Discovering Wonders in Osaka

Have you ever wondered why people who have visited Japan keep coming back at every possible occasion? Surely, with the abundance of scenic landscapes, culinary delights, efficient infrastructure, and remarkable citizens permeating the land of the rising sun, going for a holiday to explore its sites and delve into its culture in depth is undeniable.

As each Japanese city has a distinctive quality, a week-long holiday may not be enough, but it is nonetheless sufficient. 

For a four-day trip to Osaka, for instance, one has to be content on experiencing only half of its countless family attractions, hole-in-the-wall pubs, enticing restaurants and thrifty shopping districts, only to return with a newfound sense of homecoming.

I, myself, had to contend with the places and activities we could compress in a four-day, three-night stay in the city, which is locally known as “the nation’s kitchen”, or Tenka no Daidokoro in Japanese.

The first district that we visited was Shinsekai. Shinsekai boasts multiple rows of roads thriving with restaurants, bars and tax-free shops. You can find restaurants specializing in ramen, sushi, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and a wide range of delicacies, each prepared in the authentic Japanese style – an appetizing harmony of minimalist elegance and culinary precision.

We were not able to dine in any of the restaurants there, as we needed to unload our luggage first at a luggage locker.

A handy note for those new to Japan: Luggage Lockers are found everywhere, mostly in tourist attractions, train stations, and airports. Another one of many conveniences in Japan, these lockers offer different sizes, ranging from 300 to 800 yen per period, which may be half a day or a full day. There are those that accept coins and those that require payment over the counter. Either way, it makes traveling around town easier and lighter.

The luggage locker that we found was at the bottom of the Tsutenkaku Tower.

Trusting that almost all, if not all, food places in Japan are guaranteed to be delicious, be it mobile stalls or permanent stores, we were nevertheless happy to get a quick bite of takoyaki from the takoyaki kiosk beside the luggage locker at Tsutenkaku Tower.

Watching the takoyaki chef, who seemed to be the owner, masterfully rolling the dough with minced squid, cooking each ball in just a few minutes gave us a full experience of eating the takoyaki.

The takoyaki kiosk turned out to be a mini al fresco restaurant with a couple of tall tables that come with pull/out stools to provide diners like us with dining sets to eat our very hot takoyaki balls at. We actually had to cut the takoyaki in the middle first to let the steam out before eating it, so it wouldn’t burn our mouths. 

After digesting those delectable takoyaki balls, we walked into the reception area of the Tsutenkaku Tower to sign up for the Tower Slider experience. 

It's a good thing that we had taken the time to digest our food, as the mere sight of people sliding down the 60-meter-high slide, and hearing their screams made our stomachs spiral. When iour turn came, our thirst for adventure got the upper hand, and one by one, with our helmets on, we slid into the spiraling flow of inertia, screaming as well, in both release and surrender. 

Following that 10-second rude awakening experience, we strolled toward a small bistro called Johnny’s. We found Johnny, the friendly and bubbly owner, serving drinks and food. He enjoyed practicing his English, so when he saw us enter, he greeted us in English with a smile. We ordered a couple of refreshments, one of which was his special cocktail, made with gin and anise. The cocktail was refreshing, and having it served with Jonny’s enthusiastic hospitality was an experience worth revisiting.

Another place that we spent an entire afternoon at was Tennoji Zoo.  A walking distance from Tsutenkaku, the 11-hectare zoo houses approximately a thousand animals, comprising roughly 200 different species, including reptiles, mammals, birds, and more. Big mammals, such as lions, tigers, giraffes, antelopes, koalas, chimpanzees, polar bears, seals, and hippopotamuses, are housed in their simulated habitats, which are open yet appropriately designed for viewing. Reptiles like lizards and snakes, as well as birds, anywhere as eagles, parrots, owls, and the like, are put in wide cages that allow ample movement for them. The zoo is designed like a labyrinth amid trees and ponds, making it a fun stroll in a park where you can view the animals and also relax at a bench while eating a snack. As of this publication date, the entrance fee to Tennoji Zoo for adults is 500 yen, 200 yen for students, and free entry for kindergartners. The zoo also has food concessionaires and luggage lockers, which made our visit comfortable and worthwhile.

Another must-go attraction was the Universal Studios Japan. Perfect for large groups of family and friends, the Hollywood theme park franchise brings forth popular movies and media games to life, like Super Nintendo World, Amityville, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, Jaws, Space Fantasy, Jurassic Park, plus live shows featuring Curious George, Beetlejuice and more. So, if you’re set to experience all of USJ’s attractions and shows, you might want to book a Multi-day Ticket for 15200- 17900 yen each. We purchased the 1-Day Studio Pass for 8,800 yen, which provided limited access during the high season but still offered a fun experience for an entire day.  

To fill our late afternoon till early evening schedule, we got on a train to Dotonbori. A place renowned for shopping and eating, this long glittery commercial strip offers a smorgasbord of retail shops, anywhere from well-known brands to generic ones, as well as food places, ranging from fine dining to street foods, specializing in takoyaki, okonomiyaki (pancakes stuffed with cabbage and pork), mochi ice cream, and candied fruits. While the tax-free shops, colorful displays of anime figurines, functional souvenir items, and the famous Don Quixote mall may have enticed our fancy, we were simply happy to sit by the river and indulge in Wagyu served on skewers plus a bottle of ice cold Asahi beer, while our kids rode on the Ebisu Tower Ferris Wheel. 

After seeing the enticing delicacies, crafty souvenirs and wonderful shopping items in Osaka, for our next trip, it would be best to fly with a hand-carry into Kansai International Airport, buy an inexpensive luggage in Dotonbori, fill it up with shopping items, and fly out with a paid baggage, bringing Osaka’s best items home with us.

Amid all these amazing discoveries in Osaka, the tranquility and comfort we experienced iwithJapan’s reliable train system, and the warm hospitality we received from the Osakans who went out of their way to help us get around, convinced us the most to return to this friendly city and make it feel like our home city in Japan.