Osaka Yacht Harbor

It's been quite a busy summer!  Which is why it has taken me almost 6 weeks to update my blog.  In particular this entry is already 3 weeks late...

In the middle of June, for the first time ever I visited Osaka Yacht Harbor.  I was invited by Mr. Shirakawa, a fitness club friend of mine, to join him on his just under 37 foot sailboat "Silver Fox" for a Sunday cruise around Osaka Bay and a visit to the neighboring yacht harbor located in Nishinomiya (the largest in the Western part of Japan).    

Even though the weather was overcast, it did not dampen everyone's spirits as we took a round trip cruise to Nishinomiya and back after having lunch at the Osaka Yacht Harbor.  

In the pictures above, you can see the Nishinomiya and Kobe skyline with Mount Rokko in the background for picture 1.  Picture 2 consists of two sailboats involved in a race, which was going on in the morning.  Picture 3 is of Mr. Yamashita and his sailboat "Amalfi", who is another friend of mine.  And last but not least is a picture of the Silver Fox captain, Mr. Shirakawa, and I.  

Established in 1988, Osaka Yacht Harbor is the only yacht harbor in Osaka City.  The harbor is equipped with docks for just over 100 boats, which makes it about half the size of the Nishinomiya Yacht Harbor.  

As Melbourne, Australia is a sister-city and sister-port for Osaka, the two cities have held one-way races that take at least one month (sometimes two) to finish either going from Osaka to Melbourne or vice versa every few years.  Even though I do not think I am ready for that length of a journey just yet, I hope to have more boating experiences as I get to know more in the yachting community.

For more information on the Osaka Yacht Harbor, click here.   

Japan's First Budget Airline Chooses Kansai As Its Home

It's true.  The frugal citizens of Kansai can now rejoice!  The light magenta colored airline that goes by the name of "peach" will begin its domestic service flying out of Kansai International Airport (KIX) next March followed by an international route to Seoul from May.  Who knows, with a little luck maybe this will be the start of a greater trend towards linking peach with destinations outside of Asia like North America and/or Europe.  

As the sharp eye consumers of Kansai are the hardest to please in the country and possibly the entire world, this news is music to everyone's ears.  Now for the next step.  How will peach stack up against the other more established carriers flying out of KIX?  If Australian budget carrier Jetstar Airways is any indication, things are looking on the up and up.

Related articles:

Japan Times

The Wall Street Journal

Cafe Ateya @ Mount Rokko

Cafe Ateya is what I would call the gateway to hikers and the like before they ascend to the higher altitudes of Mount Rokko.  Not prepared for hiking, Cafe Ateya was my final destination on this day but it was a trek nonetheless.  

Located about 25 minutes by walk from Hankyu Ashiyagawa Station into the mountains, it was a nice change of scenery from the concrete jungle that I am exposed to day in and day out in Osaka.  The walk up to Cafe Ateya, also known as Rokko-san Cafe, was pleasant seeing the massive Western and Japanese style homes lining the street.  

Unable to tell from the attached video clip, Cafe Ateya is located in what one would call a shallow cave that can seat 10 people maximum.  With the manager of the cafe changing every Saturday and Sunday on a rotating schedule, the menu changes just as much.  With a variety of home-cooked meals and alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks available as well, one can definitely get some R&R before heading up the mountain or heading down to complete one's journey.

For those of you not into hiking, paying a visit to Cafe Ateya is recommended to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city where one can breathe in the life of the great outdoors.

Ritz-Carlton: Osaka, Tokyo and Now...Kyoto

Yes, that's right!  Scheduled to be ready in spring 2014, The Ritz-Carlton will open its third property in Japan at the former imperial capital of Kyoto as reported in the Mainichi Daily News (for the original article please check here).

Based on the success of the hotel's properties in Osaka and Tokyo, The Ritz-Carlton is looking to expand its presence in the top tourist destination outside of Tokyo to cater to wealthy Kyoto residents and lure would be luxury travelers to Kyoto.

Even though we are still several years away, it will be interesting to see how The Ritz-Carlton's existence affects the hotel industry in Kyoto.  Many of us residing here in Kansai will be watching these developments closely.  

Willer EXPRESS - The Late Night Traveler's Best Friend

Have you ever needed to get somewhere first thing the next day but couldn't because the bullet trains stopped running for the night?  

If you have ever faced this calamity, the answer may lie in the Willer EXPRESS.  An Osaka-based company since 1994, Willer Travel has been operating its line of Willer EXPRESS night buses around the country transporting everyone from the economical traveler to the business traveler.  

With more than 15 different seat configurations on its buses, Willer EXPRESS is able to cater to every kind of traveler.  For more information on the types of seating available with pricing, please visit here.  I am personally interested in the Cocoon configured bus (see picture above), which only seats up to 24 people.

And with its web site also available in Chinese and Korean, Willer Travel is hoping to increase its share of the foreign tourist market in a bus service sector that has mainly been for Japanese.  

How this will all pan out remains to be seen, however Willer Travel is definitely making strides to better position itself for the future and beyond.

Direct Flights From Osaka To New York

All I can say is that it is about time!

For the first time ever there will be three direct flights a week to JFK airport in New York from Osaka thanks in part to Taiwan-based China Airlines, which begins this new service from April 28.

For more information on the flight schedule, please visit the following:

English
http://www.china-airlines.com/en/newsen/newsen000716.htm

Japanese
http://www.china-airlines.co.jp/news/1103/110301.html

For those of you from the eastern or southeastern part of the US, traveling to and from the Kansai region just got a lot more convenient.

TEDxOsaka Has Come!

Before I get into TEDxOsaka, if you are unfamiliar with TED then you should access the web site here to familiarize yourself with this truly educational, thought provoking conference organization.  Take your pick from the hundreds of presentations from extraordinary people to get a little taste of what TED is all about.  

Seeing the growth of TED spread throughout to the far corners of the earth, it is about time that it landed in Osaka and tomorrow is the day.  Albeit a little late in spreading the word, if you will be in town tomorrow and available, by all means stop by TEDxOsaka in Shinsaibashi in the afternoon to hear some great presentations from area residents.  Personally knowing the organizers of this event, I can say with confidence that it is going to be a success.

For more details in English and Japanese, please visit: http://tedxosaka.com/