Japan (Part 1): Osaka
In November 2016, my boyfriend and I travelled around Japan for 13 days. We went to Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Hakone, and Tokyo. I'll be highlighting cool spots to check out!
Before I go into that, these are my travel must-haves:
We stayed at an Airbnb close to Dotonbori. (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/8671247) This is the living room area and the view from our room. It's walking distance to the station and checking in was a breeze. The owners also have a little hookah+cocktail bar called Galaxy and they hooked it up with some cocktails.
Gyu-Katsu Motomura Namba for gyu katsu (beef katsu). It’s pretty much raw beef katsu that you cook on the hot stone grill then dip it into sauce for a delicious and mouthwatering taste! Definitely recommend gyukatsu as it was my top 3 meal of the trip and I don’t know of any place that serves this kind of meal in the US. PS don’t get the highball.
Sakae Sushi Tamayamachi for 300¥ otoro. Enough said!
2-27 Soemoncho, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture
築港麺工房 本店 for piping hot affordable udon. A little out of the way, but my boyfriend loves udon so here we came. A little confusing if you don’t speak Japanese, but you select your order on a vending machine and receive a meal ticket. They will call your number out, in Japanese of course... but it was the perfect lunch for the cold day.
1 Chome-5-25 Kaigandori, Minato Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 552-0022, Japan
Fukutaro for okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) loaded with green onions. It sounds weird, but please try the avocado cold tofu! I can still remember the taste in my mouth a year later... After eating it, we knew we were in for a good vacation. There tends to be a long line and we waited at least half an hour before we were seated at around 10pm.
1 Chome-1-10 Kaigandori, Minato Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 552-0022, Japan
Osaka Castle- A majestic replica that doubles as a museum inside. You can actually go to the top and look down on the grounds below. A must-see if you're interested in history.
1-1 Osakajo, Chuo, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 540-0002, Japan
Umeda Sky Building- The observation deck gives stunning 360 views of the city. Try to go at sunset or at night for city lights. It does get crowded, but since we went a little late the lines weren't too bad.
Japan, 〒531-6023 大阪府大阪市北区大淀中1−1
Before I go into that, these are my travel must-haves:
- Camera- We took many of the photos on our Sony alpha 6000. It's a mirror-less camera and has the capabilities of a dslr without the bulk, which makes it perfect for traveling. Don't forget to pack spare batteries!
- Mifi (pocket WiFi)- We rented from Global Advanced Communications (http://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/pocketwifi.html). It's a lot cheaper than paying for a phone plan abroad.
- JR Pass- I highly recommend this if you are planning to take the train to several cities. It does take a few days to ship, so please order well in advance! The nice thing about it is that you can activate it at any time during your trip. A solid guide (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html)
- Yen- Order from your bank in advance to get the best conversion rate, you also don't have to deal with the fee charged by the ATM.
- Universal adapter- You have to charge you electronics somehow!
Quick overview of our trip:
Day 1, 3, 4 -Osaka
Day 2- Nara
Day 5,6,7- Kyoto
Day 8,9- Hakone
Day 10, 11, 12, 13- Tokyo
---------------
Osaka
Where to stay:
We stayed at an Airbnb close to Dotonbori. (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/8671247) This is the living room area and the view from our room. It's walking distance to the station and checking in was a breeze. The owners also have a little hookah+cocktail bar called Galaxy and they hooked it up with some cocktails.
Where to eat:
There are honestly so many places to eat at in Osaka, but here are my favs!Gyu-Katsu Motomura Namba for gyu katsu (beef katsu). It’s pretty much raw beef katsu that you cook on the hot stone grill then dip it into sauce for a delicious and mouthwatering taste! Definitely recommend gyukatsu as it was my top 3 meal of the trip and I don’t know of any place that serves this kind of meal in the US. PS don’t get the highball.
Sakae Sushi Tamayamachi for 300¥ otoro. Enough said!
2-27 Soemoncho, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture
築港麺工房 本店 for piping hot affordable udon. A little out of the way, but my boyfriend loves udon so here we came. A little confusing if you don’t speak Japanese, but you select your order on a vending machine and receive a meal ticket. They will call your number out, in Japanese of course... but it was the perfect lunch for the cold day.
1 Chome-5-25 Kaigandori, Minato Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 552-0022, Japan
Places to see:
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan- Massive aquarium with a ferris wheel that gives sweeping views of the coast and the city. They have several large sunfish, a capybara, and the roundest seal you will ever meet!1 Chome-1-10 Kaigandori, Minato Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 552-0022, Japan
Osaka Castle- A majestic replica that doubles as a museum inside. You can actually go to the top and look down on the grounds below. A must-see if you're interested in history.
1-1 Osakajo, Chuo, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 540-0002, Japan
Japan, 〒531-6023 大阪府大阪市北区大淀中1−1
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