Tokyo Weekender - September 2017
Autumn eyes: Harajuku lashes and more tips from a/w17. GACKT: "There's an emptiness in people's hearts". Find your "ikigai": What makes you get up in the morning? Plus: "Life in transit" photo story, osaka on two wheels, the tokyo café serving prophecies, and ufc's big comeback.
Autumn eyes: Harajuku lashes and more tips from a/w17.
GACKT: "There's an emptiness in people's hearts".
Find your "ikigai": What makes you get up in the morning?
Plus: "Life in transit" photo story, osaka on two wheels, the tokyo café serving prophecies, and ufc's big comeback.
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OSAKA<br />
ON TWO<br />
WHEELS<br />
By James Wong<br />
The best way to explore Japan’s third<br />
largest city: by bicycle<br />
As autumn kicks in and temperatures<br />
start to cool down, conditions get<br />
better for venturing out of <strong>Tokyo</strong><br />
and exploring other parts of Japan’s<br />
beautiful diversity. With over 2.6<br />
million inhabitants, Osaka is the third largest<br />
city in the country and a long-time rival of <strong>Tokyo</strong><br />
for good reason, as it is filled with an abundance<br />
of sights, sounds and tastes to uncover.<br />
One of the city’s top tourist attractions is Cycle<br />
Osaka, a cycle tour operator launched in 2013<br />
that has rapidly gained popularity and has been<br />
recognized as TripAdvisor’s number one outdoor<br />
activity in Osaka. Founder Sam Crofts tells<br />
us why visitors all over the world are flocking to<br />
enjoy his beloved city on two wheels.<br />
SCRATCHING BELOW<br />
THE SURFACE<br />
Beyond famous attractions such as Osaka<br />
Castle and the Dotonbori shopping area, Osaka<br />
struggles to capture certain visitors who often<br />
complain about its lack of visual uniqueness.<br />
However, they’re failing to see the whole<br />
historical and cultural picture. “Osaka is a favorite<br />
among Japan connoisseurs – the people<br />
who take the time to look beyond the surface<br />
and therefore fall madly in love with the place<br />
and its hidden wonders. It has an atmosphere<br />
quite unlike anywhere else I know, and it’s on<br />
our tours that our passion is echoed and people<br />
delve a little deeper,” Sam explains.<br />
THE TIME IS FALL<br />
Autumn is the best time to fall in love with Osaka.<br />
The need to hop from one air-conditioned<br />
room to another is replaced by the freedom to<br />
enjoy life outdoors, sweat-free. Sam explains<br />
how Osakans breathe a collective sigh of relief<br />
and set about really enjoying one of the best<br />
times of the year in the city.<br />
“So much happens in fall. First, there’s the<br />
Kishiwada Danjiri festival, where intoxicated<br />
teams compete with each other, pulling huge<br />
portable shrines through the neighborhood<br />
streets – you really have to see it to believe it!<br />
As the season progresses, moon viewing parties<br />
and harvest festivals are common before<br />
the leaves turn and the locals shift their attention<br />
to the changing colors,” says Sam. “When<br />
foliage viewing becomes the main event, Osaka<br />
30 | SEPTEMBER <strong>2017</strong> | TOKYO WEEKENDER
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