Beer garden in Osaka 2014

It's getting very hot and humid in Osaka so it's time to drink beer outside. Going to beer gardens is quite popular in Summer time Japan. Most places are offering all you can eat and drink at a  fixed price for about 2 hours. If you go, you had better reserve tables. Please check it out!

http://osaka.beer-garden.info/


Umeda area:
*Umehan Beer Garden Marche (06-6313-9353)
Period: 2014/4/25-10/8     5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
(Sun 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.)
3900yen per person

http://www.hankyu-dept.co.jp/honten/restaurantguide/restaurant40.html/
http://www.hankyu-dept.co.jp/fl/english/honten/

*Shinsenkaku Beer Garden (06-6341-4071)
Period: 2014/5/1-9/15     5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
3600yen (BBQ & Chinese) or 3400yen (Chinese) per person 

http://www.shinsenkaku.co.jp/

*Crowne Plaza ANA Osaka (06-6347-1247)
Period: 2014/5/19-9/19     5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
5000yen per person 
Close: Sat, Sun, Holiday and 8/11, 8/12
Friday has a special schedule so please check before you go.

http://www.anacrowneplaza-osaka.jp/event/beergarden2014.html
http://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/osaka,-osaka/osaja/hoteldetail



*Hankyu Top Beer Garden (06-6375-1780)
Period: 2014/5/1-9/23     5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

(Sat, Sun, Holiday 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.)
4000yen per person

http://www.hankyu-hotel.com/hotel/osakashh/restaurant/25kXee9SE4/

http://www.hankyu-hotel.com/cgi-bin2/cms2/index_en.cgi?hid=19osakashh

*Suntory roof top beer garden (06－6345－3948)

Period: 2014/5/15-9/22     5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

There are several price for set menu.

http://www.suntory.co.jp/news/2014/12057.html


Yodoyabashi and Honmachi area:
*R Riverside Grill & Beer Garden (06-6202-0112)
 Period: 2014/5/15-9/22     M-F 4:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
 Sat, Sun, Holiday 2:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
 You can choose set menu or a la carte (Korean style food)

http://www.nakanoshima-beergarden.com/

*Shibakawa building beer garden (06-6202-2202)
Period: 2014/5/21-10/10     6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
3500yen per person

http://shibakawa-bld.net/story/2014/05/post_122.html
http://shibakawa-bld.net/access/access.html

*ST Regis Beer Garden (06-6258-3333)
Period: 2014/4/26-10/31     5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sat, Sun, Holiday 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
There are several prices. (from 4800yen)

http://www.stregisosaka.co.jp/dining/bar/beergarden/

Tenmabashi area:
* The Oriental Village BEER GARDEN (06-4794-9227)
Period: 2014/5/15- mid Sep     4:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
There are several prices.

http://www.citymall.jp/floorguide/rf/rf-1/
http://www.citymall.jp/access/

Namba area:
*River Cafe Beer Garden (06-6635-0234)
Period: 2014/5/21- mid Oct   
3600yen per person

http://www.opefac.com/river_cafe/

*Namba Parks Chelsea Beer Garden (06-6632-6767)
Period: 2014/5/1- end of Sep   
3980yen per person

http://www.opefac.com/chelsea/information.html


Moriguchi area:
*Hotel Agora Roof top Beer garden (06-6994-1118)
Period: 2014/6/4-6/30    6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Period: 2014/7/1-9/23     5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Close: Sun, Holiday
3900yen per person .

Oktober Fest in Japan 2014

The very popular German beer festival starts again!


http://www.okt-fest.jp/

Kobe German Beer Festival
2014/4/25-5/6 Weekday 16:00〜22:00　Sat,Sun, Holiday11:00〜22:00 （L.O.21:30）
http://www.okt-fest.jp/okt-kobe2014-1.html
Osaka Oktober Fest in Tennoji
2014/5/16-6/1 12:00-21:00



http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/events/festivals_events/osaka_oktoberfest_2014.html

Strawberry picking

It is strawberry season in Kansai. If you visit a strawberry farm, you can pick and eat as many strawberries as you want! The admission fee is around 1500 yen.

http://sp.walkerplus.com/ichigo/list/ar0700/

Market in Kyoto - Nishiki ichiba

Just one street north of Shijo, you can find Nishiki market street. It was established more than 400 years ago. You'll see almost all kinds of Japanese food being sold here. You'll see and smell exotic food in a traditional style, such as fresh fish, vegetables, and dry goods, to boiled fish paste, pickled vegetables, and sweets.


http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3931.html

Access:
http://www.kyoto-nishiki.or.jp/access.html

Deep Osaka - Tenjinbashisuji shopping street (Tenjinbashisuji shotengai)

Tenjinbashisuji shopping street is the longest shotengai (shopping street) in Japan, stretching 2.6 km north to south. There are more than 600 shops, such as restaurants, cloths shops, hand crafts shops and so on, along that street. People from out side of Osaka think that the people walking in this street are authentic Osaka citizens. Seeing is better than hearing. Go and feel traditional Osaka.


http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/search/detail/shopping_5207.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4024.html


Nearby:
The Osaka Tenmangu (People usually call it Tenjin-san)
http://www.tenjinsan.com/index.html

The Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/toshiseibi/english/museum.html

Kids Plaza Osaka
http://www.kidsplaza.or.jp/en/

Market in Osaka - Kuromon ichiba

Osaka used to be called "The kitchen of nation" (Tenka-no-daidokoro) and Kuromon ichiba is one representative of that. There are about 180 shops; mainly fish stores. They sell luxury food so the prices may be a little expensive but the quality is high. The Osaka Municipal Wholesale Market is closed on Wednesdays so many stores in Kuromon ichiba are also closed.

Access:
http://www.kuromon.com/access.php
Exit 10 at Nipponnbashi station, Sennichimae or Sakaisuji line, Osaka subway.

http://www.kuromon.com/

Market in Osaka - Kizu ichiba

The Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo is very famous and though it may not be as big as Tsukiji, there is a big wholesale market which tourist can visit in Osaka too. Kizu ichiba not only has fish but also vegetables, fruits and so on.

It is usually for wholesellers but on the second and last Saturdays of the month, the market is opened to the general public and also holds some special events.

September schedule is as follows:
2013/9/14 (Sat) from 9am to 12am
2013/9/28 (Sat) from 9am to 12am


Access:
http://kizu-ichiba.com/access.html

Osaka subway, Yotsubshi line, about 150m from Daikokucho station
Osaka subway, Sakaisuji line, about 500m from Ebisucho station

Nankai rail way, about 700m from Namba station (approx. 15 minutes walk)
Nankai rail way, about 250m from Imamiyaebisu station

Octoberfest 2013 in Kobe- German Beer festival (event on from Sep 14th to 23rd, 2013)

This is a very popular event. You can enjoy German beer and food. The German songs will be sung on the stage. (18:00 & 20:00)  It is an outside event by the shore so there will be a pleasant breeze.

Official HP:
http://oktfest.jp.net/kobe/index.html
http://oktfest.jp.net/


You need to pay a 1000 yen deposit for your first order of beer,  but when you don't want to drink anymore you take your glass to the counter and they will return the deposit.


Kobe Harborland (from JR, Kobe station or Kobe subway Harborland station)
9/14 (Sat) - 9/23 (Mon)
Weekdays 16:00-22:00 (L.O. 21:30)
Sat&Sun&Holiday 11:00-22:00 (L.O. 21:30)

Access:
http://oktfest.jp.net/kobe/access.html

Udon - Gourmet in Osaka

Udon is a thick noodle made from wheat flour. It is served with fish stock, soy sauce and a sugar base soup. There are many varieties of toppings such as Tempura, egg, beef, wakame (seaweed), curry etc. In Osaka, Kitsune udon, which is served with sweetened deep-fried thin tofu, is popular. Sanuki (Kagawa pref) udon restaurants are popular in Osaka too. Sanuki udon's noodles are firmer and chewy and there is less soup than Osaka udon style.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udon

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/udon/a/aboutudon.htm

http://www.japan-guide.com/r/e105.html

Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) - Gourmet in Osaka

One of Osaka's "soul foods" is Okonomiyaki. "Okonomi" means "as you like" and "yaki" means that cooked or grilled. It is usually served on a teppan (iron coocking plate) in front of you.

The main ingredients are flour, grated nagaimo (type of yam), water or dashi (soup of fish and seaweed), egg, cabbage, green onion and red pickled ginger. Then you have to choose pork, seafood or other things to cook with main ingredients.

After cooking, you cover it in sauce and mayonnaise, and sprinkle it with dried bonito flakes and green seaweed. 

It's called "yaki" but it is very yummy.

Takoyaki (Octopus ball) - Gourmet in Osaka

While you walk around Osaka, you'll probably see shops cooking round ball-type food. This is Takoyaki (Octopus ball), which is one of soul food in Osaka.

The main ingredients are flour, egg, water, diced octopus, green onion, red pickled ginger and water. The takoyaki is continuously turned around to make the ball shape in a half round iron plate. After cooking, it's covered in sauce and sprinkled with dried bonito flakes and green seaweed.

Coco Ichibanya - Japanese Curry house

Curry is very popular in Japan but Japanese curry is not same as curry India. The taste is milder and sauce is much thicker. The most popular curry in Coco Ichiban is "Chicken cutlet curry with cheese topping". If you see Coco Ichiban, you should try it.


http://www.ichibanya.co.jp/index.html

551 Horai - Gourmet in Osaka

You will often see these shops and their TV commercial in Osaka. Their Butaman (Pork dumpling) is very popular in Osaka.


http://www.551horai.co.jp/