I'm heading to Osaka in May for 8 days travel and would like to ask Ozbargain members if they have any tips, Places of Interest, food and anything else interesting that they would like to share.
It would definitely enhance my travel experience.
Going to Osaka in May
nightelves on 24/01/2017 - 07:33
Comments
Do you remember what that BBQ avocado place was called? Sounds amazing!
No idea, probably would take me a while to even find it myself if I went back :(
Some of the "bars" there are literally a hole in the wall (1x2 metres) so only fit 3 people Max at the bar. So awesome.
Somewhere near the crab there is a Tokoyaki place, that does a bunch of unique styles, with eggs and chives and whatever, can't remeber its been a few years but Ill be going there in April again.
You'll recognise it by all the Tokoyak being sold on the street (Octopus balls) but you have to go into the restaurant for all the different styles.
Osaka Aquarium is worth a visit. They are one of the few aquariums in the world that have managed to keep a whale shark and it's pretty incredible to see up close.
Legoland is right next to the Aquarium. I didn't go but I've heard good things. You could easily do it in one day.
In the mall next to the Aquarium there is a pretty reasonabley priced petting zoo where you can feed bunnies and Guinea pigs. They also have a room filled with puppies to play with. But the real action is in the back room where they have some more exotic animals like Mara and capybaras.
I never thought I'd get to pet a capybara. They're so docile and friendly.
Insane! I didn't know there was such a thing as a capybara. From the picture it looks like an oversize beaver. Noted and thanks for the recommendations. Keep them coming!
Oh, there is a Ferris wheel in the same area. I think you can get a combined ticket for the aquarium and ferris wheel. If you go on it, don't bother waiting for a cabin with a glass floor because they will be scuffed up too badly to see through. I've learnt that tends to be the rule with other glass floors such as Tokyo tower.
I wish I could recommend some of the places I ate at but I generally didn't even know their names while I was there.
I agree with John above though. Try to find small places in back alleys where locals are eating. If you have to wait for a seat to clear its a pain, but also an indication of good food.
Hanging out at hole in the wall type bars and chatting with locals was one of the best parts of my Japan trip.
Osaka castle is a beautiful sight as well. The inside of the castle has been turned into a museum of sorts. It's not expensive to get in (maybe 1000y to 1500y), but the best views are from outside anyway in my opinion.
Had no idea what a capybara was. Thanks for sharing.
Day trips to Kyoto
I liked Kyoto, but after the 2nd/3rd temple/castle, I thought it got a bit boring.
If I had to choose one in Kyoto would be Nijo Castle because Ninomaru Palace has the awesome nightingale floors.
Why only Osaka? Osaka is awesome but spread your wings a little. 8 days is a long time
Yeah possibly but I will need to get my bearings before venturing out to other places.
Probably be less stressful if you plan the day trips now/beforehand.
Hence asking for recommendation for the planning
@nightelves: Oh, I thought (as pantsparty thought) you only wanted advice on Osaka. You also just said you wanted to get your bearings, which usually means you would want to be in Osaka first before you decide on other cities/areas.
e.g. If you will be doing a lot of train travel, then you could consider a JR rail pass, which you have to buy in Australia before you go. But this really depends on how many trains you are going to get; you need to do that maths on how much the JR Rail Pass costs vs individual tickets you may purchase.
If you are only really staying around Osaka, then you probably don't need to worry about it.
See below.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html
A visit to Kyoto if you like temples (otherwise nothing else to do).
Day trip to Kobe to try their amaze-balls Kobe beef teppanyaki (so good I really miss it!).
For food in Osaka, definitely try Takoyaki by the Dotonburi bridge (you will see lines of people there), okonomiyaki, kushikatsu and tempura. You MUST visit a CoCoCurry Ichibanya at least once on your trip, they are super cheap and delicious japanese curry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP3xRhfRJJQ
Also, you can try the cheesecake, we ate the one from Rikuro Ojisan.Oh, oh! Last but not least, check out their 7 Elevens, they have a load of food there. When I was in Japan we had tuna mayo onigiri (rice balls) everyday for breakfast because I was so addicted!!
P.S. Pocket wi-fi or internet is a MUST! Japanese people don't even understand how their address system works. The only way you can travel around the trains and bus smoothly is with google maps.
Another tip if you aren't fluent in Japanese is to have that Google Translate app and internet in case there is no one that speaks English for what you are trying to do. e.g. asking for directions, or chatting with a friendly old man at a bar. You can obviously get by without it, but it could help in certain situations.
Are you just going to activate global roaming on your mobile?
I am going to try and get free wifi using this partnership with Japan Airlines
http://www.world.jal.com/world/en/freewifi/
If you're staying in the Kansai region then the Kansai Thru Pass is a good deal for rail travel: http://www.surutto.com/tickets/kansai_thru_english.html
includes Kansai airport, Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto
3 day pass is 5200Y and can be used non-consecutively.
there's also a list of places that give discounts to ticket holders: http://www.surutto.com/images/ticket/kansai_thru_pass/englis…
Is it true that there's a Universal Studio in Osaka as well and is it worth going? another thing does Japan have paywave or do you mostly just pay for everything with cash?
I didn't bother with universal studios as I've been to one in the states.
I went in 2012, they definitely had chip, can't remember about paywave. I would think so. As you would in all places, good to bring a variety of payment methods.
Also as you would when you travel anywhere, especially if alone, don't get too drunk and pay attention to the bill/receipt and what they do with your card. I have heard stories of dodgy merchants (mostly nightclubs/bars) that charge your card but say it didn't work, so you end up paying twice.
Although I'm sure these are not very common as Japan is for the most part very safe.
yes theres a universal studio in Osaka. unfortunately when I went in January, it was filled with school kids and every ride had a 2-4 hour wait >_> reckon they should have tourist lines for some rides so that everyone can get a fair go.
Universal Studios (USJ as its know to locals) is ok, I went there a few years ago and had a good time. Everything is in Japanese so some of the demos and dialogue in the rides won't have translations but overall you can get by.
Mind you that you may coincide with Japanese Golden Week this year (29 Apr ~ 7 May). USJ will be a complete mess and you could be lining up forever.
Nope going from the 9th to the 17th so will miss the Japanese Golden Week.
Then check the congestion calendar and see which dates would work out for you. Hit 次月 a few times until you see 2017年5月. The number in the box on each day indicates N thousands of people are supposed to be there.
I'll see you there!
Universal Studio is worth going if you're interested in the Harry Potter World; the 3D4K ride is definitely worth it - never been on a ride that's designed like it. To save time, I'd suggest you get either a 4-Ride or 7-Ride Express Pass so you don't have to run for a timed ticket for HP or queue for the ride. Pro tip: Buy takeaway bento or onigiri at a convenience store before you go to USJ as food is super expensive inside!
Everyone pays in cash in japan. Don't rely on anywhere having card.
Also, be prepared for the thousands of 1 yen coins you will end up with.
I was warned about that too, but in practice, I was able to use my Citibank Plus plenty of times - including in taxis and 7/11s. Didn't in restaurants, but that was mainly because of splitting bills.
Also, be prepared for the thousands of 1 yen coins you will end up with.
That's an exaggeration.
Osaka Castle is a major attraction, as mentioned inside it is basically a museum and once inside you wouldn't know you were in a castle until you got to the top. Outside it is pretty spectacular and has reasonable nice grounds. However a much better castle is an hour away at Himeji, much more original and has extensive grounds. Nice Japanese garden next door to it if you go out that way.
An alternative to going to Kyoto for a temple visit is Nara. The main temple there is the largest wooden building in the world, has impressive statues and is set in an awesome deer park.
+1 for Himeji and Nara, just be careful, the deers might bight your bum or run off with your map! Otherwise all good.
Kyoto is a very nice city to visit and not far from both Himeji and Nara.
1 day in Hiroshima + miyajima
1 day at himeji + kobe
2 days in Kyoto (1 for arayashima bamboo forest West side and 1 day for fushi inari Shrine torii gates)
Maybe another day in Kyoto for random stuff
2 days in Osaka for aquarium, umeda sky building, Osaka Castle,usj, spaworld and other shopping districts.
1 day for rest or you can do another trip to somewhere.Great advice will do
Also, eat as much soft serve as possible…it just doesn't taste the same here. Green Tea, soya it's all good!
If you want to splurge/try something different, you could try a night at a traditional ryokan, but they are pretty exy and probably only worth it if you are travelling with your partner.
My wife also got to dress up and have a photo shoot as a Geisha, but that was in Tokyo I think. Was $100 or $200? But she's Viet, so it doesn't look stupid ridiculous…still funny though.
John is your wife a Vietnamese citizen? Trying to sort out visa for my aunty who is a vietnamese citizen and they're quoting her 220USD to get a visa. Outrageous!
Will definitely try and stack 5 soft serve onto 1 cone :D
No she's not unfortunately. Just make sure she isn't getting scammed I guess.
I'd recommend most of what everyone else has said. I will however recommend the second best resturant in Osaka (first is a western place..????) - Okonomiyaki Chitose, its literally two tables plus a few other seats on the bench next to the hot plate. Super cheap and freaking awesome. There's usually no space and people get told to go away.. so try get in early if you can.. I couldn't recommend it enough. https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurant_Review-g298566-d74…
wow the review says it's been opened for 100 years. Have not known any restaurants here that have opened that long and have lived to tell.
Loved all the great advice and tips from people here and will definitely take everything on board
In terms of food, try Kobe or similar steak, a sushi bar, street ramen, there's a famous katsu don place, all the bizarre Kit Kat flavours, different beers (a lot you can get from 7-Eleven or similar if you want to save a bit), baumkuchen/1000 layer cake…the list is endless…I've probably missed a lot.
Just be aware that if you love Japanese food, you will most likely gain a few kgs from overindulging and when you come back, foods like sushi, steak, ramen etc will mostly taste inferior (unless you can find authentic Japanese where you live).
You will also likely hate people and public transport back in your home town (more so).
One thing we had to do (mainly in Tokyo) was buy some mini camping chairs from Tokyo Hands. We walked almost everywhere and there wasn't many public seats. When we bought food from 7-Eleven or the nice food halls (think DJ food hall in Sydney CBD) there was nowhere to eat it… We ate on the street like homeless people and I'm sure all the locals thought it was rude…But there was nowhere to eat it??? Where do they eat it??? Haha
It does kind of ruin life for you, at least for a while. I guess it's just post holiday depression but moreso. At least for me it was…and I went almost 5 years ago!
Oh no John don't tell me that. I might have to start planning subsequent trips after my initial visit.
you will.
I've been to Osaka a few times most recently with my kids and as a family it was a hoot!
Okonomiyaki is Osaka food.. Eat lots of it and its cheap too!
If your a nerd a get to the Nipponbashi area to spot anime cosplay pedestrians.. eh?!?! Not as good as Akihabra in Tokyo but good for some fun.. Near there is also the kitchen district which you can buy all sorts of fake food(for restaurant displays) and also the best knives in the world.
Osaka Castle is worth a look. Catch a Shinkansen to Kyoto (5-10 mins of full speed and you're there..)
Other day trips that you could consider Namba, Kobe.
It may be a good idea to buy the 2 day Osaka Amazing Pass for 3000yen. It entitles you for 2 consecutive days use of the metro in Osaka and a number of free attraction admissions.
Fantastic idea. Will definitely get a pass.
I watched "ONLYinJAPANWAORYU" on Youtube before my trip, he makes super informative videos!
I have been watching him as well. He great but very little info about Osaka though.
we get one of these 'need help with japan itinerary' threads every 6 months
The Instant Ramen Museum was quite interesting & fun. Pay 300 yen & to create your own instant noodles.
Have a look at odigo.travel website. Helped us plan our itinerary when we went to Japan.
I only stayed in Osaka for 2 night. Visited these places and liked all of them.
1: Dotonbori - The heart of Osaka. Definitely worth a visit. Walk around the area and explore. A lot of little gems to be found. Tried Gyoza's from a little shop (very cheap, like $1 or $2 for 6 gyozas), Tried Orange juice with a straw straight from inside the orange (Loved it), played games where you can win teddies (Won one :]), absolutely fantastic place and nice atmosphere around the river.
2: Universal Studios - Go early morning and buy the express pass to skip most of the queues. It was ok, not as good as DisneyLand in Tokyo but definitely better for me as I hate crowded areas and didn't have to wait hours in queue because of the pass. If you don't want to buy express pass, there are websites which can estimate the crowd on certain days, so pick a weekday or something to go. Weekends will be super busy and long queues.
3: Tempozan Ferris Wheel - Used to be one of the highest Ferris Wheel few decades ago. Still pretty big compared to Melbourne wheel. You can get some good views and photos from top. There is a legoland next to it as well but it was closed at the time I went.
Wish I had stayed longer in Osaka.. but I definitely recommend Dotonbori and Tempozan Ferris Wheel.. Universal Studios, I guess if you are into rides and stuff.
Some great comments here a few suggestions having been there a few times:
In Osaka
- Dotonburri/Namba area: Food, nightlife, bars etc.. i tend to stay in this areaa
- Osaka Castle
- Osaka Aquarium - if you do goto the aquarium i know it's not Japanese food but do recommend the Kuma Kafe (currently #1 on tripadvisor) if just to meet the awesome owner and get some tips from a westerner who has been living locally.Outside Osaka
- Kyoto (Temples, Bamboo Forrest, Monkey Park)
- Nara (Historic Capital)
- Hiroshima (Peace Memorial)
- Mount Koya (Temple Town - overnight temple stay)Most of these can be done as day trips but it may be a good idea to split up your stay eg. a few nights in Osaka, a few in Kyoto, one in Hiroshima etc… to split up the travelling - down side is dragging your luggage around :)
Cash
- Plan to withdraw and use cash at most places, the bigger retail places/department stores will take card but most eateries and smaller shops would use cashWhats the best way to get to Mount Koya?
I took the train option not sure if there are also busses. There are a few changes involved but once you are on the train to koyasan just follow the people for the cable car and bus transfers.
Hyperdia will show you times and costs - might take a few goes to understand how it works but once you do this is a great resource for figuring out travel times in Japan: http://www.hyperdia.com/en/Trickiest bit of the trip is probably figuring out how the bus works so you may want to google that for a guide :-) eg. http://gaijinhan.com/2011/05/how-to-take-a-bus-in-japan/
So many fantastic advice I'm guessing after this trip I will definitely make another longer trip. This will probably be a taster.
Dotonbori is like a "mecca" for food stalls filled with cheap, delicious, belly-filling treats, one of which is this scallop stall where this guys grills scallop in butter. Also when you go over the bridge (I think?), there's a magnificent view of the river and nightlife filled with these blinding illuminated signs, you should also take a photo with the Giant Crab (Kani Doraku?) and the Giant Glico Man, also it's in Dotonbori where you can buy Massive Pocky. You have to try one of the most popular street foods, 串かつ or "breaded skewers", perfect with a beer or without, you must order the quail eggs and take a picture with the statue outside. Another sight is the Osaka Castle, it's just, a castle!
Have fun in Osaka!
For easy AUD price conversion, 1000yen, take off two zero's ($10) and add about 20% ($12).
That's amazing I'll definitely use that for sure.
Koyasan is a must, stay night in a temple.
Kyoto is fun, hire a bike and go to Fushimi Inari
Ippudo Ramen
Kidzania.
You can get a data sim before getting there, then use google maps navigation to bring you everywhere.
This + google translate app.
You can even scan a text with your phone camera and it will translate it for you.
May not be 100% grammatically accurate but close enough to understand the meaning
If you are in Dotonbori location, I highly suggest Kuromon Ichiba market which is a short walking distance through arcades east of Dotonbori. It offers freshest seafood cooked in kiosks. I had scallops, king clams, squids and more scallops all grilled and skewered on takeaway sticks. One of the best foodie experiences I've had!
The Kuromon market is a foodie heaven indeed! Go in the morning on an empty stomach. Look around and you'll find the best soya milk in Osaka :) I also found Airbnb prices are far more reasonable in Osaka compared to Tokyo and Kyoto.
just osaka? i only spent a day there, 8 days, you might get a bit bored..
Will go other places as well but Osaka is a starting point.
Kura sushi for 100 yen sushi per plate! I would recommend day trips to Kyoto and Nara to have a look around.. They are nice. Also consider trips to Hiroshima/Miyajima/Himeji castle if that interest you.
Also, I stayed at Rivergarden apartment (via airbnb) opposite OCAT. Amazing apartment, and the OCAT terminal has plenty of shops and restaurants. Plus its easy to transfer to/from airport.
USJ is okay buy crazy expensive. Buy express pass or ride as single rider unless you are willing to line up 1.5hr plus per rides.
With all these different destinations would I need to purchase a JPass to get to them or can I just use the train system?
In terms of monetary value it depends on where you are going and for how long - generally speaking doing a few Shinkansen trips justifies the cost but if you only use it at the start and end of your trip then hard to justify all the days (I think you can get a 3 day one though and concentrate your travel in that time period). Also if you are just doing trips around Osaka then you probably just want a Kansai area pass rather than the full JR Pass.
In terms of convenience having a JR Pass does make it a bit simpler - apart from Shinkansen or prIvate railines you won't need to always get train tickets - be careful tho and make sure you know which trips you need to get a ticket.
I usually get a 1 week JR Pass when I go but I tend to do a bit of travel in that week eg. upto Tokyo or down to Nagasaki.
You can work out of it's worthwhile using Hyperdia. For us, a 7 day JR pass almost broke even with return Shinkansen trips between Tokyo and Kyoto. We then decided to go to Hiroshima and on to Miyajima, then day trips from Tokyo, and ended up getting about 2x the cost of the passes in value. The JR pass also allowed us to use the sightseeing bus in Hiroshima for free, as well as travel from Kyoto station to Arahiyama and Inari, so that was an added bonus.
If you do this, make sure you take note of the full price of tickets on Hyperdia, as sometimes there's an express surcharge or mandatory seat fee applicable.
EDIT: However, if you're basing yourself in Osaka, you'll have much shorter trips than we did, so you'd have to take more of them to break even.
Does anyone know if it's better to exchange money here before we leave or you can exchange it while in Japan. If so where would you normally go for competitve rates?
General rule: No Fee CC/No Fee ATM Withdrawl > Street Money Exchange > Hotel/Airport Money Exchange
= better
For exchanges I'm not too sure if Oz is better than O/S but as a general rule would guess the O/S exchange will give a slightly better rate (happy to be corrected).So if you have something like the Citibank Plus Debit Card then your best option is ATM withdrawal - I normally change a small amount here or at the airport as a just in case and find an ATM as soon as I'm out of customs on the other end.
Yeah I have a Citibank Plus transaction account and the exchange are great. But I found out you can only withdraw $100 which is nothing. Would rather have a decent sum of money for food, transport, hotel charges etc.
Are you sure? My sister had one last time I went and we withdrew 50,000 JPY (about $600) at Narita when we landed.
I can't say for Japan but when I was in VN it only allow me to withdraw $100 each time which was very frustrating.
That's a banking system issue for VN, has no bearing on citibank allowing or denying larger sums for withdrawal in different countries. When I was in Japan 5 mths ago, no problem withdrawing 50,000¥ from my citi account
@carwashhair:
Yep, me too, I was withdrawing 60,000 yen at a time at 7/11.Did you notice if an ATM fee was applied? I noticed via my Citi statement that the ATM withdrawals all seemed to have a lower rate than card purchases, which I thought might be due to an ATM fee.
omg there goes my sugar level :(
Wanted to also ask how do you stay connected to the internet while you're in Japan? What's the best sim that I should order now before travelling?
Plenty of free WiFi in public places if you trust it, and most hotels have it too.
Not sure if it is the best/cheapest, but we used a 1gb data sim in our ipad when we went in 2012 from www.econnectjapan.com got it delivered to our first hotel, so had to make it there without anything initially… Good challenge as we got in around 5am-6am and there was no one around!
Any of you fine travellers interested in swapping QFF points for my Velocity points?
Anyone know if you can buy the Kansai Through Pass at Osaka International Airport?
Dontonbori is the place to be for food!
Avoid the restaurant with the giant crab upstairs on the main strip… Tourist trap. Ie overpriced average food.
Look hard for the little bars/restaurants in the little alleyways that are mostly filled with locals.
There was one place that did a BBQ avocado with soy sauce. And chicken ribs. Still dream about those two dishes.