This is an authorized translation in English of a post in French by @japon: Doguya-suji, le marché de la cuisine à Osaka
As my primary language is not English, there are probably some mistakes in my translation.
Remember that the person that speaks here is NOT me, Vincent Celier (@vcelier), but @japon, a French guy.
It's misery. I'm soaked to the bone. My pants are dripping. At every step that I make my shoes make a strange "splash" sound because of all the water that is inside. I go out of the metro and run to shelter.
Yet outside life seems to continue. At each lull, pedestrians and bicycles emerge. As for me, I'm cold, I'm hungry, I engage in a large shopping mall: Doguya-suji.
I find Japanese shopping arcades both beautiful and practical. You have to imagine this as a street with a huge glass roof attached to the highest floors. It is not a big building, but several that are connected by these arcades of glass.
The first advantage is that I'm dry. Then you really feel like you're in a street and not in a mall. At times it becomes narrow and is reminiscent of the Nishiki market in Kyoto. Besides, these two places are dedicated to one thing: food.
And precisely, I need to warm myself up. I notice a restaurant Okonimiyaki, it will be my lunch. It's a mix between an omelette, a quiche, a pizza. In short, it is indefinable, and the term "okonomiyaki" literally means "all you want, grilled".
This is a very popular dish that was used to recycle the fridge bottoms. We have a chopped cabbage base that is cooked with a pancake batter. Then add different ingredients, the famous sauce and then dried bonito. Under the effect of heat, these thin slices of bonito wiggle in all directions.
With a full stomach, I start the visit of Doguya-suji. In this shopping arcade, there is everything that can be used to cook. Utensils, pans, cooking appliances, dishes, etc. There is something for everyone and not always in very good taste.
You have to see this place as the supermarket of everything that is used for cooking. You will not find here craftsmen who design beautiful objects. No, here it's basic, cheap and a lot of things come from China.
Plates and bowls are stacked on rows between which it is sometimes impossible for 2 Japanese to cross each other. I am 1.85m tall, I felt like an elephant in a porcelain store.
There are some knife shops. I told you about Aratsugu, the famous cutler from Kyoto. In Doguya-suji you will also find good quality models at a lower price. And above all you can be exempt from VAT, which further reduces the bill. If you really want to buy Japanese kitchen knives, I really recommend going to see Doguya-suji because you will do good business.
Gradually the atmosphere of this shopping street changes. We leave the world of the kitchen to arrive in that of manga, fast food and Gashapon (these distributors of small toys).
I arrive at the end of the street, the night begins to fall. I go back to my hotel to take a hot shower, put on warm, dry clothes, and finish the evening in the busiest area of Osaka!
-- @japon
01: Travel diary in Japan, by @japon
02: Tokyo, overcrowded city? Really? by @japon
03: Are the Japanese too disciplined? by @japon
04: Going to Japan without speaking Japanese? by @japon
05: Ueno, more than just a big park in Tokyo, by @japon
06: Asakusa, diving in the heart of Tokyo's historic district, by @japon
07: Ameyoko, Ueno's colorful market, by @japon
08: Tsukiji, the largest fish market in the world, by @japon
09: Climb the steps of Atago Jinja Shrine in Tokyo, by @japon
10: Hama Rikyu, an exceptional park in the heart of Tokyo, by @japon
11: Jimbocho, old books and tempura, by @japon
12: Shinjuku Gyoen Park and the best burger in the world!, by @japon
13: One night in Shibuya, by @japon
14: Takeshita dori : this little street dedicated to fashion (and good crepes), by @japon
15: They lie to you about Kyoto, by @japon
16: The temples and secret garden of Higashi in Kyoto, by @japon
17: Kinkaku-ji, the temple of the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, by @japon
18: Ryoan-ji, the amazing stone garden in Kyoto, by @japon
19: The Ninna-ji Temple and its extraordinary gardens, by @japon
20: Kyoto Gyoen, the Imperial Palace Park, by @japon
21: Nishiki Market: A Must in Kyoto, by @japon
22: Ginkaku-ji, the temple of the silver pavilion in Kyoto, by @japon
23: Meditate on the path of philosophy, by @japon
24: Nanzen-ji, its impressive gate and two gardens, by @japon
25: Heian-jinju: the big shrine and its garden that I almost missed, by @japon
26: Eikan-do, the temple of the momiji maples in Kyoto, by @japon
27: Kodai-ji, a Kyoto temple dedicated to a woman's love for her husband, by @japon
28: Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, the streets of Higashiyama, by @japon
29: Kiyomizu-dera, the temple of pure water in Kyoto, by @japon
30: Tofuku-ji: the maple lookout point, by @japon
31: Makis, Yasaka-jinja Shrine and Maruyama Park, by @japon
32: Nijo Castle and its fabulous garden, by @japon
33:Departure for Osaka and its castle, and announcement of a typhoon, by @japon
34: Osaka, the garden Keitaku-en under a torrential rain, by @japon