Travel Guide to Osaka

Osaka, Japan’s second largest metropolitan area after Tokyo has been the economic powerhouse of the Kansai Region for many centuries. Osaka was formerly known as Naniwa. Before the Nara Period, when the capital used to be moved with the reign of each new emperor, Naniwa was once Japan’s capital city, the first one ever known.cIn the 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi chose Osaka as the location for his castle, and the city may have become Japan’s political capital if Tokugawa Ieyasu had not terminated the Toyotomi lineage after Hideyoshi’s death and established his government in distant Edo (Tokyo).

Osaka is not as traditional or picturesque as other spots in the country like Kyoto, but Osaka make a good base if you are planning to explore Kansai Region and visit Shirakawago.

How to get here and around

Fly to Kansai International Airport (KIX)
KIX is one of Japan’s largest and busiest airports, located on a man-made island about 40 kilometers south of Osaka. Kansai Airport has two terminals. Terminal 1 is the main terminal and train station is next to it. Terminal 2 was built more recently and it mainly serves low cost airlines which run flights from nearby countries. Visitors can get to Terminal 1 by a free shuttle bus transfer between terminals.

Take the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo
The Shinkansen (bullet train) is a very convenient way to travel from Tokyo to Osaka. It offers a smooth and comfortable ride and a short travel time, compared to other methods. If you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can use most Shinkansen for free. To reach Osaka, board the Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo Station and get off at Shin-Osaka Station, the Shinkansen stop for Osaka.
There are three types of Shinkansen you can ride: Nozomi, Hikari, or Kodama. Nozomi is the fastest train, as the ride to Osaka takes about two and a half hours. Hikari takes about three hours, and Kodama takes about four. With Japan Rail Pass you get free rides on Hikari and Kodama. Traveling one-way from Tokyo Station to Shin-Osaka Station (the Shinkansen stop for Osaka) costs 13,620 yen for a non-reserved seat, 14,450 yen for a reserved seat, and 19,230 yen for a green car seat. Shin-Osaka Station is only one station away from JR Osaka Station. Shin-Osaka is also a fifteen-minute ride away on the subway from Shinsaibashi Station and Namba Station, both of which are close to Dotonbori, a sightseeing area known for its bright townscape, local food, and canal.

How to get to Osaka City Center from Kansai Airport

1. Take JR Train Haruka Express departs from Kansai Airport every 30 minutes and stops at Tennoji and Shin-Osaka stations. It is the fastest way to make the journey. Without JR Pass, ticket cost around 2000 yen for Tennoji or 3000 yen for Shin-Osaka.

2. Take Kansai Airport Rapid Train, a cheaper alternative to Haruka Express. Tickets cost 1000 yen to Tennoji Station and 1200 yen to Osaka Station (JR Pass holders can access the line using their passes). It takes 15 minutes longer than the Haruka Express as it makes more stops.

3. Limousine bus services run frequently between Kansai Airport and a wide range of stops in Osaka including Osaka Station, Namba Station, Shin-Osaka Station, and Universal Studios. There are also night buses which run once an hour from the bus station between 12am and 5am. The journey takes one hour and the price is 1,550 yen. Passengers can buy tickets from vending machine at the airport.

4. Catching a taxi from outside of Kansai Airport is easy but as the journey is 50 minutes long, it is very expensive. The taxi fare costs around 15,000 yen in the day, or 17,500 at night.

Travelers arriving at Kansai Airport earlier than 8am should be aware that all trains and most buses don’t run overnight. Visitors have the option of catching a night bus which run hourly or catching a taxi. The last train from Kansai Airport to Osaka (Namba) leaves just before midnight. The last of the normal buses leaves at around 23.00pm although the night buses continue to run hourly. Visitors have the option of catching a taxi or staying overnight in a hotel and catching a train in the morning.

Getting around Osaka

• Osaka covers a huge area, but it’s all connected by a superb public transport system. Subways and trains are the best way to get around Osaka.
• Five of the city’s main hubs are conveniently located on the Midosuji subway line, that runs north/south right through the heart of the city. From north to south, here they are: Shin-Osaka, Kita, Central Osaka (Honmachi), Minami, and Tennoji.
• There are only two main tourist centers – the Osaka Castle Area and the Osaka Bay Area – that are off the Midosuji subway line. The Osaka Castle Area is easy to reach from Kita by the JR Osaka Loop Line, or from Honmachi via the Chuo subway line. The Osaka Bay Area is also reached by the Chuo Line or the JR Yumesaki Line.
• Other parts of Osaka Prefecture (ie, not Osaka City) are reached by either various JR lines or by various private rail lines. JR pass can be used for Osaka Loop Line, but if you just want to explore Osaka for the first few days after arriving in Japan, it’s best to activate your pass on the morning you leave Osaka and use it for long-distance train travel instead for cheap local travel.

What to See and Do in Osaka

Visit Osaka Castle

The construction of Osaka Castle started in 1583 on the former site of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple, which had been destroyed by Oda Nobunaga thirteen years earlier. Toyotomi Hideyoshi intended the castle to become the center of a new, unified Japan under Toyotomi rule. It was the largest castle at the time.

The castle tower is surrounded by secondary citadels, gates, turrets, impressive stone walls and moats. The Nishinomaru Garden, encompassing the former “western citadel”, is a lawn garden with 600 cherry trees, a tea house, the former Osaka Guest House and nice views of the castle tower from below. Unlike most of the rest of the castle grounds, the garden requires an admission fee.

The entire Osaka Castle Park covers about two square kilometers with lots of green space, sport facilities, a multi-purpose arena (Osakajo Hall) and a shrine dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The park is one of Osaka’s most popular hanami spots during the cherry blossom season.

Stroll thru Dotonbori Shopping Street

This is Osaka’s nightlife at it’s finest. A very popular tourist attraction which has a history as the local theater district. The restaurants, shops, and arcades offer everything that one could be looking for.

During the day, take a walking and tasting tour to familiarize yourself with the numerous offerings. The street food is not to be missed.

Our highlight of the day was our dinner. Hubbie and I love Japanese food and we are pretty adventurous when it comes to eating in Japan. We would go eat at the restaurants where local people went and always found the food to be tasty and delicious. Many of them don’t have English menu. When that happens we look at the pictures and ask the waiter/waitress who always tried to explain what they are. I don’t normally eat mackerel back home as I found them to have fishy smell but in Japan, they have no fishy smell at all and tasted really really good!

Experience Osaka shopping scene

Osaka has several world class shopping districts and miles of shopping arcades, malls and streets. In fact Osaka’s shopping combines upscale, brand name and designer goods with inexpensive thrift shops and discount chains. The city’s two largest shopping districts are Umeda in the north and Namba in the south. The Umeda area (also known as Kita) is served by JR Osaka Station and Umeda Station, while the Namba area (also known as Minami) is served by Namba Station. Both areas have large concentrations of department stores, shopping arcades and some of Japan’s most extensive underground shopping malls.

In between Umeda and Namba is the covered shopping arcade Shinsaibashi-suji, one of Osaka’s oldest and busiest shopping destinations, which runs about 600 meters in length. Shinsaibashi-suji’s collection of brand name shops, chain stores, independent boutiques and variety of restaurants makes it popular with nearly every kind of shopper.

Some of the most unique shopping is found in Osaka’s specialized districts. Amerikamura is the city’s best known center of youth fashion and contains hundreds of small, inexpensive boutiques.

Relax at Tennoji Park

Tennoji Park is a large park in Osaka with spacious lawns and recreation facilities, a traditional landscape garden, and a zoo. Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts is also located inside this park.

Tenshiba is the area of the park closest to Tennoji Station and consists of a large open lawn of grass which is a popular picnic and recreation space. Around the lawn are a variety of shops, restaurants, and cafes where you can buy meals, snacks, and ice creams. There is also a children’s playground and futsal court here. This area of the park was completely renewed in 2015 and is free to enter.

Tennoji Park is close to Spa World Osaka, Shinsekai and the Tsutenkaku Tower. The park is immediately accessible from Tennoji Station which serves the JR Osaka Loop Line, JR Hanwa Line, JR Yamatoji Line, the Midosuji Subway Line, and the Tanimachi Subway Line.

Visit Shinsekai at night

In the evening we went to Shinsekai area, located in west of Tennoji Park. Shinsekai is a colourful area packed with cheap shops and eateries and best known for its iconic Tsutenkaku Tower.

Shinsekai was designed as an entertainment district in the early 20th century, and originally modelled after the cities of New York and Paris. Opened in 1912, “Shinsekai” literally means “New World” and because of its modern image the area quickly became a popular tourist attraction.

At the heart of this district was the Luna Park amusement park which was modelled on the original Luna Park in New York’s Coney Island. The park, which featured mechanical rides, an amusement arcade, a music hall, and a hot spring spa, was only open for 11 years. Nevertheless, these funfair origins have left a deep impression on the Shinsekai area which still has a somewhat run-down carnival atmosphere. Today rickshaw runners give tours of the area, a new Spa World hot spring theme park attracts tourists to the south, and around the Tustenkaku Tower the bright and gaudy signage of countless restaurants creates a lively scene.

There are many fugu (blowfish) restaurants in Shinsekai but the most famous is Zuboraya. This 24 hour restaurant serves signature local dishes kushikatsu (deep fried kebabs dipped into sauce), doteyaki beef tendon with miso sauce, and chanko nabe hot pots.

Spend one day in Osaka Universal Studio

A visit to Osaka is not complete without visiting the universal studio especially if you are travelling with kids or an avid fan of Harry Potter. Universal Studios Japan (USJ) in Osaka is one of the country’s most famous theme parks, offering a wide range of attractions and entertainment that appeal to visitors of all ages. Inside USJ you can visit:

• Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Immerse yourself in the magical world of Harry Potter and visit iconic locations such as Hogwarts Castle, Hogsmeade, and even ride the Hogwarts Express. Here you can also try Butterbeer!

• Minion Park: Dive into the world of the Despicable Me Minions. Enjoy themed rides, shops, and eateries, and meet your favorite Minions up close. This is my daughter’s favourite park.

• Jurassic Park: Experience the thrill of the Jurassic Park area with attractions like The Flying Dinosaur, which is a roller coaster that gives you the sensation of being carried away by a pteranodon, and the Jurassic Park – The Ride, where you can get up close with dinosaurs before a thrilling drop.

• Jaws: Board a boat tour that turns adventurous as you come face-to-face with a giant shark. This thrilling ride brings the excitement of the classic movie to life.

• Super Nintendo World: Dive into the world of Nintendo, featuring attractions like Mario Kart and Yoshi’s Adventure. It’s a must-visit for fans of the Mario franchise and Nintendo games.

• Hollywood Dream – The Ride: Experience this exciting roller coaster that plays popular music as you zoom around the tracks. There’s also a “Backdrop” version, where you ride the coaster backward.

Similar like Disneyland, USJ has Shows and Parade where we can enjoy a variety of live shows, street performances, and seasonal parades throughout the park. These include performances by beloved characters and spectacular night time shows with fireworks. We had an absolute blast in our visit which you can read here.

Beyond Osaka

As mentioned earlier, Osaka also makes a great base to visit Kyoto as you can take train and the travel journey is only 30 minutes. With a more pricey accommodation in Kyoto, it makes more sense to stay in Osaka and just commuting to Kyoto. Read our travel guide in Kyoto here and here.

We hope you enjoy Osaka as much as we do!