Osaka is Japan’s 3rd largest city and is known for its amazing street food and night life. While less frequented than Kyoto and Tokyo, this city is definitely worth discovering, especially for those who are interested in casual Japanese cuisine. You can spend anywhere from two to three days here to see the culture and history of the city and have the opportunity to visit the theme park, Universal Studios. Below is an Osaka itinerary that will take you to some of the highlights and cultural hubs of the city.
Osaka Itinerary Day 1: Diving into the Main Attractions
Getting to Osaka
Osaka is very close to Kyoto and Kobe and you can get to the city from Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara by metro. You can also look into taking the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo, Hiroshima, or other parts of the country.
In this Osaka itinerary, the first day focuses on some of the main attractions that are highlighted in Osaka, including its historical castle and the modern Minami neighborhood. You will get a background of the history and current culture of Osaka.
Umeda Sky Building
Osaka has two main large train stations, the Shin-Osaka Station where the Shinkansen (bullet) trains arrive into the city and the Osaka-Umeda station which is the busiest hub in the city. To start off your time in Osaka, head to the Osaka-Umeda train station in Osaka’s city center. The station itself is part of an enormous shopping mall where you will find a Nintendo store and Pokemon Center. Both of these stores, located next to each other, are incredibly popular and tend to be crowded but they are great spots to grab souvenirs, especially for those who love Nintendo and Pokemon.
Near the train station is the Umeda Sky Building, a skyscraper with a 360 degree observation deck at the top. Not only does this building have great views of the entire city, the architecture of the structure and observation deck is unique.
Osaka Castle and the Surrounding Park
The main historical landmark in Osaka is its castle. While it was previously used as a temple and fortress and rebuilt multiple times, today it has been converted to a museum that discusses the history of the castle and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a samurai and daimyō (feudal lord) who was known as the unifier of Japan. This museum is a must-visit to understand more about the ancient culture and history of Japan that has led to the beautiful temples and castles that we continue to visit today.
Dotonbori and the Minami Neighborhood
The Minami neighborhood is one of the most popular destinations for tourists within the city of Osaka. Below is a walking route that could help you discover the neighborhood for this Osaka itinerary. The walking portion of this route takes about 45 minutes but make sure to take your time at each destination and enjoy the walk between to really absorb the neighborhood. (We recommend visiting Dotonbori at night to get the full effects of the neon signs. However, the first stop closes at 5 PM and the Kuromon Market (stop 3) closes at 6 PM. If the sunset is too late in the evening – such as in the late spring, summer, and early fall – we recommend skipping these stops or visiting them at a different time.)
Namba Yasaka Jinja
This Shinto shrine is very unique and is famous for its impressive lion head-shaped building within the shrine. The structures you see today are more modern than other shrines throughout the country after they were destroyed during WWII. The site has a number of cherry blossom trees, making it popular during the spring. In addition, on the third Sunday of January, a special rite is performed here.
Namba Hiroba Square (Pedestrian Paradise)
You will most likely walk through this square if you take the metro to Namba and exit from the Nankai Namba Station. This European-style plaza is newly constructed and is focused on the pedestrian experience. You may also walk through events that are often hosted in the square.
Kuromon Market
Open daily from 9 AM to 6 PM, this covered market is a great place to try a variety of Japanese street food, especially grilled seafood and the staple takoyaki (grilled balls of batter filled with octopus and other ingredients). This market dates back to the 1600s and can get quite busy.
Walking down Dotonbori
This street is one of Osaka’s most popular tourist destinations and runs parallel to the canal. It is full of shopping, entertainment, and food options and is lit with various neon signs and mechanized displays. This area is best experienced after dark.
Ebisu Bridge and the Dotonbori Canal
This is where you will find the famous Dotonbori canal and the street that runs parallel to it. The canal is lined with neon billboards and signs, including the famous Glico Running Man. You can take photos from the bridge or along the canal to capture the essence of this attraction. In Osaka, you can also find boat experiences that allow you to ride on the canal.
Amerikamura
The Amerikamura area of the Minami neighborhood is a shopping district that is considered the Harajuku counterpart in Osaka with youth fashion and culture. It shows the influence of “Western-oreinted” culture in its boutiques, street style, galleries, and cafes. And the nightlife here include rock bars and hip-hop clubs.
Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade and Uncle Rikuro's Cheesecake
The popular Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade, full of boutiques, high-end stores, vintage shops, and food stands. One incredibly popular shop is the Uncle Rikuro’s Cheesecake, known for its large, jiggly, and fluffy cheesecakes. There is typically a line waiting for the cheesecakes that moves relatively quickly and you can purchase one as they come fresh out of the oven.
Osaka Itinerary Day 2: Visiting Universal Studios Japan
The second day of your Osaka itinerary takes you to Universal Studios Japan, which is especially popular for its Super Nintendo World, the first in the world. This theme park is truly designed for the enjoyment of adults and children in mind. However, being a relatively small park, it does tend to get crowded so here are some tips to make your experience pleasant and maximize your time exploring the various worlds. (If this is something that does not interest you, you can exclude this full day from your Osaka itinerary.) From the city of Osaka, you can take public transportation to get to the park entrance
When to Get to Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan has a listed opening time of 9 AM. However, they often open the park gates 30 minutes or an hour before that listed time to help control the crowds that stream into the park. If you want to get to some of the rides in Nintendo World without much of a line, we recommend arriving at the park around 7:30 to wait in the queue and be some of the first to enter into the park. When the gates official open, you can walk briskly to Super Nintendo World. You will also have the opportunity to stop (quickly) at some of the various iconic photo points, such as the Jaws shark or the entrance to Nintendo World, where professional photographers will be posted up later in the day and you will have to pay to get your photo taken at these points.
How to Experience Super Nintendo World and Donkey Kong Country
Before you arrive to the park, make sure to download the Universal Studios Japan application on your phone. You will also want to load your tickets into the app. (You may only be able to load your ticket into the app on the day that you are going to the park.) Because of the popularity of Super Nintendo World, the park has implemented timed entries into this world, especially later in the day as the park gets more crowded. You will be able to get a timed entry ticket within the app. On particularly busy days, get the timed entry ticket as soon as you enter into the park to guarantee access into Super Nintendo World. Once you enter into Super Nintendo World, you can stay within the area as long as you want.
The Rides to Prioritize
We recommend going to Super Nintendo World when you first get into the park early in the morning and hopping in line for either Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge (an augmented reality and interactive ride) or Mine Cart Madness (an indoor rollercoaster). These are the two most popular rides within the world. You won’t have to wait too long for your first ride if you are able to enter the park when the gates are initially opened. However, these two rides tend to have long wait times, but it is worth waiting in line, especially if the wait times are less than 120 minutes.
Other Things to Experience in Super Nintendo World and Donkey Kong Country
The third ride that is located in Super Nintendo World is Yoshi’s Adventure, a family friendly indoor-outdoor “rollercoaster” ride, is an easy ride and is geared to families and children. This ride is also unique to Super Nintendo World.
The food and eateries in Super Nintendo World are quite popular, a reflection of the number of people who are within this part of the park. All of them are themed and align with the world that you are in. One snack that is particularly popular is the DK Crush Sundae (either hot or cold) that comes with a collectable mug. (Get this and enjoy it while you wait in line for the Mine Cart Madness ride!)
The final thing that you will find in Super Nintendo World are power-up bands. These bands can be purchased in different parts of the world and add an additional experience to the park. They can be linked to the app and track digital coins and stamps that you can collect by punching blocks around the park, playing mini-games, and riding Mario Kart. The purpose of these bands is to transform the land into a real-life video game. (These are especially fun for kids or are a fun souvenir that you can use at other Universal Studios Super Nintendo Worlds!)
Other Parts of Universal Studios Japan to Visit
Below is a break down of some of the other worlds within the park, focusing on areas with rides as opposed to shows. *The rides with the asterisks show the rides that are unique to Universal Studios Japan.*
Hollywood, New York City, and San Francisco
These three distinct and different areas within the park highlight these iconic cities within the United States. They are worlds that connect different parts of the park and contain different food spots and shows.
Rides
*Hollywood Dream - The Ride* (Hollywood): a large steel rollercoaster
*Space Fantasy - The Ride* (Hollywood): an indoor spinning rollercoaster going through a dark fantasy-inspired world
Minion Park
This park is inspired by the Despicable Me movies and franchise. This park can also be found in the Universal Studios of Florida, Hollywood, Beijing, and Singapore.
Rides
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem: a simulator ride with some movement
*Freeze Ray Sliders*: a family friendly ride with spinning vehicles
Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast: (in both Japan and Florida) a moving shooter ride on a conveyer belt and great for families
Jurassic Park
This park is inspired by the Jurassic Park movies and franchise. This park can also be found in the Universal Studios of Florida, Hollywood, Beijing, and Singapore.
Rides
Jurassic Park - The Ride: a water-based ride with animatronic dinosaurs and a drop at the end (although there is less of splash at the Japan ride than the ones in the United States)
*The Flying Dinosaur*: a flying rollercoaster (the world's second longest) where you are horizontal when riding the coaster.
Amity Village
This park is inspired by the movie, Jaws, and is a great spot to grab some iconic photos, especially if you are a fan of the iconic film.
Rides
*Jaws*: a scenic boat ride with animatronic special effects. This is great for families or those who are looking for a more relaxing experience. (This ride used to also be located in Florida but was closed in 2012.)
Universal Wonderland (The Kids Zone of the Park)
This section of the park is aimed at children and families and includes Elmo, Snoopy, and Hello Kitty zones, experiences, and rides.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
This park is inspired by the Harry Potter books, movies, and franchise. This is the second-most popular part of Universal Studios Japan. While it has two rides that are also located at the other Universal Studio parks around the world and looks similar to the other Universal Studios Wizarding Worlds, it is always amazing to transcend into the Harry Potter world and visit Hogsmeade. The snacks in this area are also very thematic, including the popular butterbeer. For those who are fans of the franchise, you can find great souvenirs and costumes here.
Rides
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: a motion-based ride with projections and 4D elements
Flight of the Hippogriff: a family-friendly roller coaster (does not go upside-down)
Super Nintendo World
We talk about this world above but it always helps to have the information in a more consolidated spot.
Rides
Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge: an augmented reality and interactive ride based on the Mario Kart games
Yoshi's Adventure: a family-friendly conveyor belt-like ride with great views of the world
Mine-Cart Madness: an indoor roller coaster based on Donkey Kong
Osaka Itinerary Day 3: The Current Food and Culture of Osaka
The third and final day of this Osaka itinerary discovers some of the lesser-visited parts of Osaka. While not as popular, these parts of Osaka dive into the current culture of the city and give you a better perspective on what Osaka has to offer.
Minami Neighborhood During the Day
If you didn’t have the chance to visit the Namba Yasaka Jinja shrine and the Kuromon Market within the Minami Neighborhood (near Dotonbori), then take the morning to visit these two destinations.
Asahi Beer Factory & Museum
Asahi is one of Japan’s top beer producers, with its main production facility located in Osaka. The brewery provides tours of the factory along with a tasting of their beer varieties. The tour is more than a traditional brewery tour, including produced videos and experiences that explain the history of the brewery and the beer. You can visit the beer factory daily and tours happen at a variety of times between 10 AM and 3 PM. You must make a reservation in advance and reservations may fill up quickly so try to plan this in advance if this experience interests you.
Den-Den Town
Nipponbashi Den-Den Town is Osaka’s electronics district, akin to Akihabara in Tokyo. You can also find many anime and manga retailers throughout this area, making it a great spot to get Japanese souvenirs during your Osaka itinerary.
Osaka Night Tours: Shinsekai Neighborhood
The Shinsekai neighborhood is a lesser visited part of Osaka but it is full of rich culture, history, and food. Doing a tour in the evening of this area is a great way to dive into understanding more about the city while visiting a neighborhood with many layers. Here are two different options for you, depending on your interests.
Osaka Free Night Walking Tour: This tip-based tour, given by a local in English, takes you to some lesser-visited parts of Osaka, giving you insight into the social struggles and unique cultural identity of some working-class parts of Osaka and Japan. The tour is deep, real, and complicated and is for those who want to go beyond the typical sightseeing of Japan. You will also get recommendations for food in the neighborhood, an important part of Japanese culture! (This tour is not recommended for people under 18 years old.)
Hungry Osaka Street Food Tour: This tour is focused on the street food of Osaka, known as Japan’s Kitchen. While getting to try local food throughout the Shinsekai area, you will get information regarding the area and the cuisine. This tour is great for people who want to get to know more about Japanese street food!
