The third and last city of our 9 day trip took us to Osaka, one of the largest and most populated cities in Japan (fun fact- Osaka has over 2.3 mil people, that’s 7% of the population!). Filled with bustling neon lights, street food and most of all beautiful cherry blossoms, Osaka is a great addition to any Japan itinerary.
Getting to Osaka from Kyoto
We took the local train from Kyoto to Osaka which took over an hour only to realize the Shinkansen (bullet train) goes there in 20 minutes! Checkout my Tokyo blog post for more information on why you need to get a JR pass when visiting multiple cities.
Getting around in Osaka
By the time we got to Osaka we were tired, with swollen feet and aching calves from the miles and miles of walking we had done over the last 5 days. We tried our best to take the local train as it’s the most affordable option but took quite a few Taxis (Uber wasn’t an option) which were expensive, like anywhere else in Japan! Most Taxi rides started at ¥600 and easily went up to over ¥15000 to get back to our hotel. Read more about taking a Taxi from my Tokyo blog post.
Weather in Osaka
Like Kyoto, the weather in Osaka was a bit chilly in the morning warming up during the day and dropping down to cold, windy temperatures at night. If you’re visiting in April make sure you bring at least one warm jacket and plenty of layers.
Where to stay in Osaka
If you’ve been following me for a while you’ll know that I’m a loyal SPG (now Mariott Bonvoy) member and try my best to stay in this brand of hotels. Why stick to one brand? Aside from collecting points to gain FREE nights, you get late checkout, FREE WiFi, upgrades and sometimes FREE breakfast. Being loyal to any program has its perks!
I recommend staying in Kyoto for a few days as well as Osaka, taking the train between the cities is about an hour but can make your commute to other famous sites much longer. Kyoto also has less hustle and bustle than Osaka, making me feel like it was a bit more of the old school Japan.
Moxy Hotel Osaka
This was by far the nicest hotel we stayed in during our trip to Japan. Similar to an Aloft the Moxy Hotel had a modern, funky vibe with beautifully decorated rooms centrally located in the city. The hotel is just a few minutes’ walk from the station and a ten minute drive to the famous Dotonbori.
Where to eat in Osaka
For some good Ramen at a great price (less than US$10) check out Ichiran Ramen (pro tip- visit the location inside near the shops NOT the one by the river to skip the line) for some delicious food.
There is a Chinese restaurant across the street from the Moxy Hotel that had decent food but allowed people to smoke inside, something I found unbearable as a nonsmoker. If you want to check it out just ask the front desk to direct you there. Overall, I wasn’t a fan of the food in Osaka (this was my sentiment overall about Japan), checkout Eat With for food tours alongside locals.
Things to Do in Osaka
Dotonbori
Known as one of the most crowded spots in Osaka, Dotonbori is still a must see! The crowds here were bigger than anywhere else I saw in Japan, imagine a heard of people packed like sardines all trying to go down the same street, that’s Dotonbori.
But hey, that’s all part of the journey in Japan! I suggest going at night time specifically to the Dotonbori bridge to see all the bright lights, it really is that iconic Japan with the tall billboards and neon lights you see in the all the photos.
While you’re there you can do a bit of shopping (a bit more expensive than other areas, it is very touristy), grab Ramen, Octopus balls or take a river cruise down the canal to catch the views of the crazy large signs.
Shinksekai
Shinksekai was designed as an entertainment district in the early 20th century modeled after major European cities like Paris. I’m not sure if this place is a bit livelier during the day, but we visited around 8pm and everything was already closing. Similar to Dotonbori the street was full of bright lights, larger than life retro 3D models of octopuses and sea creatures, food stalls and of course people.
Built to resemble the Eiffel tower, the 100 year old Tsutenkaku Tower is the main reason people visit this area. You can go up to the observation deck on the 4th and 5th floor or just wonder around this colorful section of town. Be sure to visit at night, the tower lights up with LED lights that change color!
Osaka Castle
During cherry blossom season many major attractions are open for night viewings, checkout my Kyoto blog post for all the cool night at Toji Temple! Osaka Castle was much nicer than I had expected, it really looked like a fairy tale castle perched up on a hill. The current castle is a reconstructed concrete (originally built in 1583 and rebuilt for the 3rd time in 1932) version and houses a museum and access to viewing platforms from the top.
The castle is also surrounded by beautiful gates, tall stone walls and moats (the body of water that surrounds the castle). The castle opens at 9am and cost ¥600 enter, as with anywhere else in Japan, get there early or just before they close to beat the crowds!
While you’re there checkout the Nishinomaru Garden in front the castle, a peaceful place to walk around and enjoy the views of this stunning castle. Admission to the garden is ¥200 and opens at 9am. One of the cool things we missed was taking a boat ride on the Golden Wasen, a small golden boat that will take you around the moats of Osaka castle giving you even better views of this iconic structure while listening to an audio guide. Tickets to the boat cost about ¥1500.
Himjei Castle
This 400 year old castle is a world heritage site and is one of only 12 original castles in the country not affected by earthquake, fire or war. While not as rigorous as other places we visited, you will have to do a fair amount of walking to get up to the top of this castle and climb quite a few steep stairs, pro tip- if you’re tall, watch your head! Entrance to the castle is ¥1000 with an extra ¥40 to visit the Kokoen garden, which we never found!
Before you get frustrated, I’m here to tell you that you will not find Himjei Castle when you try to get directions using Google Maps, for some reason it says there are no trains going there! However, if you just input Himjei, you will then find all the routes, hopefully. One the way there we took the local train which was and hour and a half, but on the way back we realized there was a bullet train that took only 20 minutes!
Here’s where your JR pass will come in handy again, read my Tokyo blog post to find out more about why you shouldn’t be like us and GET A JR PASS. When you get off the train make a right turn and you will see the castle perched up on the hill. Walking here will take you only about 15 minutes and is a really nice, peaceful stroll first thing in the morning. There is a bus and plenty of taxis if you don’t want to make the walk.
Since it took us longer than expected to get to Himjei Castle, we arrived later than I would have liked (10am vs 9am) but didn’t meet a long line outside. Beware, this place does get very crowded when all the tour buses arrive so do plan to arrive early or you’ll be stuck in line to get in.
Before you leave, stop by the market next to the train station to get an amazing caricature from Blasted Matusushita a great memory to bring home!
Nara Park
Established in 1880 Nara Park is home to over a thousand freely roaming wild dear who are considered a national treasure and even the messenger of the gods. Once again, Google Maps failed us and told us this would be a 20 minute walk from the station when actually all you have to do is make a right turn and walk up the hill, within 5 minutes you will see these cute deer!
Don’t listen to anything you read online, these deer are aggressive if they think you have food. Keep your children near and be prepared for them to swarm you and tug on your jacket! Ok it’s not that bad, but they can be scary for young children, we even saw adults dropping crackers and running away.
Remember, these are wild animals and despite this being a “tourist attraction” they are not to be harmed in any way, they are really just there for the food like any other animal, so please be respectful of their space when visiting. You’ll notice that all their horns have been cut off, a bit uncomfortable to see but this is to help with the safety of the deer interacting with so many people.
The deer also look a bit rough but after all they are wild! Entrance to the park is Free and it is open 24 hours. You can purchase crackers for ¥150 at many of the vendors nearby who the deer have figured out are the gate keeper to the food! Pro tip– take a few crackers out and quickly put the rest in your backpack, if they see you with a handful you will have to give them all!
During your visit to Nara you can checkout many of Nara’s main attractions including Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha, Kofukuji and the Nara National Museum.
Things we missed
Take a river cruise through down that Okawa river the city during the day or at night! A few river cruise options include the Nakanoshima river cruise (website is in Japanes), Japan Duck Tours or the Aqua Liner. Breakfast or dinner cruises are also available! For a few more things to do in Japan, checkout this blog post by Adventures around Asia. If you’re looking to catch some amazing views from the tallest skyscraper in Osaka, checkout the observation deck on the 60th floor of the Harukas 300 building, also the Osaka Mariott Miyako Hotel. Lastly, if you’re a theme park fan checkout Universal Studios but beware of large crowds.
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