German Christmas, Mexican Dinner

We heard from someone who works at a German school on Rokko Island that there was an annual German Christmas market in Osaka. With haunting memories of delicious gluehwein (hot spiced wine) in my head from past Christmas experiences in Germany, it didn’t take much convincing for me to want to go.

The event was outside the German consulate under the Umeda Sky Building, which I had never been to. The market was great, and included a giant tree, a manger scene, crafts for sale, and lots of yummy foods to eat. Ironically we skipped the hot wine, because it was so expensive, and we had hot wine at home that we bought at IKEA.

Baby Jesus coin fountain?

Leave it to the Germans to make Christmas creepy

After enjoying the Christmas market, we went up to the top of the tower, which has a fantastic observation deck. There was a place to right down our wishes for the new year and hang them up with those of many others, a common tradition in Japan. I wrote down a simple prayer for a prosperous new year and for more people in Japan to experience the love of Christ. Becky wished for Japan to have biscuits and gravy and ranch dressing, the two things she misses most!

Quirky fashion in Osaka

Mailing a postcard from the top floor!

We ended the day in Shinsaibashi, where we did a bit of shopping. Then we were able to snag a table for dinner at El Pancho, one of only a handful of Mexican restaurants in Kansai. Becky got enchiladas in a green sauce, which tasted 100% legit! I got a beef burrito, and while it tasted great, the meat and sauce had a little bit of a Japanese flavor to it. The guacamole was also good, but we have made good guacamole at home here. The margaritas were a bit disappointing. Overall though, Mexican was a fantastic treat in Japan. I’m sure we would go regularly if we lived an hour closer.