June 6, 2019

The Best of Osaka in 3 days

I love Japan, and when the budget airlines came to Honolulu I had to buy a ticket. I found round trip tickets to Osaka on Scoot for less than $300, and booked it! Here is a look at what we did and the perfect three day itinerary to hit the main attractions. Of course, we added in sushi stops between most of these.

Day 1:

Tempozan Ferris Wheel – View Osaka from 112 meters high! You can start or end your day here, depending on the type of view you want. We tried to go on our last night, but because of the approaching Typhoon Jebi, the Ferris wheel closed early because of the winds. Such a bummer!! So I didn’t get to go on it, but you should!

Sumiyoshi Taisha– The main shrine of all Sumiyoshi shrines in Japan, dating from the year 211. This one was on our itinerary, and close to our next stop, but for some reason we decided not to stop here. This is the shrine that has the famous red bridge that you’ve probably seen on Instagram.

Shitennoji Temple – Early Buddhist Temple and home to the beautiful Gokuraku-jodo Garden. Very pretty and colorful. They let you climb the stairs to the top, so I took my shoes off & charged it!

Kuromon Ichiba Market- Osaka’s busiest and brightest tourist attractions, filled with the most amazing food vendors. I could eat here every day for forever.

Dotonbori- Probably the reason you are going to Osaka, or likely the images that originally drew you to the city. Dotonbori is like little piece of Tokyo in Osaka. bright lights, a lot of young people, and a lot of fun! Tom & I went on a jazz river cruise on our second day and had so much fun!
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298566-d2271555-Reviews-Tonbori_River_Cruise-Osaka_Osaka_Prefecture_Kinki.html

Shinsaibashi- A shopper’s paradise, centered around a 600m covered arcade street featuring boutiques, specialty stores and restaurants.

Day 2:

Osaka Castle– One of Japan’s most famous landmarks, originally built in 1583. A big, beautiful castle and grounds; both filled with tourists.

Nakanoshima– Island dividing the Kyu-Yodo River with a park and pretty flowers in the center.

Tenmangu Shrine– Shinto shrine in Japan which dates back to the 10th century.

Floating Garden Observatory- Linking two towers of the Umeda Sky Building and providing amazing 360 degree views of Osaka. There is also an area where you can place a love lock.

Day 3:

Cup Noodles Museum– A FREE museum dedicated to instant noodles and Cup Noodles where you can custom make your own cup! A bit out of the way from the city center, but a cool experience that’s worth the trek!

Owl Cafe choutte– We wanted to go to this owl cafe so badly, but it was closed on our last day!! Make sure to check the days and hours while you’re planning!

Namba Park– Huge shopping and dining complex in the middle of Osaka.

Nara Park– Hop on a train and head to Nara! Home to 1,200 free roaming deer and many landmarks. We went mainly for the deer. The deer are so cute, but definitely can be pushy if they know you have food on you. Bundles of crackers are sold throughout the park, & it’s definitely fun to feed the cute animals.

See a show– We stayed near Dotonbori, so we decided to go to a magic show nearby. We found this English speaking show on TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductDetail-g298566-d14762713-English_language_comedy_show_at_ROR_Comedy_Club-Osaka_Osaka_Prefecture_Kinki.html