Our 7 Month Travel Blog

On our final day in Osaka, we started the day off visiting one of Osaka’s most famous sites, Namba Yasaka Shrine, which is famous for its lion shaped stage!

The huge lion’s mouth is believed to swallow evil spirits and bring good luck, particularly for those in school and in business. Many people visit during exam season and at the start/end of the financial year.

On the third Sunday in January, a huge tug of war competition is held, symbolising that the shrines deity once killed a giant snake, that brought peace to the people of Namba.

The shrine also has a very nice garden area and another smaller shrine.

After the shrine, we headed to what must be the most popular pancake place in Japan, Cafe Annon!

When you first arrive you have to collect a ticket which puts you in a queue. We were number 28 in line and were told to come back when it got down to 3. Luckily, we were able to wander around and the 2hr wait time went quickly.

It was definitely well worth it though!

Bethany had a delicious original Japanese style pancake with matcha, ice cream and fresh fruit.

I had Japanese pancakes with banana and chocolate.

Japanese pancakes were a lot fluffier than what you get at home.

After our pancakes and feeling slightly heavier, we walked back through some shops and picked up a few items.

The first we think is insect repellent….

And on the same theme we also saw these….

Apparently, the Dragon Fly is an apex predator in the insect world, and these clip on badges have been exploding in Japan as an effective, non toxic way of deterring insects.

Although sceptical…..Japan is the country that invented digital cameras, CDs and QR codes, so we thought it was worth a shot!

…..If you’re slightly more spiritual, the Dragon Fly is culturally significant in Japan, representing a variety of positive meanings; the samurai often used the symbol to represent bravery, determination and warrior spirit, and they are often featured in poetry and art as symbols of natural beauty and spiritual presence.

A local lady saw our Dragon Flies and told us that they are a nice symbol in Japan as they only fly forwards and don’t look back…