People love or hate Osaka. When I was planning my trip to Japan, I found people who hate this city, while others love it. In my case, I decided to give Osaka and now I can say that I’m love with this city.
Osaka is the second most important city in Japan, but it’s very different to Tokyo. In the capital, you’ll find perfection and you’ll have the Japan that everybody dream about.
However, Osaka is a friendlier city where Tokyo’s perfection disappears. And all of a sudden, you will be surrounded by city where people shout in the street and you feel like in a «real» Asian city.
In this Osaka Guide, I’ll explain to you where to stay, what to do, how to move around the city and, of course, where to eat because Osaka has one of the greatest gastronomy in Japan.
Are you ready to discover Osaka?
How many days do you need to visit Osaka?
All depends on what you want to do there. In my case, I was there two nights and three days and I had time to see the most touristic spots and going out with local people.
For me, this plan was perfect. However, if you’re thinking to visit Universal Studios, you’ll need more days. I would say at least five days to have enough time to enjoy the amusement park and the city.
Where to stay in Osaka?
I stayed at Hyaku Hostel in a room shared with other girls. The night came out for €23 and the hostel was very new and clean. The location of the hostel was fantastic because it was 10 minutes walk from Dotonbori (one of the most tourist areas of Osaka), but in a very quiet and well connected by public transport area.
What to do and to visit in Osaka?
Day 1 – Arrival and walking Dotonbori
I arrived in Osaka from Nara around six o’clock in the afternoon. After arriving at the Central Station, then I took the tube and I headed into my hostel. I did my check in and I took a shower. Later on, I decided to go Dotonbori.
What’s Dotonbori? It’s a commercial avenue crossed by a water channel and through which small and medium-sized vessels navigate during the whole day. The most tourist spot on this street is the Glico’s runner sign. Glico is a very famous international food brand whose headquarters are located in the city of Osaka.
After walking and taking some pictures with the Glico runner, I decided to eat a plate of takoyaki or fried octopus balls in one of the street stands adjacent to Dotonbori. Takoyaki is a local specialty and you can’t leave Osaka without trying it.
Day 2 – Osaka castle, picnic with Japanese people and visit to the Shinsekai neighborhood
My second day in Osaka was a Culture Day which was a National holiday. At the beginning, I got a bit scared because I thought that everything was going to be closed due to the holiday, but it wasn’t like that.
I could visit the Osaka castle without any kind of problem. On the outside, it’s a gorgeous building, but on the inside, I felt a bit disappointed because I was expecting to see a recreation of the ancient castle and not just a normal museum explaining the history of this place and its owners during the years. The best thing about visiting the Osaka castle is the views from the top of the building.
After this historical visit, I set out for a hangout that I discovered the night before on Meetup, a website for free or paid social activities. The idea of this meeting was to have a picnic in a park and practice English with Japanese people.
The locals paid a small amount of money to the organizers and the «foreigners» were exempt from paying anything because we were the ones who had to give conversation. If I remember correctly, there were six Westerners and about 70 Japanese, men and women of all ages.
In my case, I had a group of about 10 or 12 people and we talked about many topics. The locals asked me if I liked Japan, which other cities I had visited, we also talked about Spanish political issues and they also asked me about my favorite animes or mangas. I was there talking with them for two and a half hours.
I had a great time and I highly recommend that everyone takes a look at Meetup when traveling because you can find very cool hangouts with local people.
After the picnic with the locals, I went for a walk in the curious Shinsekai neighborhood. This is a retro-futuristic neighborhood that wanted to represent a future that never was and has been left with an aesthetic of the past. The most emblematic building of this place is the Tsutenkaku tower. To me, this neighborhood seemed very curious and I recommend it to everyone who visits Osaka.
Day 3 – Fluffy ricotta pancakes and way to Hiroshima
The third day in Osaka, I woke up craving for a good plate of fluffy pancakes. So I searched on the Internet and discovered the perfect place, Micasadeco & Cafe.
There, I had a huge breakfast and to lower it down, I walked around Dotonbori to have an idea about how this place looks in the morning. Afterwards, I went to the hostel and from there I headed to my next destination: Hiroshima.
Where to eat and have good coffee in Osaka?
When we talk about Osaka at the gastronomic level, you have to think mainly of two dishes: takoyaki and okonomiyaki. Takoyaki is about fluffy fried octopus balls and okonomiyaki is a kind of omelet/pizza made from cabbage, flour, water, bean sprouts, bacon or seafood. This dough is made on a very hot griddle and it’s one of my favorite Japanese dishes.
To try the delicious octopus ball I recommend: Kukuru or Otako. In case that you cannot resist trying okonomiyaki, for me the best one in Osaka, is Fukotaro.
The drinks can be taken at Arcadio, a hostel/bar run by a Colombian man who has lived in Japan for many years and if he is in the mood he will show you Osaka’s nightlife.
Good breakfasts are guaranteed at Micasadeco & Cafe, where I had the best ricotta pancakes and a coffee with a teddy bear drawn with the milk of my whole life. If you are looking for a specialty coffee shop in Osaka, I recommend Roasters Coffee.
You can have more information about what to eat and where to eat in the country of the Rising Sun here in my Japan Food Guide.
How to get around Osaka?
Osaka is a big city, so I went around by tube and walking. The tube network is very good and if you’ve purchased a Suica card in Tokyo, you can use it in Osaka, too. You just need to top it up and you’ll be ready for your ride. Thanks to my choice of staying close to Dotonbori, I could walk to every touristic spot in Osaka.
Best season to visit Osaka
I visited Osaka in November and the weather was amazing. It was still autumn and during the day was hot and during the night was a bit chilly. So, I would recommend to visit this city either in spring or autumn. However, if you can’t go on any of these seasons, I think this city has a lot to offer in summer and winter, too.
And you, have you ever been in Osaka? Would you like to go? Do you have more tips to share with us? Leave your comments and I’ll read you 🙂
