Early this year, my friends and I flew to Japan to witness the beautiful Hanami season. We started our journey in Takayama and Shirakawa-go, then went around Kansai Region, Hiroshima, before finishing our trip where we started, in Nagoya.
We spent a significant amount of time in Osaka, working on various professional commitments during our trip. After these daily commitments, we went to the usual sights and enjoyed the amazing city. We all have been to Osaka a few times in the past, so we did not pressure ourselves to see everything during our stay.
Allow me to share some of our sightings during our lazy but relaxing travel days around the bustling city of Osaka.
Osaka is not new on this website. In fact, I wrote about my previous visits in the following blog posts: The Japan Series | 3 of 3: OSAKA (2015), Going Solo in Japan Series: KYOTO & OSAKA (2016), Japan Highlights 2019: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN – A Theme Park That Brings You Back to Being a ‘Kid’ Just for a Day (2019), and Kansai 2023: OSAKA & NARA Photoblog [April 2023] (2023).
OSAKA
Osaka is Japan’s second-most populous and famous city. This bustling port city is the center of commercial and economic activity in the Kansai Region. It is known for its modern architecture, food, entertainment, and nightlife. It is also known to be more relaxed than the very busy Tokyo.
In case you missed it, my friends and I went around Hida Takayama and Shirakawa-go before coming to Osaka on this trip. I hope you can check out the Takayama and Shirakawa-go blog post here.
Plane Tickets
My friends and I flew in and out of Nagoya. We flew with our favorite budget airline, Cebu Pacific Air, and paid ₱13,759.49 each for the return tickets, including checked baggage allowance.
Our tickets were not the usual ₱1-base fare because our travel period is during the busy Holy Week (in the Philippines) and Hanami (in Japan) seasons. I wrote about our flights to and from Nagoya in the previous flight reports. I hope you can check them out here: Cebu Pacific Air Manila to Nagoya | 5J 5038 & Cebu Pacific Air Nagoya to Manila | 5J 5039.
Takayama to Osaka
We took a not so popular route and went to Osaka directly from Takayama. Normally, people would base in Nagoya and only take a day trip to Takayama and Shirakawa-go. We took the 5.5-hour express bus from Takayama Bus Terminal to Namba OCAT in Osaka.
Kintetsu Bus operates the 8:00 a.m. bus from Takayama while Nohi Bus operates the 1:40 p.m. bus to Osaka. One-way fare costs ¥5,500 per person from Mondays to Thursdays and ¥6,000 per person every Friday to Sunday.
We left Takayama on a Saturday afternoon, so we paid the ¥6,000 bus fare. We paid ₱2,303.59 each, including our bank’s foreign transaction service fee. We arrived in Osaka on time and went straight to our accommodation.
Accommodation
We stayed in Osaka twice during this trip, after Takayama before going to Hiroshima and after Hiroshima before going to Kyoto. In both instances, my friends and I stayed with The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi.
The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi is a 2-star accommodation located in the heart of Osaka. Renovated in 2019, the property has 134 private and dormitory rooms across 7 floors. It also has well-designed communal areas on the second level.
Going Around Osaka
Osaka has an extensive subway and train system. Most, if not all, places to visit can be reached by train. My friends and I did not avail of any train or subway pass. We used our IC cards for every ride around the city.
Places Visited in Osaka
The Sakura full bloom got delayed by a little over a week during our visit. We enjoyed whatever the city had to offer during our stay.
Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street
This long shopping arcade is the best place to shop when in Osaka. It has a wide range of stores, from cosmetic stores to apparel shops, second-hand stores, shoe shops, and designer boutiques. It also has hundreds of nearby restaurants and cafes.
Dōtonbori
Dōtonbori is a famous commercial and entertainment district in Osaka. It is where the famous Glico man sign is found. Characterized by different LED billboards, this place is famous for local street food and restaurants.
Namba
Namba is another commercial area in Osaka that is connected to the busy Namba Station. The area has several shopping centers, hotels, restaurants, and even entertainment establishments.
Umeda Sky Building
The Umeda Sky Building is a two-tower mixed-use skyscraper with a rooftop observatory named Kuchu Teien Observatory. The observatory offers beautiful views of Osaka from its 39th floor from morning until evening.
My friends and I got our observatory tickets from Klook. We paid ₱540.30 each after discounts and went up the rooftop after sunset.
Shinsekai
Shinsekai is an old but cool neighborhood just outside the Minami ward. It has affordable restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops. It also has the Tsutenkaku Tower, another famous local observatory. The neighborhood is best enjoyed at night when the lights are all lit up.
Osaka Castle
Osaka Castle is one of the city’s most famous landmarks. This historical landmark played an important role in unifying the country back in the 1600s. Today, it is a museum where visitors can enter for a fee.
Osaka Castle Park
The Osaka Castle Park is a massive park surrounding the beautiful Osaka Castle. This park is a famous Sakura spot in the city.
Too bad, the full bloom got delayed by a little over a week. We only saw the buds in the Sakura trees during our visit.
Nakaoe Park
Nakaoe Park is a small park near Osaka Castle. This park had beautiful Sakura trees in full bloom during our visit.
Kuromon Ichiba Market
Kuromon Ichiba Market is Osaka’s most famous fish market. Market vendors sell fresh seafood and produce daily. It is also a famous seafood and street food destination in Osaka. It also has various restaurants and souvenir shops, which visitors can check out during their visit.
This sums up our lazy but relaxing time in Osaka. We decided to just take our time and enjoy the city, and we eventually did.
Have you been to Osaka? How do you find the city? Is it a place you will come back to in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about anything mentioned above? You may also send them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.
Thanks for joining me in today’s Osaka blogpost. In case you missed it, my friends and I flew to Japan for 20 days to experience the cherry blossom season from March to April 2024. You can find all posts related to this trip under the Sakura 2024 category.
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PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.