Osaka
Apparently the 2nd largest metro area after Tokyo, Osaka is more rough and not as clean as Japan’s capital. These same differences make it feel like the city is more laid back and I was less conscious of feeling like I stood out. I was able to spend more time wandering the city on my last trip and plan to go back!
Takoyaki (fried octopus balls, careful they’re hot inside) and okonomiyaki (shredded cabbage pancake grilled on a hot plate at your table) are worth trying!
About a 40 min train ride from Kyoto, you could conceivably stay in one and daytrip to the other. Osaka will be more affordable, but I still think there’s more to see in Kyoto.
Hotels
Mimaru Osaka Namba North
Recommended
Sure :)
Notes
Apartment-style rooms with a small kitchen. At least the Pokemon-themed room we stayed in had it. The Pokemon room was a bit pricey but worth it for my nephew. They give you a few small bags, there were 2 beds and a bunkbed, a table with booth type benches. 10 min walk to Dotonbori (southeast), Pokemon Center (northeast), and maybe 15 min cab ride to Itami airport. Kansai International airport is further. Would stay here again and try out a regular room. There’s another Mimaru Osaka so carefully note which one you book.
A 4-Star hotel that is an easy walk from Namba station. It’s a short walk to Dotonbori as a result, as well as other places I wanted to visit on my last trip. I will try to stay here again whenever I am in Osaka!
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3-Star hotel that is super close to Dotonbori. Will be nosier because of its proximity, but I don’t remember noticing. More affordable than Mimaru (most likely) and prioritizes convenience. Not a bad hotel, though.
Sure :)
Coffee
Recommended
If time allows
Notes
This somehow got on my radar but I haven’t gone yet as it is pretty far northwest. Though I did go to the Cup O Noodles museum and it may be just as far from the heart of Osaka.
Haven’t been but found this somewhere and put it on my list. More helpful in that it’s closer to everything else.
If time allows
Good coffee, also had very tasty French toast. Very friendly older couple; can’t recall if it’s cash only but please bring cash. :)
Highly
Restaurants
Pokémon Cafe
Name
Ippudo
Recommended
If time allows
Notes
Ramen; it’s a chain. Only go if you go to the Cup O Noodles museum, given its distance. Haven’t been as we opted to head to our hotel after the museum. There are locations in central Osaka, though!
Unagi (freshwater eel, if you’ve ever had the sushi… it’s typically grilled) restaurant right in Dotonbori. Haven’t been because I’ve ended up browsing and picking random places to eat.
If time allows
This is 1 of 2 Pokemon cafes in Japan, but I was able to actually get a reservation to this one. Had to book at 2 am PST a month in advance and book within minutes… but booking Tokyo was virtually impossible.
If time allows
The takoyaki here was SO good. Had it with green onions and Japanese mayo. Don’t let the inevitable long line deter you; it went quickly for me and I was glad I stayed. You can get it to go (but where would you eat it while it’s hot) but I waited to eat at the small, standing counter. Cash only, I believe. I think they had an English menu.
Highly
When I go back to Osaka, I will go back. Possibly more than once. Beef katsu that I thought was better than shops I tried in Tokyo. Cash only; likely a line so maybe go off-peak. I think they had English menus.
Highly
If time allows
I don’t know what it is but the thought of cooking okonomiyaki on my own causes me anxiety. The staff must have helped me the first time and a friend helped cook last time I was here. Very tasty, though!
Scenic
Umeda Sky Building
Name
Osaka Castle
Recommended
If time allows
Notes
Must have gone here on my first trip to Osaka many moons ago. I don’t recall marking it in Google Maps, haha.
A nice view of the Osaka skyline. We went right before closing for night photos and lesser crowds.
If time allows
An observation deck a short train ride south, surrounded by markets and near Tennoji Zoo. I did not go up, but it was still nice to wander around Shinsekai Market.
If time allows
A Buddhist temple with a 5-story pagoda that was a short walk east of Tsutenkaku. I wouldn’t go out of your way as I don’t know of much else in the area, but I still enjoyed the visit.
If time allows
A Shinto shrine that has a huge festival in July. Could be a stop between Osaka Castle and HEP FIVE?
If time allows
Shopping
Dotonbori
Recommended
Highly
Notes
Covered shopping street that goes for a while. Worth meandering through, if just to browse.
A lot of Pokemon merch, but maybe the smallest of the ones I’ve been to. Layout makes it feel crowded.
If time allows
Trading card shop with some video games. I’m biased because I found a copy of a game here that you can only buy physical copies in Japan. Smaller shop but was fun to browse. More fun to find what I was looking for. :)
Highly
A market full of food shops, clothing, and souvenirs. If you’re in the area, worth cruising by Tsutenkaku and see if you feel like going up to the observation deck.
If time allows
Video games, trading card shop (iirc). On a street with a bunch of cosplay cafes, if that’s your thing. No judgment!
If time allows
Touristy
Glico sign
Name
Dotonbori
Recommended
Highly
Notes
If you don’t go here, people will wonder what you went to Osaka for. Lively strip with giant electronic billboards, restaurants, etc. The few times I’ve been to Osaka, I’ve eaten somewhere here while wandering.
Obligatory stop / photo!
Highly
An arcade a short walk southeast from Dotonbori.
If time allows
I saw BLACKPINK here! Unless it’s a concert or baseball game, etc… probably no reason to go here.
If time allows
Far northwest. About 40 min by train. You can build your own, draw on the cup and choose toppings… pretty fun experience. Good activity with kids. Also one in Yokohama, but haven’t been there myself.
If time allows
A shopping mall with a lot of shops, but I put in under Touristy for the Ferris wheel. It was inexpensive and provided great city views on a sunny day!
Highly
I needed a local friend to get tickets for me in advance, but I went to an all-day music festival here and had so much fun. Store my things in a locker in the nearby Namba Parks mall, but didn’t do much else there.
If time allows
Haven’t been to an amusement park in years prior to this trip, but had a lot of fun at USJ. Will do a summary for now and maybe a blog post someday.
I forget if tickets go on sale 1 or 2 months in advance. Like DisneySea, best to avoid weekends and holidays.
USJ app is key for navigating and it makes Super Nintendo World more fun. You will want to buy the power bands at Super Nintendo World (~US$40?). I saw a couple places that sell it after you get in (timed entry).
More shade than Disney, haha. And more adult / faster rides as one would expect from Universal.
USJ’s website was so dang finicky, I gave up and booked via Klook. Much easier experience.
You’ll need a park entrance ticket and then if you want to go to any of the timed entry areas (Nintendo, Harry Potter), you’ll need to get a separate ticket for those.
I bought a package that gave me entry to both and one ride in each. We got into Super Nintendo World at 11:00 and had fun on the Mario Kart ride (I wanted to do Yoshi’s ride but saw it was for very small kids and my nephew wasn’t interested). We were a little rushed for time as we needed to get to the Harry Potter area by 13:00. While the Nintendo area wasn’t huge, it’s packed with stuff to do and could have easily spent another hour or more. The problem is the Harry Potter area is right next to it, but you have to go back around the park (halfway to the entrance) to get to it.
In the Harry Potter world, we did the Forbidden Journey ride and that was fun. Dark and you can’t have anything in your pockets (there are free lockers they’ll guide you to) or they may fall out. The frozen butter beer (no alcohol) was a lifesaver in the heat and so good I almost agreed to get another.
My Hero Academia 4-D was also included in the package and it was unsurprisingly in Japanese. Still fun to see and cool off, but my intermediate Japanese was insufficient to help me comprehend beyond what I could figure out from watching.
Hollywood the Ride was our favorite. We were happy we opted for this instead of Jaws, though Jaws may also be fun. This was a proper rollercoaster and so glad we didn’t have to wait in the super long line. There is a Backdrop version that goes backwards on the same ride and my nephew was terrified we were going to do that. Both lines queue up next to each other and they all use the same track, so the ones before us were backwards. I did check with someone before we went in but still was doubtful when I saw the backward ones arrive. Still, ours faced forward and it was a blast. He kept talking about how fun it was.
I wanted to do the Jurassic Park ride where you can see people flying around the park and screaming their heads off in terror, but we didn’t have a pass and it was likely too scary for him.
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