A daytrip to Nara, Uji, Kyoto From Osaka!

A daytrip to Nara, Uji, Kyoto From Osaka!

We’re off to visit Osaka neighbour cities today~ But first, a quick stop in Namba for breakfast
nothing motivates us like food! This authentic Japanese restaurant is open from 7AM. I went with the classic grilled mackerel—saba,
while the others chose salmon. We’re also trying the Japanese fermented soybeans, natto,
for the first time. According to what I read, you’re supposed to stir it vigorously with chopsticks. The more you mix, the stringier and foamier it gets. Add a good splash of shoyu… and stir some more. We are sharing this small bowl just in case we couldn’t handle it.. Honestly? It doesn’t smell or taste nearly as bad as social media says it out to be. Just tastes like soybeans with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Or maybe we just got a mild version—we don’t have another to compare it to yet. It’s acceptable by all of our tongue, maybe because we have similar fermented soybean food, Tempe. The grilled mackerel was perfect—crispy skin, tender meat, and barely any bones. The human interaction here is kept minimum (at least on the 2nd floor)
Maybe The only interaction here is when the staff serves your food. Ah~ I think only in Japan we are having such a complete set of
healthy breakfast We came to recycle some gacha balls…
and maybe peek at the collection while we’re at it. Then the coin-borrowing saga began. (¬_¬”)
As we all know, this is how gacha addictions escalate. It all started with just one spin—a SPAM gacha. And… the result wasn’t that satisfying. Then another spin for redemption. Tempted by a plate of spam musubi,
my husband also rolled one in my place I…. sensed that he wanted to borrow more coins.. ^^;;; And just like that, 2 spins became 3.. (◞‸ ◟)💧 who says money can not buy happiness? It can—if spent wisely just like this 400 yen coins Then,there’s also me, completing my white steroid lucky cat collection! Got the first and the second white cat. This is the vintage SPAM packaging my friend got on a re-roll. And here’s the plate of spam musubi that triggered me
into spinning too. He also got this separated melonpan baby,
which ofcourse not hard to assemble later.. First and second white lucky cats—secured! Finally my friend exchanged his own 10,000 yen for 20 coins..
half of it for returning the coins that he borrows earlier. The sound of falling coins felt like he’s winning a pachinko jackpot. No, we have never played a pachinko ofc (ᵕ—ᴗ—) The remaining half of the coins that he exchange.. is ofcourse
(you’ve guessed it) for spinning another gacha! 3 gacha became 4… then 6… then 7, 8, 9, 10… I honestly lost count (and recordings too) once he switched machines. He even returned the coins he borrowed—just to borrow more.
hahahahhaha Spent so much expecting for a nice one set completion!
*because so far not once doubled, yet* Can’t watch this anymore… see you guys outside later… bye.. At the moment we got out and want to go to the train platform, another shinkansen gacha is spotted outside. Also my husband is being excited about the last piece of steroid lucky cat. While my friend spun for a Shinkansen miniature, I started eyeing a Tamagotchi one beside it… But first—let’s complete the lucky cat series! And yep… I ended up spinning the Tamagotchi one too. because I was hoping to get the pink watch model All cat brothers is finally in my hand! Got what I wanted~ ლ(o◡oლ) Okay, now we finally left the gachapon store. First stop: Nara! Here we come~~ On the outskirts of town, I spotted koinobori (carp streamers) still fluttering by the river. Just outside Nara Station, near the toilet, we heard loud chirping… Some bird had left her babies in the nest above. So cute We stopped by the Nara Tourist Center a bit
to get stamps and take some pics. While most people visit Nara to meet the free roaming deer We actually came here to watch the mochi pounding at Nakatanidou! We strolled down Sanjo-dori Street toward
Higashimuki Shopping Street. Feeling hot under the sun, so we stopped for a refreshment snack I choose a cone of chocomint. My friend grabbed a melonpan—it smelled amazing. And somehow kind of looked like a Pac-Man Next door, we saw a castle-like store—sadly, it was closed on that day. What a classic looking Lawson (o_O) ? We also walk past a temple before finally arriving at Higashimuki Unfortunately, the mochi-pounding show was too crowded to see
(and coincides to the main road), so we just bought some mochi. It was warm, super soft and elastic! After all that walking, some of us needed a toilet break—so we headed to MOS Burger and grabbed lunch too. The fish fillet burger never disappoints. Bye Nara, time to head to the next city! Before that, one more ramune jelly drink for me! Btw, if you have iPhone, add a Suica card to your iPhone Wallet—way easier than dealing with small change. It’s about 30 minutes from Nara to Uji with JR Nara Line But we stopped at Obaku Station to change
from JR line to Keihan Line. Because I wanted to visit Keihan Uji Station. Just look at it—full of circular geometry!
Feels like stepping into a sci-fi dystopia. Luckily, the station wasn’t too crowded, so we had plenty of space to snap photos of this cool brutalist-style train station. As I walked down, I found myself more and more amazed by the design of this train station by Hiroyuki Wakabayashi. No wonder this station was selected as one of the
“Best 100 Stations in the Kinki Region”! This station also received the prestigious Good Design Award in 1996. Stepping out of the futuristic Keihan Uji Station and into the historic charm of Uji Bridge feels like travelling from the future into the past. Aside from the roaring motorbike from the busy street,
the riverside walk was super tranquil. And see how close the Keihan Line Station from the bridge The vermilion-red-colored bridge on that side is
Kisenbashi Bridge. Uji bashi Bridge is said to have been built by Douto, a monk from Gagouji, Nara, in 646, making it one of the oldest bridges in Japan. The riverside feels like an anime scene brought to life. Uji Bridge is featured in The Tale of Genji, and a statue of its author, Murasaki Shikibu, stands at one end to honor the literary link. We strolled through the Byodoin Omotesando area next. Then try the matcha ramen at Ramen Tanakakusho. They require each person to order at least one item.
you’ll be sitting outside if you only order the Takoyaki tho. My friend paired matcha takoyaki with matcha beer. According to him, you can barely taste the matcha in the beer. I still prefer Osaka’s takoyaki—it’s hard to beat the original even with the matcha twist! The ramen here was the best among all the dishes we ordered—but again, the matcha flavor was very subtle despite the noodles being slightly green. Their gyoza is tasty if you dip it into the salt matcha. And ofcourssssseee.. We did a little matcha shopping afterward. And we sealing this Uji trip with a perfect matcha ice cream treat I got the one with the most toppings—red bean paste, dango. The white topping felt like mochi, while the yellow one might’ve been sweet potato? Still guessing… (◐‿◑) Before leaving, we tested the river water.
It’s refreshing, a lil bit cold, but refreshing. Next stop: Fushimi Inari via JR train!
But before that, 10 minutes walks to Uji JR Station. My friend came to take photos with the thousand torii gates, while I had a mission: to return the omamori (charm) I bought last year. We arrived around 6PM—the shrine was technically closed, but the crowd was still massive. After asking the security guard here,
we were told to go find the Nosatsusho. Follow us if you perhaps want to return your Omamori here too. as this place is so hugeee.. But please take note, as I know, you were supposed to return it to the temple / shine you bought it from.. We think.. that the omamori goes here.
But mine is a charm.. so maybe we need to find it’s friend. It’s time to give the fox charm a proper good bye after it fell from my possession for like 3 times in a row.. Actually there’s one more store that we want to visit,
near to Fushimi Inari. But sadly, we arrived too late. So I just watch from the outside. (ಥ﹏ಥ) We see people spinning gacha outside a konbini across the shrine,
so we joined in. I was hoping to get the orange fox charm…
But I ended up with the blue one. After that, we took the Nara Line back to Kyoto,
then hopped on the Kyoto Line to Osaka. Back in Umeda, Osaka, around 8PM. Rested a bit at our Airbnb,
then headed out to Tsutenkaku for dinner around 11PM. Most places were closed, with only izakayas still open. But don’t worry if you don’t drink—there was one sushi place open late,
and we went there! But first… We had to roll a couple Haro Gundam gachas.
Just two—I promise Because this one contain the mini Gundam~ Tadaah! This is the sushi chain that opened till 12 midnight You can order via smartphone QR or use the tablet at your table.
Plates range from 100 to 200 yen. Your sushi gets delivered by a belt conveyor system! You can also grab sushi straight from the belt
if ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶h̶u̶n̶g̶r̶y̶ something catches your eye. Me and my husband doesn’t eat raw fish, and even he found options! Notice how our table’s split between raw and cooked sushi? But yeah… the cooked options are more limited. After eating, return your empty plates to the slot at your table. I suggest you to track what you order—not all plates are the same price. It makes splitting the bill easier later. FYI, side dish bowls like this can’t go into the plate slot… we tried. ^^;; For every 5 plates returned, you get a mini game on the tablet. We stacked ours high enough to try it! First round—loss. No gacha prize. You can track your coins, I— I— mean plates thrown in from this top right corner over here. And another loss…… ( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)💢
Our shuriken was compromised!! The mini game are random, we got the same with the first one.
I wonder how many clip that actually they’ve prepared. Notice how perfectly the plate fits into the slot? We finally got our win at the fifth (stylish) try. This is why I recommend you to notes your order earlier, coz
the receipt only shows price and quantity, not the item names. We found a handy guide at the cashier… should’ve be found out earlier! But hey, are we really the type to read the manual first? That wraps up today’s vlog—see you in the next one! Don’t forget to rub Billiken’s feet for good luck!

Day 4 of my 13-Day Japan Adventure!

Today, we’re going on a side quest, a day trip to three cities near Osaka—Nara, Uji, Kyoto.
**yes it is possible to visit these trio city from Osaka, if you wake up early and don’t get interrupted with too much gachapon machines**

Start with the first stop of the day is: Nara, the city of friendly deer! Then, we’re off to Uji, the famous matcha capital, and finally, we’re making a pitstop in Kyoto to return last year’s omamori to Fushimi Inari – because even good luck charms deserve a homecoming! ⛩️.

Quick confession:
I’m a repeat offender when it comes to these destinations! 🙈 So you might notice me skipping some iconic spots in the video (like, Arashiyama bamboo forest and Nara Park for another example).

But if you have more time, here are some of my recommendations:

🦌 At Nara
After feeding the deer at Nara Park, wander through Naramachi, a charming district of traditional merchant houses, quiet lanes, and cozy cafés.
Or visit Isuien Garden, a hidden gem with picturesque views of Todai-ji’s roof.

🍵 At Uji
Don’t miss Byodoin Temple, it’s featured on the 10-yen coin. Its Phoenix Hall and serene garden are absolutely stunning. (it’s just at the end of the omotesando road that we visit in the video, but we skip it for Fushimi Inari golden hour)
And my unforgettable experience from last year, book a traditional matcha ceremony in Uji! Even though I couldn’t film it, I still dream about that perfect frothy and creamy matcha.
If you are interested, you can book your session through their website to learn from actual matcha masters! They’ll guide you through every step of the whisking process – and yes, they’ll gently correct your hand position when you (inevitably) do it wrong… just like they did for me! 🙈
https://www.kyoto-uji-kankou.or.jp/taihoan-en.html (No sponsorships here – just pure matcha love 💚)

⛩️ Kyoto other than Fushimi Inari, you can try to experience the Sagano Romantic Train. No it’s not just for couple. It’s a scenic train offers a blissful 25-minute journey along the Hozu River gorge, winding through scenic tunnels and lush landscapes from Kyoto Sagano to Arashiyama. Tickets cost about ¥800 one-way and aren’t covered by the JR Pass.
Then take the scenic riverboat cruise back to Kyoto again (around.. ¥4100 🤔 I think). I swear it’s a pure unforgettable experience too. The boat operator is chatty and fun, but sadly our operator’s English is a little bit limited, so we cannot enjoy his joke. But the view, his performance on steering the boat and the overall experience is cool tho!

Umm.. as I said at the previous part, I filmed way too much because it’s Japan. So I’ve split the vlog into 5 parts—links updated below as they go live!
✨ Series Breakdown:
1️⃣ Osaka (4 Days) – A lot of eatssssnack, gacha, shopping, cafe

2️⃣ Nara + Uji + Kyoto Day Trips – You’re watching this now!
3️⃣ Amanohashidate Day Trip – Japan’s “Bridge to Heaven” 🌉
4️⃣ Nagoya + Yui (Shizuoka) – Ghibli Castle vibes & Sakura Ebi’s Seaside Hometown 🏯🌊
5️⃣ Tokyo Finale

Anddd.. With the long description already typed (and thank you for reading all of my blabbers).. feel free to use the timestamps below to jump straight to your favorite parts!

00:00 intro
00:47 Day 4, early breakfast at the authentic Japanese restaurant
02:33 Gacha madness at Gashacoco Namba
08:48 Nara
11:52 Uji Keihan Line Station
13:41 Uji River & Byodo-in Omotesando
16:29 Kyoto: Fushimi Inari
18:50 Late night Tsutenkaku, Osaka

Trip Date:
NARA-UJI-KYOTO: 22 May 2025

🎥 Filmed on:
Thumb-sized camera: Insta360 GO3
Pocket powerhouse: Sony RX100 M7
Perfect colors: Fujifilm X100VI & X-S10
My reliable partner: iPhone 15 Pro

🎶 Music Credits:
Huge thanks to these amazing music creators who gave permissions to use their music in this video

🎵Music provided by BGM President
🎵Track : Doopba – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38kepvoHjoI
🎵Track : A Romance of Youth – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu5vTRS9DpE

🎈 Music by ‪@jayco-123 (제이코의 플레이리스트)
🎈 Title : Sunny Side Up – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MudMIRU0tGc

🎵 Music by [브금주세요] [Give Me the BGM]
🔗 유튜브 채널 / YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCshsJuRb3i02p6KMqzaY2Vw
🎵Track : 귀여운브금/음냠냠냠~/cute bgm 무료브금 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oug99LasMs

🎈 Music by Massobeats
🎈 Track : Stroll – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5YlDkIIQjE
🎈 Track : Glimmer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kETJF0dijxM
🎈 Track : Familiar Places – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0NqWjmUl4Q

Hope you enjoy this journey as much as I did filming it. Please like & subscribe if you like this kind of video! See you on another trip!

Check out my Instagram: http://instagram.com/gandengansamakamera
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