OSAKAMAZING: Exploring the Wonders of Osaka, Japan

Sunday, January 12, 2025 Osaka, Japan

Traveling is not wasting money; it is buying memories.


Osaka is Japan’s second largest metropolitan area after Tokyo, famously known by its nickname as “Japan’s Kitchen” due to its rich culinary heritage. It has been the economic center of the Kansai Region with its vibrant way of life and thriving street food scene deeply rooted from the City’s love for flavorful dishes making it an essential destination for tourists and culinary enthusiasts alike…and I am no exception.



Heading to Osaka for the first time, I got three (3) things I was excited about ~ to finally taste an authentic Japanese Ramen; to do a food trip in Dotonbori; and lastly but perhaps the one thing I would call this whole trip a bummer should I not get to do is to tour the Universal Studios Japan for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. All other stuff after those three are just a bonus and needless to say, I came home with big fat bonus of memories.


There could be a number of different reasons you are in this blog (and I thank you for every single one of them) but in case you are also planning your trip to Osaka, shared below are the things we did of which I hope, you would find helpful for your trip:


1. How to Get Around
  • Arrival and Airport Shenanigans
  • Icoca IC Card
  • Osaka Amazing Pass

2. Things to Do in Osaka
  • Universal studios Japan
  • Osaka Castle
  • Umeda Sky Building
  • Shinsekai Market
  • Dotonbori Food Trip
  • Shopping at Shinsaibashi


How to Get Around Osaka, Japan:


There are three major international airports that serves as the gateway to Kansai Region of Japan, but we landed on the primary (or most famous one) in the Greater Osaka ~ Kansai International Airport. From here, we took the train going to the city via JR Haruka Airport Express. You may save yourself a little time of going around with luggage(s) by pre-booking your ticket ahead of time on Klook


For internet connectivity, you have two (2) options: (a) a pocket wifi that you can pick up and return at the airport; or (b) individual eSim/sim card. For convenience of not having to return it no more and uninterrupted connection in case we had to go separate ways during the trip, we opted for the eSim with 10GB data for 7 days which we got for P820 on Klook.



Japan is probably one of the most, if not the most commuter-friendly countries in Asia virtually having a train station within a 10-minute walking distance to pretty much every destination you could think of. If this mode of transportation is what you also have in mind like we did, you may opt to get a rechargeable contactless smart card (like a Beep Card in the Philippines) for easier hop in and out of most public transportation systems. 


There are a number of them in Japan, the most popular ones among tourists being Suica, Pasmo and Icoca and since our point of entry was in Osaka, we got the Icoca Card of JR west for JR trains in Kansai. Should you wish to learn more about these IC Cards to make an educated decision of what is best suited for your trip, you may check out this article from Japan Guide.


Tip: Japan’s train schedules as declared on Google Maps are pretty much accurate to a T. So, if a train stopped at your platform 5 minutes earlier, it’s probably not your train! 😂



Things to Do in Osaka:

Osaka being the central metropolitan area of the Kansai Region also serves as the gateway to nearby cities like Kyoto, Nara, Kobe and many others. However, if you only have a short trip and wanted only to explore the wonders Osaka has to offer, you may want to check out the following:


A. Universal Studios Japan


As the first Universal Studios theme park to open outside of the United States, USJ for all its magic, attracts heavy crowds on a daily basis. That said, should you wish to enjoy the rides without having to line up for 160-200 minutes, you may opt to get an Express Pass which will allow you to take the rides at specific time. This pass usually comes in package of four (4) or seven (7) activities. 



For our one-day visit there, we opted for the Express Pass 4 that includes Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge; Harry Potter Forbidden Journey; The Flying Dinosaur; Hollywood Dream – The Ride. We got it for a discounted price on Klook which is what I would recommend should you also want to avail.


B. Osaka Castle


A castle is one of Japan’s most famous landmark and for good reason. Apart from the history and many other stories its thick and high walls preserved for years, they are just a marvelous sight to behold, and Osaka Castle is no exception.



Now serves as a museum of its rich history, this destination attracts tourists and locals alike. On a weekday, the grounds are mainly packed by local students doing field trips and it's because of that fact that we opted out of going inside but it is of no lost whatsoever because the castle ground and the Osaka castle garden is just beautiful. However, should you be lucky to go there at a less crowded day, you may get inside for 600 JPY or for no extra fee if you have Osaka Amazing Pass.


C. Umeda Sky Building


Situated in what is also known as New Umeda City, is a 173-meter-tall office building consists of two towers is connected by what is called a Floating Garden Observatory. As boring as office buildings could get, this one moved a little out of the norm and had become a tourist stopover with its mind-boggling glass elevator; aesthetically curated escalator heading off to the floating garden observatory; a 360-degree view of the city; and a love-lock station on top designed to scam the hopeless romantics and needless to say... I was one of those who got budoled. ðŸ˜‚



The building is open every day from 9:30am and charges 2,000 JPY for admission or for no extra fee if you have Osaka Amazing Pass.


D. Namba Yasaka Jinja


Namba is a district known for many things, one of which is the Namba Yasaka Shrine. Famous for its large, open-mouthed lion's head located at the shrine grounds and is said to be beneficial for driving away evil spirits and bringing good luck.



E. Shinsekai Market


Shinsekai or “New World” is a densely concentrated area for street foods and other many little surprises. Home to the nostalgia-evoking symbol of Shinsekai is the Tsutenkaku Tower which was made famous among tourists for its tower slider; tower dive and walk; and an outdoor observatory called Tenbo Paradise.



Admission to the tower costs 1,000 JPY with additional 300 JPY for an open-air deck access; 1,000 JPY for tower slide; and 3,000 JPY for tower dive and walk or you may also do all these for no extra fee if you have Osaka Amazing Pass.


F. Dotonbori Food Trip


Dotonbori is the symbolic food and shopping district of Osaka, Japan known for its giant three-dimensional signs of various genres of food and restaurants lined on both sides of the street, the infamous Glico running man and a big Don Quijote store.


A must stop if you are in Osaka. Afterall, what better way to experience the culture of a place than its food scene through its local street foods.


...

G. Shopping at Shinsaibashi-Suji


If Dotonbori Street is known for its vibrant food scene, Shinsaibashi on the other hand is the shopping district for various Japanese and International brands alike. Just as how it was setup on the other side of the street, shops of all kinds and for all ages are lined up here, one after the other.


This, I think is where I got budoled more than all the stops we had starting from small drugstore products up to the on-sale KitKats, to tax-free GU clothes and shoes from a certain brand. 🤭



4. Osaka Amazing Pass


There are many passes, tickets and tour packages in Japan but if you’re planning to do a DIY trip around Osaka just like we did, I recommend you get an Osaka Amazing Pass. This pass will allow you to enter approximately 40 sightseeing tours including those I mentioned above and will grant you unlimited rides on buses and trains for a day or two depending on the validity period you availed off.


You may get this pass for 3,300 JPY for a 1-Day Access or 5,500 JPY for 2 Days. We got ours for a discounted price of 1,087 PHP (2,904 JPY) on Klook.


While this whole trip lasted for seven (7) days, we dedicated one whole day to visit all those places mentioned above excluding Universal Studios Japan as it inherently requires a whole day of fun and perhaps Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi as we often came back to the area to eat and shop.


This goes without saying but this was a wonderful trip, and I can’t wait to be back (with a little training this time cause deym it requires at least 20,000 steps a day my little feet are crying for help! 😂)


In the meantime, thank you for dropping by. Here’s to buying more memories this 2025!




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