Osaka

[gojun]

I recently just moved back to Australia, after living in Osaka for a year. If anyone needs any advice on getting around or recommendations, let me know and I'll be happy to help out!

 

[Rugby]

I recently just moved back to Australia, after living in Osaka for a year. If anyone needs any advice on getting around or recommendations, let me know and I'll be happy to help out!

Thanks gojun. What would you recommend to check out if doing a day trip from Kyoto?

 

[kpc]

I recently just moved back to Australia, after living in Osaka for a year. If anyone needs any advice on getting around or recommendations, let me know and I'll be happy to help out!

Timely post...I'll be in Osaka next week for 5 nights staying at Hilton Osaka. Planning on doing day trips to Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima. Any restaurant (Japanese) recommendations? Any tourist attractions worthwhile for a 1st time visitor to Osaka? Thanks

 

[gojun]

Thanks gojun. What would you recommend to check out if doing a day trip from Kyoto?

Are you going to be heading out from Osaka? If you don't have a JR pass, you can take a local train and it will get to either Gion Station or Kawaramachi Station, this station is just a few minutes walk to Gion. You can walk around this area and check out the old buildings, etc. Restaurants in this area are fairly expensive compared to Osaka. If you want a traditional degustation menu I would suggest going to Fujiwara, prices vary depending on which menu you pick, ask your hotel to make a reservation for you.

Kyoto is well known for it's specialty in Mochi and Matcha flavoured desserts, there are free samples in most stores.

These are the main places that I take people to:
You can do the following 3 in the same day if you leave around 8am:

• Fushimi Inari Shrine - I would allocate around 2 hours to trek the whole place
• Kiyomizu Temple - If you're not on a budget, I would suggest getting a taxi to the top, it's a long trek up hill to the entrance.
• Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) - This place was still under construction the last few times I was there

This requires a day trip:

• Arashiyama, Tenryu-ji and Monkey Park - Explore the main strip here, there are a lot of small shops to check out.

 

[Rugby]

Are you going to be heading out from Osaka? If you don't have a JR pass, you can take a local train and it will get to either Gion Station or Kawaramachi Station, this station is just a few minutes walk to Gion. You can walk around this area and check out the old buildings, etc. Restaurants in this area are fairly expensive compared to Osaka. If you want a traditional degustation menu I would suggest going to Fujiwara, prices vary depending on which menu you pick, ask your hotel to make a reservation for you.

Kyoto is well known for it's specialty in Mochi and Matcha flavoured desserts, there are free samples in most stores.

These are the main places that I take people to:
You can do the following 3 in the same day if you leave around 8am:

• Fushimi Inari Shrine - I would allocate around 2 hours to trek the whole place
• Kiyomizu Temple - If you're not on a budget, I would suggest getting a taxi to the top, it's a long trek up hill to the entrance.
• Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) - This place was still under construction the last few times I was there

This requires a day trip:

• Arashiyama, Tenryu-ji and Monkey Park - Explore the main strip here, there are a lot of small shops to check out.

Sorry gojun - I meant we'll being doing a day trip to Osaka (from our base in Kyoto) We'll have JR passes. Appreciate the Kyoto tips too.

 

[love_the_life]

Thanks for the suggestions gojun. We'll be staying in Kyoto for 5 nights in November so any ideas for activities are welcome. I've visited Kyoto before but Mr LtL hasn't so we'll be visiting the main sights for him. Hoping for good autumn colours when we are there.

 

[gojun]

Timely post...I'll be in Osaka next week for 5 nights staying at Hilton Osaka. Planning on doing day trips to Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima. Any restaurant (Japanese) recommendations? Any tourist attractions worthwhile for a 1st time visitor? Thanks

Kyoto and Hiroshima will both be day trips, I'm assuming you already know what to visit at these sites. Nara is a half day trip, if you're only planning on visiting the Deer Park and Todaiji Temple.

If you want to do shopping in one place I would recommend EXPO City, it's newly opened and has over 300 stores there. There are no high end luxury brands, but there are still some good brands there. I would recommend a whole day for this. At EXPO City, there is a KFC restaurant that offers All you can eat for 80 minutes for about 1,900¥, an extra 1,000¥ gets you all you can drink alcohol too! It's fairly busy, so I'll recommend you go on a week day and you'll need to go there early to put your name down on the waiting list. To give you an idea, I arrived there at 10:30 and put my name down for the first available table, which was 13:30.

Most of these are in the Namba area.

I would avoid the Kinryu (Golden Dragon) Ramen restaurant, you will see it everywhere, it is average at best and the soup smells like dirty feet.
These are my recommended places for
Ramen:

• Ichiran Ramen Dotonbori - This store is 24 hours. There are two stores now. I would recommend going to the second store since the queues are much shorter. Being a chain store, the quality is the same.
  • Main store
  • Second store
• ラーメン薩摩っ子道頓堀店 - This store is 24 hours. This is by far my favourite Ramen store. You must add garlic to the soup, otherwise it won't taste as flavourful. Be careful, your breath may still smell the next day.
• ずんどう屋 心斎橋店 - The soup is very rich. This place is very popular amongst the Japanese. The location on google map is wrong but on the street near there. There is a sign on the front of the area that says "ZUNDOYA" and there is a giant lantern

Japanese BBQ:

• Matsuzakagyu Yakiniku M - Matsuzaka Beef is a high grade of Wagyu, similar to Kobe. This beef originates from Matsuzaka, hence its name. The meat has a rating of A3+, meaning it's intensely marbled. If you decide to go here let me know and I will recommend which cuts of meat to try. You will need a reservation.
• あぶりや - One of my favourite Yakinikus around. The meat here are lean cuts and full of flavour. For approx 4,900¥/pp you get all you can eat and drink, yes alcohol, for 2 hours. You will need a reservation.

Izakaya (Japanese style Pub):

• 鳥貴族 Torikizoku - This is a yakitori chain store. Google their Japanese name and you'll be able to find a location on the map. Everything on the menu here is 280¥, yes including alcohol, open from 17:00 to 05:00.

Japanese Curry:

• 福島・上等カレ - This is a chain store. Google their Japanese name and you'll be to find one near you. IMO This is by far the best Curry in Osaka. 850¥ for a Tonkatsu Curry.

Sushi:

• Endo sushi - Fairly expensive but rated as the best in Osaka by the locals.
• 市場ずし (Ichiba Zushi) - Chain store highly regarded by locals. Again, google their Japanese name and find the closet one to you.

These are the main places I would recommend eating at. There are plenty more out there but there's just too much to type!

Hope this helps and have a safe trip!

As for must see things, it depends on your interests. Anything specific?

 

[kpc]

Thanks for the restaurant recommendations.

As for must see things, it depends on your interests. Anything specific?

Well, given it is the middle of winter, we need to make some adjustments....going to Osaka castle I suppose is one attraction! Not sure what else we want to see in Osaka though...interesting buildings, quaint shops / villages, unusual Japanese buildings, temples, parks, gardens etc.... I have been to Kyoto and Hiroshima before so will be revisiting old ground here. Will just visit Nara park, and the temple in the Park. Will have a 5 day JR Kansai pass that includes Hiroshima. Will probably visit Miyajima Island when we visit Hiroshima as not been before.

 

[gojun]

Thanks for the restaurant recommendations.Well, given it is the middle of winter, we need to make some adjustments....going to Osaka castle I suppose is one attraction! Not sure what else we want to see though...interesting buildings, quaint shops, unusual Japanese buildings, temples, parks, gardens etc.... I have been to Kyoto and Hiroshima before so will be revisiting old ground here. Will just visit Nara park, and the temple in the Park. Will have a 5 day JR Kansai pass that includes Hiroshima. Will probably visit Miyajima Island when we visit Hiroshima as not been before.

JR Kansai Pass will only cover the Kansai area, you can get by in the Kansai area by catching the subway. I can't find the price of a 5 day one, but they 4 day one is 6,300¥. I doubt you will be taking that many JR trains in the Kansai area in the 5 days.
To go to Nara, you will need to take the Kintetsu Line. To go to Kyoto, you can take the Hankyu line. To go Hiroshima, you would need to pay for the Shinkansen.

Are you going with the family or the partner? If you are, I would consider going to Okunoshima Island, Rabbit Island. This is a day trip, awesome fun. Again, you will need to take a Shinkansen here, it's in the Hiroshima prefecture. If you're interested in going here, I can post my guide on how to get there!

There's a full list of the usual things to visit in Osaka on Tripadvisor e.g. Universal Studios Japan, Aquarium, etc. Visiting Dontonbori, Shinsaibashi and Ame-mura. Big shopping district in Umeda as well.

Osaka Castle won't take you more than 2 hours.

 

[kpc]

This is the pass we are thinking of getting: https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/travel-information/pass/kansai_hiroshima/
I quite like kyoto for dinner (from a previous trip we had a very nice Kaiseki dinner in Kyoto)....given Kyoto is only 1/2 hr away by train from Osaka and we have a Pass, I can imagine freshening up in our hotel after a day of sightseeing and then catching the train to Kyoto for dinner on one of the nights. To be honest, with our proposed side trips, we won't have a lot of time to sightsee in Osaka....and we will already have spent 5 days in Tokyo (been twice before) prior so our energy levels will start to wane at some point once we get to Osaka!

 

[SeatBackForward]

If you can try the Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki at Okonomi-mura. Three floors of vendors!

 

[kpc]

If you can try the Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki at Okonomi-mura. Three floors of vendors!

Thanks. Will check it our for late lunch or early dinner...google maps suggest it is on the way back to Hiroshima station from the Peace Museum.

 

[TomVexille]

This is great. We're planning on spending a couple days in Osaka this year so this will be helpful

 

[SeatBackForward]

Thanks. Will check it our for late lunch or early dinner...google maps suggest it is on the way back to Hiroshima station from the Peace Museum.

I'm pretty sure thats when we went too:

Then the following day, we caught seven different trains back to Mt Fuji, but stayed on the northern side of Mt Fuji at Lake Kawaguchiko. It was unbelievable, only in Japan, seven trains! and not one of them was more than 15seconds off timetable.

 

[gojun]

This is the pass we are thinking of getting: https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/travel-information/pass/kansai_hiroshima/
I quite like kyoto for dinner (from a previous trip we had a very nice Kaiseki dinner in Kyoto)....given Kyoto is only 1/2 hr away by train from Osaka and we have a Pass, I can imagine freshening up in our hotel after a day of sightseeing and then catching the train to Kyoto for dinner on one of the nights. To be honest, with our proposed side trips, we won't have a lot of time to sightsee in Osaka....and we will already have spent 5 days in Tokyo (been twice before) prior so our energy levels will start to wane at some point once we get to Osaka!

Yup you can use that pass, very bang for buck!

I didn't recommend any Okonomiyaki places is because I'm not a big fan of it :S

 

[SeatBackForward]

Don't forget that the JR passes can be used in a lot metro systems too.

 

[gojun]

Don't forget that the JR passes can be used in a lot metro systems too.

AFAIK JR passes only covers Japan Railway trains. They don't cover subways, the Kintetsu, Hankyu, and other lines that are not JR trains.

 

[Tassieoptom]

I recently just moved back to Australia, after living in Osaka for a year. If anyone needs any advice on getting around or recommendations, let me know and I'll be happy to help out!

Thanks gojun,

My wife and I arrive in Osaka on Monday the 11th April and play on a train from the airport to Kyoto. Have 6 days in Kyoto and then back to Osaka, staying at the hotel Nikko. I understand the Nikko is linked to the Shinsaibashi subway station, but am finding advice on getting from Kyoto to Shinsaibashi a little confusing. If you had thoughts on that they would be greatly appreciated. I have noted some of your other advice in this thread, many thanks.

 

[gojun]

Which hotel are you staying at in Kyoto?

Depending which station you board in Kyoto, you will have to change trains to get to Shinsaibashi. If you get on from Gion, you'll need to take the Keihan line train and change at Yodoyabashi to the Midosuji line and go to Shinsaibashi, should take you just over an hour to get there. Take exit 8 at Shinsaibashi station and you should end up on the door steps of Nikko Hotel.

I'm know the Nikko Hotel, it's in a good location and you should be able to visit all the places I suggested.

 

[Tassieoptom]

Which hotel are you staying at in Kyoto?

Depending which station you board in Kyoto, you will have to change trains to get to Shinsaibashi. If you get on from Gion, you'll need to take the Keihan line train and change at Yodoyabashi to the Midosuji line and go to Shinsaibashi, should take you just over an hour to get there. Take exit 8 at Shinsaibashi station and you should end up on the door steps of Nikko Hotel.

I'm know the Nikko Hotel, it's in a good location and you should be able to visit all the places I suggested.

Thanks Gojun, 'Sakura Terrace The Gallery' is the Hotel i am staying in in Kyoto, is just south of the main Kyoto Station. There were very few options left in our price bracket when we went to book.