Japan Archives - Pale Ale Travel

Is Arashiyama Bamboo Forest an Ethereal Bamboo Wonderland or Overcrowded Tourist Trap?

June 11, 2024July 16, 2024Asia, Japan, Travel BigBody Leave a Comment

Look, I get it. Travel is precious and you don’t want to spend your hard-earned dollars (and newly converted Japanese yen) or time at a destination, experience, or sight that has you feeling worse than that one guy who proposed right next to a cliff and fumbled the ring into the canyon adjacent. Or even worse, something that doesn’t make you feel anything at all.

So, in the interest of allowing you to make a more educated decision about one of Kyoto’s most popular attractions and sightseeing districts, here are my thoughts on social media’s favorite ‘Arashiyama Bamboo Grove’ and if it’s worth visiting or skipping altogether.

I’ll say it. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove didn’t do it for me. It was one of the only sights during my three months living in Japan that didn’t live up to the hype and left me wondering if my time could have been better spent elsewhere. That’s not to say that it was a complete waste as I still got to experience it with one of my best dawgz after several years and several continents apart.

However, if you go to Kyoto’s Arashiyama district and bamboo grove, I would adjust your expectations accordingly and make your bamboo pilgrimage with a plan.

So, is Arashiyama Bamboo Forest the ethereal bamboo wonderland you saw online or is it just another overcrowded tourist trap that can be skipped?

Why Kushikatsu Should Be on Your Osaka Eating Bucket List

February 26, 2024September 26, 2024Asia, Food, Japan BigBody Leave a Comment

If you couldn’t already tell by my name ‘Big Body’, there are several types of foods that took me from just a slightly plump little boy to the hulking, bipedal Sasquatch-lookalike (but more like that one from the famous blurry Sasquatch video), the main culprit being fried food. While I’ve dialed my fried food consumption back over the years, I’ve still been known to crush a KFC family bucket in a dark corner of my apartment similar to Gollum in Lord of the Rings when he savagely tears into a fish after catching it. My precious….11 herbs and spices.

So you can imagine my excitement when I learned of a popular deep-fried dish called ‘Kushikatsu’ that was said to be at the heart of Osakan identity, having first originated as an affordable, filling, and quick meal for Osaka’s blue-collar workers in the early 1900s. During my three months living in Japan, kushikatsu became somewhat of a regular occurrence and/or stop on a big night out to fuel up (in both liquid and solid form), without breaking the bank.

Forget tempura. You’re in the world of kushikatsu now.

Below, I’ll walk you through what exactly kushikatsu is, a little history behind it and why it’s beloved in the Kansai region, the one faux pas you shouldn’t commit while eating it, and a bit about an unforgettable kushikatsu omakase experience that I booked several weeks in advance along with a must-try kushikatsu staple and chain in Osaka.

4 of the Best Running Routes in Osaka to Get Your Miles in

February 21, 2024February 22, 2024Asia, Japan, Travel BigBody Leave a Comment

You might not know this based on my name, ‘Big Body’, however, Big Body has always been a runner at heart. It started back in my sophomore year of high school when I was nicknamed ‘Taco’, thanks to a love for 89-cent tacos from Taco Bell and a portly frame. I think based on my bodacious thighs and round face, “Double Stuffed Burrito” may have been a more fitting nickname. Several soccer teammates of mine started a running club so that I could slim up and ask my high school crush to semi-formal.

The running club’s name? G.T.S. – Get. Taco. Sexy. We would run 5 km, two to three times per week, with the membership swelling from just several of us to over 10 runners at our peak. It worked and I stuffed my slightly less plump frame into an off-the-rack suit from Men’s Wearhouse to boogie the night away with my Catholic school queen. Since then, I’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship with running, logging anywhere from 0 to 2500 kilometers per year (at one point, going two years without any movement) – after which I resembled the love child of a Bulgarian powerlifter and John Candy.

I moved to Osaka at the height of my runner’s journey and was eager to see what the city had to offer. From my first night run around Osaka Castle to the interweaving, scenic paths along Osaka’s riverside, lush and manicured parks, and historic, vibrant temple runs, I was hooked. Osaka’s sheer number of accessible running routes (in and around the city), geared towards novices, seasoned runners, and everyone in between lays an inclusive foundation for one of the best running communities I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing.

This isn’t an article that lays out the route down to every turn and marker. However, I’ll provide as much information as possible (including my Strava maps). Here are four of the best runs in Osaka that were a part of my daily routine while living in ‘Japan’s Kitchen’.

I Narrowly Escaped Death at a Fugu Restaurant in Osaka

February 11, 2024July 16, 2024Asia, Food, Japan BigBody Leave a Comment

I kind of feel like Blake Lively in her opening monologue of that underwhelming 2012 action-thriller, Savages, when she stonerishly says, “Just because I’m telling you this story doesn’t mean I’m alive at the end of it. This could all be pre-~~recorded~~ written and I could be ~~talking~~ writing to you from the bottom of the ocean.” You know, minus the Mexican Cartel, Salma Hayek (and Benicio del Toro), and strange (and steamy) sexual throuple with a Navy Seal and marijuana grower.

Fugu (aka pufferfish) is one of those foods that you hear ~~nonchalantly~~ condescendingly tossed around in conversation, by the likes of that one couple friend who always seems to fly Cathay business to Japan, Bali, or whatever nearby Asian destination needs to be ticked off their gastronomic checklist. It’s a delicacy. It’s divisive. It’s (allegedly) deadly.

I had to find out for myself whether a “dance with the devil” (Immortal Technique-style) was in my immediate future and decided to tempt fate. So, I threw my finest Orix Buffaloes baseball jersey and stretch-fit jeans on and headed to a fugu restaurant just 15 minutes to the west of Osaka Castle (in Osaka Japan, of course) to check it out for myself.

Read on to find out if I survived or if I’m writing this from the bottom of the ocean with Blake and Amelia Earhart. I’ll also explain what fugu actually is and why it should be on your radar should you make a trip over to Japan.

Is There Uber in Japan? What You Need to Know About Ride-Sharing in Japan [2024]

January 20, 2024July 17, 2024Asia, Japan, Travel BigBody 2 Comments

Japan is a country of unparalleled convenience and affordability when it comes to travel. During my three months living in Japan, I can’t say there was a single moment when I panicked about trying to make my way across the city (I was based in Osaka) or travel from one city to another.

You’ll find bullet trains that can get you from one side of the country to the other in less than 12 hours (ex. You can do the 1600 km journey from Osaka to Sapporo in half a day), reliable and prompt city buses and shuttles that cover most major attractions and neighborhoods, local subway lines that weave through cities and towns that make my home state in the U.S. look like it’s living in the 1700s, and everything in between. In Japan, you’d be hard-pressed to find yourself without transportation options.

However, it’s always important to have a fallback, in case all else fails or public transportation is closed. Or if you have more luggage than is feasibly possible to transport without having a nervous breakdown. In most countries, I keep Uber in my back pocket as a failsafe. But it’s only available in just over 70 countries. What about Japan? Is there Uber in Japan? What about other ride-hailing apps?

Yes, there is Uber in Japan and it is generally an effective method of transportation. However, there are regulatory limits to Uber and its existence in Japan. Furthermore, it’s considerably more expensive than public transportation, and in my humble opinion, only worth using in a select few situations – as Japan’s public transportation network is one of the most affordable and efficient in the world.

What You Need to Know About Japan’s Legal Drinking Age

December 13, 2023July 16, 2024Asia, Japan, Travel BigBody Leave a Comment

During my three months based in Osaka, Japan, I drank a lot of alcohol. No, really. I drank a lot. And that is coming from an existence that already sees a non-zero sum of alcohol consumed somewhat regularly. I attribute this increased consumption to the fact that Japanese dining is complemented perfectly with an ice-cold draft beer (nama beeru) or Chuhai (shochu highball), warm or cold sake, or even a dry red or slightly sweet white wine (the ultimate pairing with sushi).

Japan’s drinking culture is unlike anywhere else in the world – for better or worse. It’s not just the varieties of quality alcohol that you can find in Japan, it’s the vibrancy and depth of the venues to drink it at.

From drinking casual beers and Chuhais while sitting under a bridge along the Yodogawa River (one of my personal favorite memories) to raucous, brash, crowded nightclubs in Osaka and Tokyo, all the way to back alley izakayas and yakitori joints, high-end Japanese whiskey bars, and assorted “nomihoudai” (all you can drink) bars scattered across the country (and everything in between), Japan has it all when it comes to drinking culture, nightlife, and alcohol. If you want a draft beer at Yoshinoya, one of Japan’s most popular gyudon fast food restaurants, you can imbibe as well.

To ensure that you don’t miss out on one of the most robust and unique drinking (and dining) cultures in the world, you might be asking yourself, “What is the legal drinking age in Japan?”

Read on to find out how old you need to be to legally drink alcohol in Japan along with other important Japanese alcohol laws to know.

An Ode to Tonkatsu: Getting Gastronomically Biblical With Porky in Osaka

October 29, 2023November 10, 2023Asia, Food, Japan BigBody Leave a Comment

Oh, Tonkatsu. Eating. Hungry. Dipping my pork in Worcestershire. Golden brown, comfort, so many cutlets. Served by the Ton-katsu. Love it more than my third pet who lived to be 19 years old, a ton-Cat-su. Crunchy, refreshing cabbage, offsets the sweet fibrous meat and sour, tangy sauce. My mother’s name. Ton-kat-Sue. Fin. [Snap, snap, snap, snap – bow].

Alright. Now that we’ve got that nonsensical idiocy out of the way. Let’s talk about “the other, other beef.” Pork. Tonkatsu is a slept-on Japanese dish that doesn’t get the love it deserves when traveling to Japan. I mean, what’s not to love?

It’s a deep-fried pork cutlet liberally coated in breadcrumbs and cooked to a medium rare, pinkish hue (but don’t worry – it’s high-quality pork) that retains more moisture than what’s expelled by an exasperated Daffy Duck quacking “suffering succotash” at Porky Pig. Unfortunately, in this scenario, Daffy and the Looney Tunes all end up slicing and dicing poor Porky, deep frying him, and serving him up for the Warner Bros lot with a side of chopped cabbage.

During my three months in Japan, I ate a lot of tonkatsu. All of it was great. However, there were two tonkatsu restaurants that won me over during my time in Osaka. Here is a bit about the institution of tonkatsu and why I’ve compiled this dedicated mixtape of late-90s and early-2000s bangers in written form, expressing my admiration, respect, and love for this Japanese dish.

Is Visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto Worth It?

October 20, 2023July 17, 2024Asia, Japan, Travel BigBody Leave a Comment

If you’re planning a trip to Kyoto (or the Kansai Region of Japan), then there’s about a 110% chance you’ve come across the traffic-cone colored, bright orange gates of the popular shrine ‘Fushimi Inari Taisha’. It’s a favorite amongst Instagram, TikTok, and other social media influencers, who especially love showing highly curated (and filtered) shots of them standing in front of a stretch of gates with no one in sight, leading you to believe that you’ll have the place all to yourself.

This is one of the biggest misconceptions that I think throws a lot of people off and leads to disappointment, with a non-zero sum walking away feeling as if Fushimi Inari wasn’t this magical gated portal to the otherworld and back. But is Fushimi Inari actually worth it and should you even bother making a trip if you’re traveling to or through Kyoto?

Yes? No? All the above (sung like Maino in the song ‘All the Above’ with T-Pain)? Here are my thoughts.

Exploring Hiroshima’s Underground Oyakodon Movement at Torisanwa

October 15, 2023October 15, 2023Asia, Food, Japan BigBody Leave a Comment

You know how in your quest to find a spectacular new restaurant in whatever country you’re traveling to, you’ll inevitably stumble on a social media influencer’s page who has an oddly well-produced, 30-second video vignette highlighting that restaurant or specific dish (with not another single customer in sight), and suddenly be overcome with this compulsion to eat there even though you know deep down it isn’t going to live up to the hype?

Of course, after arriving, reality hits as you see the two-hour line of other platitudinal travelers eagerly awaiting what turns out to be a meal you could have eaten 100 meters down the street, at one-half the price, and of better quality. Well, this post is to hopefully make you think twice before giving in to that urge.

This post is a call to (eating) arms to avoid settling for the most obvious choice (sometimes). Poke around, open that door that you’re unsure what’s behind it (unless it’s someone’s apartment), walk into a restaurant where you know it will elicit stares and awkwardness as you ask in broken Japanese if there are any available seats, step outside your comfort zone. You might just find the best oyakodon (or other beloved Japanese dish) you’ll ever eat in your life. I did.

Here’s a little bit about how this three-seat oyakodon counter in a supermarket at the bottom of a shopping mall in Hiroshima completely caught me by surprise, bringing me both tremendous joy and sadness at the same time. Joy because I knew this was the apex of what a fantastic oyakodon should be and sadness because I was set to leave Hiroshima the next day.

Blazing a Yakiniku Trail in the Kansai Region of Japan

September 30, 2023July 16, 2024Asia, Food, Japan BigBody Leave a Comment

Translating to ‘grilled meat’, yakiniku is a favorite Korean-Japanese eating pastime and hybrid that requires an empty stomach and a pair of your finest pair of sweatpants (or other elastic, stretchy garb when you balloon up like Violet Beauregarde after meat gluttony). In Japan, you can expect a happening yakiniku joint on almost every corner – especially in the Kansai Region – a Bermuda Triangle for premium beef bovines that have, in all likelihood, lived a better life than 99% of us (for God’s sake, they massage and feed some of them beer).

But this post isn’t just to celebrate the golden ruling triumvirate of wagyu beef yakiniku that can be found across all corners of the Kansai Region (and Japan), this is a yakiniku epic, consisting of yakiniku joints from far and wide: premium, mid-range, and budget. What I can confidently declare is that if you are eating yakiniku in the Kansai Region, you are in the right place. From high-end Matsusaka wagyu restaurants in Kyoto to bustling offal haunts in the heart of Temma, all the way to all-you-can-eat and drink G.Y.O.B. (grill your own beef) joints in the South of Osaka, the Kansai Region is a yakiniku murderers’ row – and after all, it’s my beefy Wonderwall.

Here is a list of five of my favorite yakiniku restaurants in the Kansai Region – primarily Osaka and Kyoto. I will return to Kobe for a longer stint (hopefully) in 2024 so that I can keep adding to this list.

Ramen Taniseya: A Gargantuan Cauldron of Iekei Ramen in Shinbashi, Tokyo

September 24, 2023September 24, 2023Asia, Food, Japan BigBody Leave a Comment

There aren’t many ramen joints in Japan that made me feel as if I was a true Japanese salaryman 9-5’er more than Ramen Taniseya in Shinbashi, Tokyo. The biggest difference between me and them at the time was that I was dead sober while most patrons were 10 Chuhis/draft Suntory Premiums deep. It was also the first night I met an ex-partner of mine for what was meant to be 10 days of rekindling requited love.

Come to find out in less than 48 hours that the requited love we both hoped for was deeply offset by annoyance, resentment, and incompatibility to the nth degree (I’m still glad we gave it a go). We parted ways shortly after. However, I would not have consumed one of the best bowls of tonkotsu-based ramen (Iekei-style) during my self-imposed exile to Japan if it weren’t for taking the Friday morning Shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo to meet her.

Here’s why Ramen Taniseya’s gargantuan cauldron of Iekei ramen is a late-night ramen haunt that I will be sure to return to next time in Tokyo.

Running the Gyoza Gauntlet in Osaka at 3 of My Favorite Dumpling Restaurants

September 9, 2023July 16, 2024Asia, Food, Japan BigBody Leave a Comment

Dumplings are a top three food for me…ever. I think it all stems from one Chinese New Year back in Beijing where I was invited over to a local buddy’s home to celebrate with just him and his mother. His mother apparently “took it light on us” and only prepared 150 dumplings – this isn’t hyperbole. Over the course of ten hours, we drank (Maotai for days), karaoked, and most importantly, devoured these little pillows of heaven. By the end, there wasn’t a single dumpling in sight.

However, devouring 150, thick Chinese dumplings in one sitting will take a toll on your waistline and I swore to myself from that day forward, that if I ate 150 dumplings again, they would need to be lighter. So you can imagine how close I was to breaking down in hysterics like a 1940s couple at a train station after the husband returns from war after my first official gyoza in Japan (I had eaten gyozas thousands of times outside of Japan but it hits differently when in the gyoza motherland).

I knew my dream to eat 150 dumplings once again was no longer a dream – it was a reality at the tips of my fingers (chopsticks?). Leading this gyoza gastronomic revolution were three gyoza-specific restaurants in Osaka.