Utsubo Park and Cafe/Boutique Street
A little while back a friend of mine gave me a book called Osaka Field Trip. The book presents local eateries, galleries, cafes, bike routes, and historical spots with a caring, familiar manner. I have visited a few of the places in the book. I am so glad I got this book. Personally, the small cramped apartments of Japan do not offer the best relaxing atmosphere for studying or reading. Who wants to spend all their time off work cramped at home anyway? Therefore I am a big fan of quaint cafes, artistic hubs, and eclectic restaurants.
However I have a very high standard. Price, comfortable atmosphere, smoke-free, and VEGAN – a hard bill to fulfill.
Recently I enjoyed a picnic lunch and walk in Utsubo Park – many trees, including cedars, a well-designed (however not blooming) rose garden and spacious area of greenery in the heart of Osaka makes this park a go to spot for center city dwellers and families.
But wait that’s not all!
Around the park there are little side streets. These little streets are packed with culture. Eclectic restaurants, cafes (like cante grande or bonsowa shiyokud), and clothing, accessories, or even handmade shoe boutiques all packed neatly together on the south side of the park near Yotsuyabashi station.
The park
Umm… Apples, and cardamom walnut pumpkin slices!
Cante Grande (Utsubo park and New Umeda location)- an eclectic Indian-inspired cafe. With a fantastic chai (six varieties to choose from!!), dessert chapati (can be made VEGAN!!), Chinese tea (with pot service and refillable!) I am sure the cafe lover of any palate would enjoy this lovely cafe. I loved he interior atmosphere, furniture, and homey feel. The best part though are the great large windows on the facing Utsubo park. Enjoy all the seasons of the park in a comfy wicker chair with cool or hot chai tea blended just to your liking.
Lapsang Souchong Tea = BOSS The Chinese Tea list had 4 options. The black tea list 5 or 6. This tea aficionado was very pleased.
The menu included delicious looking curry sets with naan, rice, tandoori, a curry, and drink for a reasonable prices and fantastic looking pie, cakes (chiffon etc) for all you omnivores out there as well as the chapati pie.
Banana Cinnamon Chapati Pie!!
Interior Decor
ACCESS: Honmachi St. follow the signs for Utsubo Park once in the station. A MAP Take any subway line that connects to the Yotsuyabashi line and get off at the Honmachi Station. You can walk underground from the Midosuji to the Yotsuyabashi line Honmachi Station but I don’t suggest it (Its a crazy maze of going around, up and down, back and forth with lots of stairs…)
You can also walk from the Azawa Station on the Sennichi Line but it’s farther away.
Happiness Happens
When one thinks that no one cares and nothing will change, often happiness or relief falls into place from unseen circumstances. Such has been the reality as of late, though somewhat self-absorbent to be posting such joys in times like these in Japan. I believe that celebrating life and looking forward not backward is the road to reconstruction.
For months I had been looking for work – no matter how menial or mundane – to pass some time and enforce a schedule on my life but also to make a little more savings for crises and loan payments. In many ways I don’t believe that my wife and I will get such a perfect time to save and be free of money worries again like this for quite a while. Thus as the April neared with no job prospects in sight the stress grew and grew and yet in my own classic style I did not realize that I was stressed. Until I begun to feel a sudden, strong tightness in my temple twice or three times an hour . That has since stopped, for a number of reasons but here is the best one: I got a job working in a bakery/cafe! The bakery is called Lapin(or bunny in French). The name comes from that fact that the brainchild of bakery(one of two sisters, who run the place) is year of the rabbit. The year of teh rabbit is associated with many good things, happiness, fertility, creativity, and warmth. All good things for a qualities to ascribe a bakery, right?
First, I LOVE Baking! Second, this is Japan, not America, it’s like studying survival Japanese everyday. Third, FREE BREAD!
Furthermore, this job has opened up a plethora of cultural experiences and lingual opportunities. I get to practice my numbers a lot (haha), polite language, and many more mundane words I would not use nor need but everyone knows. Most importantly, in this job I am treated as an equal. My proposed names of new bread or sweet designs are no more accepted than the owner and maker of the bread. My ideas for how the cafe should sell or how much it should sell are all accepted and discussed. This could very well be the Japanese work ethic of consensus that I had heard so much about. Now i have experienced it. Say what you will about its perchance for inefficacy or inefficiency but I find it more rewarding and inviting. This equanimity was especially demonstrated by the fact that unlike so many job places before that quickly rejected me after they heard I was a foreigner (without speaking to me or even inquiring about my Japanese language ability), they wanted to meet me and talk with me. I could not have asked for a more positive environment. I am so overjoyed with this blessing. God answered prayers never even spoken only wished in my heart.
I truly love this job and I pray that more wonderful experiences await me ahead.
Hallelujah! Viva La Pan!
Photo to come soon!
Oh! Saka! 