:
Church in Shinsaibashi. Check out the replica architecture!:
Sweets Paradise Adventure! That is the chocolate fountain:
Dana Looks bored, I look…weird:
We ate a LOT:
Therefore, we were full (that is my “I’m full” face):
Chelsey is full and happy:
It was someone’s birthday there, so clearly a pumpkin delivering a cake was a must. What?:
Obligatory pics of Doutonbori at night:
The next day, on the way to Makino station…turtles!:
Aforementioned awesome band. Seriously, check them out!:
Plum blossoms!:
Osaka castle:
View of Osaka from the observation level of the castle:
Crouching tiger:
I’m a freaking samurai! Rawr!:
Mutsunokamiyoshiyuki’s album and the hat that I bought from the VK shop. The patches on it say “DEATH” and “Fuck the World, Bitch Culture, Wicked Witch, Debil Satan, Lucifer Wings”. Win.:
You really didn’t think that I’d have a picture update without a parfait, did you?:
