# Day 14 - Mountain town and chowing down ## A last dip One of the great joys of staying at a ryokan is wearing your yukata to breakfast. You realize how quickly you’ve become spoiled by this custom the next time you have to put on a full set of street clothes just to go down to a hotel lobby. These breakfasts are also always healthy and well balanced, with loads of veggies and protein that provide you with enough fuel to sightsee for ages before you feel the need for another meal. Our breakfast at Momiji-ya Annex was no exception. By packing up the night before, we saved ourselves just enough time for one last turn in our incredible oversized matcha bowl of a tub before the hotel’s van carted us off to the train station. ![[day 14 - 1.jpg]] ## It's a-me, Mario With forty-five minutes to spare, we were able to grab some caffeinated beverages and make a stop at the nearby Nintendo store for a quick photo-op with Mario! Then we boarded the train, and began our journey toward Osaka. ![[day 14 - 4.jpg]] ![[day 14 - 5.jpg]] ## Whiplash Our accommodation in Osaka was pretty much the exact opposite to our stay in Momiji-ya Annex. The trendy W Hotel is an uber-modern high-rise in the middle of Osaka’s luxury shopping district. After being escorted through the lobby glowing with pink neon light accents, we were shown to our room on the 26th and penultimate floor. As we entered, the electronically operated curtains automatically pulled back to reveal a jaw-dropping city view. ![[day 14 - 6.jpg]] ![[day 14 - 7.jpg]] ![[day 14 - 8.jpg]] We had originally hoped to book a couple’s massage at the hotel spa, but when we discovered a few days earlier that they only had one treatment provider working that day, Manu generously insisted Sophia go without him. Sophia felt both grateful and a little guilty when the massage turned out to be the best she’d ever experienced. ## More food than is reasonable For dinner we hit up a spot called Oko, which specializes in okonomiyaki (a pan-fried cabbage pancake smothered in sauce and toppings of choice, especially popular in Osaka). The wildly popular Oko, which is five narrow stories tall, is run entirely by an adorable young Energizer Bunny of a woman named Shiho. When they reach the front of the line, guests place their order with Shiho, before stepping into a corner of the restaurant that features a bar fully stocked with a huge variety of wine, beer, sake, liquor, mixers, and more. For only 200 yen ($1.30 U.S.) diners can make any drink they can dream up, and then squeeze a rubber chicken to let Shiho know. Along with some excellent music, the whole place had a fun and funky vibe that made the queue go by quickly. Our massive plates of okonomiyaki were sinfully delicious, and paired well with our liquid creations (Sophia had a beer with lychee juice, and Manu made a whiskey ginger ale). We ended the night with a matcha espresso martini and a G&T at the hotel bar.