Yoyogi Pony Park – Free Pony Rides For Children In Tokyo

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Contrary to popular belief, Tokyo is actually home to a decent number of child-friendly activities that both locals and tourists can enjoy. For those who are looking for animal-based activities but aren’t keen on such experiences indoors, you need to include Yoyogi Pony Park in your itinerary. 

Yoyogi Pony Park offers children the opportunity to enjoy pony rides and brush ponies. Best of all, it’s absolutely free. This small park is also situated near to the famous Meiji Jingu, so you can treat Yoyogi Pony Park as a pitstop for the children to have fun at before exploring the surroundings of Meiji Jingu.

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Kuromon Ichiba — Is This Famous Seafood Market In Osaka A Tourist Trap Or Worth The Hype?

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Fondly known as ‘Tenko No Daidokoro’, which translates to ‘The Nation’s Kitchen’, Osaka should be your one-stop destination in Japan if you’re on a gastronomic pilgrimage for some solid Japanese cuisine.

This food-focused metropolis is home to a plethora of delectable Japanese delights. From the humble street stall vendors selling piping hot takoyaki to the large restaurant chains that churn out plates of kaiten sushi, the vast variety of food here is sure to leave your stomachs hankering for more.

If you’ve been to Osaka or have done extensive research on it, you would probably have come across Kuromon Ichiba, a popular market that has been around for almost 170 years. Despite being a seafood market, the 580-metre stretch also has shops that sell fresh local produce as well as restaurants that serve up local cuisine.

A staggering average of 23,000 people visit Kuromon Ichiba a day and the market is said to not attract just tourists, but locals too. However, over the years, does the place continue to be an accurate representation of a Japanese seafood market or has it slowly evolved into just another tourist trap?

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Takoyaki-Juhachiban — Is This Popular Takoyaki Stall In Osaka Worth Queuing Up For?

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For an all-rounded experience of authentic Japanese cuisine, there is no better place to visit than Osaka, fondly known as “The Nation’s Kitchen”. The vibrant, bustling city is known to be the place for foodies to fill their bottomless pits, and you can easily find something to eat at every corner of this gastronomic paradise.

While there are plenty of options that you can stuff your faces silly with, one popular street snack that is a must-try here is takoyaki. For the uninitiated, takoyaki refers to a spherical Japanese appetiser that is made from a wheat flour-based batter that gets its shape from the unique moulded pan it’s cooked in. It usually comes stuffed with ingredients such as diced octopus, but these days, you can also get fillings such as tempura scraps, ham and shrimp.

Dotonbori is a great place to head to if you’re keen to try some authentic takoyaki. However, the streets here are lined with multiple stalls that sell the same thing, so which stall truly has the best takoyaki? Like the true blue Singaporeans we were, we decided to find the Takoyaki stall with the longest queue. Alas, this led us to Takoyaki Juhachiba, which had a snaking long queue that stretched on for about half an hour.

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5D4N Itinerary For Osaka — What To See, Do And Definitely Eat In The Kitchen Of Japan

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If you’re a foodie who’s heading to Japan for the first time and you’re not sure which city you should start with, we highly recommend that you slot in Osaka at the top of your list.

Endearingly known as “Tenka no Daidokoro”, which translates to The Nation’s Kitchen, Japan’s second largest metropolitan area is home to a plethora of food options that are sure to leave you spoilt for choice. From bite-sized balls of takoyaki to piping hot bowls of ramen, there is something to eat in pretty much every corner of Osaka. You’ll never go hungry in this gastronomic paradise!

Aside from being a glutton’s idea of heaven, the fast-paced city is jam-packed with plenty of things to see and do. From one of the largest pokemon centres in the world to the majestic Osaka Castle, Osaka is truly a one-stop destination where you can experience the beauty of Japan in a nutshell.

For those of you who need some help with your itinerary, here is our 5D4N guide on what to eat, see and do in the kitchen of Japan.

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