Osaka is the third largest city of Japan with over 19 million people living in the metropolitan area. Along with Kyoto and Tokyo, Osaka is one of the most popular places that people visit while in Japan. These 3 cities and Mount Fuji are often referred to as the Golden Route because those short on time can seamlessly travel by train to them and get an introduction to distinct parts of Japanese culture. For example, it is only a 2.5 hour bullet train ride to reach Osaka from Tokyo and in between these two destinations, you pass by Mount Fuji as well as Kyoto. While Tokyo is a famous international mega-city and Kyoto is Japan’s traditional city, Osaka is known for its vibrant street food scene and lively nightlife areas such as Dotonbori.
Destination Overview
Osaka and Kobe, Japan
Besides the impressive culinary scene, Osaka also has popular historical sites such as the Osaka Castle and modern attractions like Universal Studios Japan. Osaka is also located on the same bay as the nearby port city of Kobe, which is most famous for the marbled beef that is processed there. Beyond the beef, Kobe attracts visitors to Mount Rokko which has spectacular views of the city below and the popular Arima Onsen (hot springs).
Japan has many famous companies across diverse industries with some of the most known being in the automotive (Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan) and electronics (Sony, Panasonic, Nikon) industries. Growing up my favorite Japanese company was Nintendo because of its gaming systems, and I was excited at the possibility of visiting the newly opened Nintendo Museum located near their corporate headquarters in Kyoto. However, it did not work out on this trip to make it to the museum, and I wished there was still a way to have a special Nintendo experience while in Japan. Luckily there are 3 official Nintendo stores and one of them is located in Osaka. It was a fun experience to visit the store, shop for souvenirs, and pose with displays for some photos. Across the way from the Nintendo Store was a Pokemon Center which was also enjoyable to stop at while there.
During our visit to Japan many people kept asking us if we planned to visit Tokyo Disneyland or Universal Studios Japan (Osaka). While we initially did not have them on our itinerary because we had been in the United States, so many people kept recommending them that we decided to visit one. Universal Studios Japan is famous for having the first Nintendo World which was not open in the U.S. park when we visited in the past. While it was initially disappointing not to make it to the Nintendo Museum, visiting Nintendo World at Universal Studios ended up being so much fun. The Universal Studios Japan staff were so welcoming and their enthusiasm along with other visitors’ positive attitudes made for a fantastic time at the park.
Even though the Nintendo rides did have some wait times, it wasn’t too bad, and we were easily able to ride all three (Mario Cart: Koopa’s Challenge, Donkey Kong Mine Cart Madness, and Yoshi’s Adventure). Wherever we walked in Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country there were fun interactive displays that made us feel transported to these worlds. There were even fun themed food options that we tried from each area like a Donkey Kong banana milk shake and Yoshi green shell filled with yakisoba. After enjoying Nintendo World we still had time to visit the rest of the areas of the park such as Jurassic Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Amity Village, Hollywood, and Minion Park. Overall it was a great day at Universal Studios Japan and well worth visiting during our time in Osaka.
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Best Thing I Ate This Week
Osaka is Known as the Kitchen of Japan
Before arriving in Osaka, Japan, we already had been told it was famous for its street food and nightlife. Since the food already was amazing so far in Japan, we did not know how it could be any better and were excited to experience the Osaka dining scene ourselves to try as much as we could. On our first night in the city we joined a walking tour that focused on the more hidden aspects of Japanese culture. Our guide, Rico, discussed some of the challenges that the country faces with mental health and population decline which many times goes unnoticed by visitors. Also, he took us through some of the rougher parts of Osaka, and explained about the influence of the Yakuza, Red Light District, karaoke bars, and gambling on life in Osaka.
While Japan on the surface comes off as one of the best functioning societies we have been to, it was interesting to learn that they too have hardships and struggles that need to be addressed. At the end of the tour it concluded in Shinsekai, an entertainment district filled with restaurants, shops, and the iconic Tsutenkaku Tower. Rico explained some of the most popular types of food in Osaka and pointed out restaurants that serve them in this area. He also shared a list of some of his other favorite restaurants in the popular Namba, Dutonbori, and Shinsaibashisuji areas.
Over the course of our visit to Osaka we ate street food, went to casual restaurants and dined at full service places. We made sure to try unique food from Osaka that was new to us and old favorites that were popular all across the country. Some of the most memorable dishes included:
- Okonomiyaki: a savory Japanese pancake in a more solidified form than Monjayaki. There is a rivalry with Hiroshima as to whose style of Okonomiyaki is better
- Takoyaki: popular street food that can be bought in different quantities of freshly made balls of wheat flour filled with octopus (tako)
- Kushiage: a skewer of meat or vegetables that is deep fried and often served with a sauce
- Gyukatsu: breaded beef cutlet normally made with premium wagyu beef that has a crunchy exterior but juicy interior
- Kaitenzushi: maki, nigiri, sashimi, and more that you order from an electronic screen and then is delivered by way of a conveyor belt
- Onigiri: Japanese rice balls generally in a triangle shape that are filled with various ingredients and held together with seaweed
- Shabu Shabu: popular hot pot dish usually served with thinly sliced wagyu beef that you cook inside your broth alongside various vegetables
- Coin Ramen: select your ramen, additional ingredients, and drinks from a classic vending machine that distributes tickets that are given to the chef to make your order
While the dining experiences all stood out there was one drink experience that was memorable as well. There are four major breweries in Japan called Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory. My previous favorite of these four from trying outside of Japan was Asahi which I was sure to confirm while visiting in-person. Upon arriving in Osaka I learned that the Asahi brewery was located there and offered guided tours. Even though the tour was only offered in Japanese, the website said some displays would be in English. This was enough for us to take a visit to see Asahi production in-person. The tour was a fun interactive experience, and did an excellent job promoting the brand. At the end of the tour we had 2 beers included from their tap room including a special extra cold Asahi. It was the best Asahi I have tried, and the top tier white glove service from the bartenders was unparalleled. I left being an even bigger fan of Asahi and happy to have made the visit to the brewery.
Travel Tip of the Week
Visit Nada District in Kobe to Learn about Sake
Kobe Beef is famous around the world and many regard it as the best possible quality beef you can eat. This special beef is a category of marbled Japanese Wagyu Beef that must be from a specific strain of cattle that is raised in the Hyōgo Prefecture around the city of Kobe. Kobe Beef farmers must adhere to incredibly strict quality standards to receive official designation and buyers of the beef receive certification that authenticates its quality. Since this beef is produced around Kobe, many people seek out the city to say they have eaten Kobe beef there. However, this beef is available around Japan and the world in general, so while it can be worthwhile to eat Kobe Beef in Kobe, there are many other reasons to visit the city.
Even though the city is less than an hour away from Kyoto and about 30 minutes from Osaka, it does not receive nearly as many international tourists. This means you can experience Kobe without the major crowds and get a better idea of what life is like in one of Japan’s most important port cities. If you don’t have much time, Kobe could easily be visited on a day trip. However, during our trip we spent 1 night in the city and left wishing that we had allocated more time to exploring it. Some of our favorite activities included:
- Kitano-chō: charming historical neighborhood with foreign homes from the 19th century when Kobe’s port was first opened. Walking around the neighborhood and shops is nice, and for a small fee you can enter many of the historic homes.
- Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens & Ropeway: beautiful gardens alongside the mountains with walking trails. We found it enjoyable to take the ropeway up to the top for incredible views and then walk down through the gardens to a lower station
- Kobe Chinatown: compact collection of Chinese restaurants and shops where you can experience the unique mix of Japanese and Chinese culture
- Meriken Park: relaxing waterfront park with a memorial to a devastating earthquake and fun photo opportunities such as the Kobe sign, Kobe Port Tower, or Kobe skyline
We did not have time to fully explore Kobe, such as the various viewpoints of Mount Rokko, historical shrines, or popular Arima Onsen during our visit. However, our favorite experience in Kobe was exploring the Nada District which is known for producing some of the best sake in Japan. It is said that the sake is best here because of the water that comes down from the mountains, and the expertise of the sake masters that work at the over 20 breweries.
We visited the Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewery Museum to learn more from their free exhibit about the sake process. While there they offered us to join 2 free tours of their facility, both in Japanese, but we decided to join both since the Asahi Brewery was so enjoyable. The first tour went into their barrel making facility, where we could watch their expert craftsmen that still make the special barrels by hand. Afterwards we sampled some of the sake that was from these barrels and it was delicious.
The next tour was led by the sake master himself, and went to an area that showed the evolution of sake through the different special glasses over the years. A nice woman on the tour wanted to practice her English so helped translate which was very kind. The sake master kept remarking to her about the size of my hands and needing to find a bigger cup for me which was very funny. At the end of this tour we also sampled more sake from the sake master himself. We had such a great experience on the tours that we had to buy his number 1 best seller sake as a souvenir which made him so happy.
Since we had stayed at the first location so long we only had time for 1 more sake brewery and went to Hamafukutsuru. They were getting ready to close for the day but offered us an opportunity to sample their award winning sake. There was also a self guided tour of their actual production facility which was informative and brought together what we learned at the last brewery. We could have spent a whole day in the Nada District visiting the different sake breweries and just coming here was well worth a visit to Kobe to better appreciate the sake culture of Japan.