H
mmm, I’ll wait to hear
how it goes,” said a
friend, with raised
eyebrows, when we
unveiled our summer holiday plans:
two weeks touring Japan with our
kids, aged two and six. I understood
his scepticism. Japan remains one of
the most “foreign” places in Asia, a
barrage for the senses and adamantly
against adopting English. But we’d
been dying to go long before the
beginning of nappy changing and
early wake-ups, and we were gung-ho
on a trip beyond the usual flight home
or quick beach break, even if we were
asking for trouble.
Osaka seemed the most sensible
place to begin. About three hours’
direct flight from Hong Kong, and
less busy than Tokyo, Osaka still
embodies its local culture. Wandering
downtown’s Shinsaibashi-suji arcade,
with its 600 metres of independent
boutiques, chain names and flashing
pachinko
(arcade) parlours, offered us
an instant immersion.
We stuck to the strip on the first
day, eating and shopping. The kids
From frenetic cities to deserted
beaches,
Elle Kwan
finds Japan’s
extremes surprisingly kid-friendly.
devoured coconut syrup-slathered
hotcakes, while we sipped our mugs
of Kona coffee and took in the views
of the Dotonbori-gawa Canal at
Honolulu Coffee. Then, aware that
our love for retail might be wearing on
our children, we designated the next
day a kids’ day and took a taxi across
town to Umeda’s Kids Plaza Osaka,
where four floors are devoted to fun.
We beat and bashed in the percussion
area, made life-sized bubbles and
role-played postman and sushi chef
in a mini-world that entertained for
hours. Having worked up a hunger,
we headed outside to sample bulbous
steaming
takoyaki
and fresh-grilled
okonomiyaki
, the fried batter street
snacks with squid, mayonnaise
and tempura bits that are the city’s
signature. “Scrummy,” proclaimed
our two, licking their fingers.
Geisha-spotting
Two full days in Osaka acclimatised
us to Japan’s differentness, and we felt
ready for more. Kyoto, 30 minutes
away by train, is Japan’s cultural gem
and was our next destination. You
World
A
Away
January 2015
55
