Things to do in Osaka Japan / Street Food / Japan Travel Guide for First-Time Travelers

Things to do in Osaka 62 recommended spots Samurai Junjiro Channel Hi, I'm Akane Maru, born and raised in Japan This time we'll introduce some recommended spots in Osaka It takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes to get to Shin-Osaka station from Tokyo station by Shinkansen It takes about 25 minutes by train to get to Shin-Osaka station from Kyoto station First stop is Osaka castle To get to Osaka castle from Shin-Osaka station Go to Osaka station and transfer to the Osaka loop line then get off at Osaka-Jo Kouen station It takes about 20 minutes Besides Osaka-Jo Kouen station, there are several other nearby stations like Morinomiya station So it's better to check google maps before you go All right, let's head to Osaka castle The area around Osaka castle is a park and there is lush greenery It's about twice the size of Universal Studios Japan It's very spacious. So we recommend taking a ride on the train shaped shuttle for getting around The fare is 400 yen Just after getting off the train shaped shuttle, you'll find a bridge leading towards Osaka castle There is a moat surrounding the castle where you can take a boat ride The fare is 1500 yen and you can board without a reservation Now let's enter Osaka castle You'll need to purchase a ticket to enter. The admission fee is 600 yen There is a line at the ticket counter and you may have to wait for over 40 minutes to purchase tickets If you don't want to wait in line, it's recommended to purchase tickets from the official website You can purchase online tickets even right before entering and it takes about five minutes There are stairs and elevators and the elevators are available only for going up But the elevator only goes up to the fifth floor So you'll have to take the stairs from there to the top floor on the eighth Osaka castle is the tallest castle in Japan. So the view is really great You can enjoy a panoramic view of Osaka One of the recommended spots inside the castle is the second floor You can wear a kabuto and hold a katana like a samurai The fee is 500 yen. And if you add a photo shoot, it's 1500 yen Osaka castle is spacious and offers many attractions So including travel time from the station sightseeing will take about three hours Next is the Umeda sky building The nearest station is Osaka station about 10 minutes from Shin-Osaka The closest exit is sakurabashi exit It's about a 10 minute walk from the station The entrance to the observation deck is on the third floor. It's open from 9 30 a.m To 10 30 p.m every day Take the elevator to the 35th floor then use the escalator to reach the observation deck The escalator which is glass walled on both sides is thrilling You can purchase tickets here The admission fee is 1500 yen for adults You can enjoy views of the city of osaka while indoors here It's about three times the height of osaka castle at the top of the stairs is the skywalk It's a circular observation deck located on the rooftop where you can enjoy unobstructed views of the scenery It feels really nice because you can enjoy the scenery while feeling the refreshing breeze If you want to enjoy the scenery an hour should be enough to have a good time We'll introduce two recommended shops located near the umeda sky building They are located on the 13th floor of daimaru the department store directly connected to the station First up is nintendo osaka It's an official store of nintendo and there are only three locations in japan tokyo Kyoto and osaka You'll find lots of character merchandise that you can only get in japan You can also play games here. There are many cute statues. So take some photos Next to nintendo osaka is the pokemon center osaka There is another pokemon center in osaka But this one is larger and has a wider variety of products. You'll find plenty of adorable pokemon items here Next is the longest shopping street in japan The nearest station is temma station located about 15 minutes from shin osaka station You'll find the shopping street right near the station This is tenjinbashisuji shopping street the longest in japan It's about 1.6 miles and there are about 600 shops We'll introduce four shops where you can enjoy delicious food at affordable prices First up is la croissant. It's a popular bakery where you can enjoy freshly baked bread The most popular one is the croissant It's surprising that it's only 50 yen for one It has a nice aroma of butter. The outside is crispy and the inside is fluffy and delicious Next is abeno dango honpo a specialty shop for dango. You can have dango for 120 yen It's generously coated with soybean flour giving it a nice aroma It has a chewy texture and an addictive taste Next up is nakamuraya the specialty shop for fried foods. We'll introduce the most popular croquette It's 90 yen. It's freshly fried. So it's crispy It has a sweet flavor and it's just right for when you're a little hungry Next is issenya the okonomiyaki specialty shop The okonomiyaki is delicious, but the most popular is the issen yaki Cabbage and egg are sandwiched in wheat flour batter. The aroma of the sauce stimulates your appetite It's delicious with a rich flavor If you visit tenjinbashisuji shopping street, be sure to check out osaka tenmangu shrine as well It's a historic shrine said to have been established around the year 650 It brings blessings for career advancement and matchmaking Admission is free. So be sure to stop by if you visit this area Next is the shinsekai area where there is tsutenkaku tower To get to shinsekai from shin osaka station Take the midosuji line and get off at dobutsu enmae station. It takes about 20 minutes with no transfers Shinsekai is located about a five minute walk in the direction of tsutenkaku tower Tsutenkaku tower has an observatory and the admission fee is 1000 yen for adults and 500 yen for children Shinsekai is a downtown area making it a recommended spot if you want to enjoy a lively atmosphere There are fewer people compared to dotonbori, but it's a famous place in osaka The tennoji zoo is about a five minute walk from dobutsu enmae station The admission fee is 500 yen for adults It's the third oldest zoo in japan housing about 200 species and a thousand animals Abeno harukas is located about a 10 minute walk from tennoji zoo It's a complex commercial facility that opened in 2014 And is directly connected to tennoji station. It's currently the second tallest building in japan The must visit spot here is the observation deck First take the elevator to the 16th floor. On this floor There is a garden where you can enter for free This garden is located at the height of about 80 meters, which is higher than osaka castle Now let's head to the observation deck. The admission fee is 2000 yen for adults You can buy tickets online in advance, but the ticket counter doesn't usually have long lines So it's also okay to buy them on the day of your visit You'll arrive from the 16th floor to the 60th floor in about 45 seconds by elevator This is the harukasu 300 observatory It's located at a height of 300 meters above ground Which is about five times the height of osaka castle and about twice the height of the umeda sky building You can enjoy special views that can't be seen elsewhere The 60th floor is indoors, but the 58th floor is open air You can feel the breeze while spending time here. So it's relaxing. You'll have plenty of fun in about an hour We'll introduce six recommended shops in the shinsekai area First up is shinsekai kankan, a takoyaki shop. You can enjoy classic takoyaki topped with sauce and bonito flakes The outside is crispy and the inside has melt-in-your-mouth texture Next up is umaibo shop It's a snack specialty store operated by the company that produces umaibo, a classic snack in japan Umaibo has various flavors, but the most popular one is the corn soup flavor The sweetness of the corn and the crispy texture are addictive In addition to this there are unique flavors like teriyaki burger By the way on the second floor of this store, there is a pringles store There are many items featuring designs based on pringles packaging Takoyaki flavored pringles are exclusive to the kansai area It has a rich flavor of sauce and mayonnaise similar to takoyaki Next up is kitaya, a takoyaki shop We recommend janjan yaki, which is made by pressing eggs green onions and takoyaki together and grilling them It has cheese in it and is creamy It also contains finely chopped potatoes and konjac giving it a nice texture Next up is kankando The gura gura tsutenkaku, a bite-sized castella cake screwed on a stick is popular on social media It's made with high quality brand eggs. So it has a rich egg flavor It's not just the appearance but the taste is great too, so it's worth trying The last shop in this area is nikunosakamoto, a specialty shop for fried food We'll introduce two recommended menu items at this shop The first one is the most popular croquette It's freshly fried so it's great that it's piping hot and has a crispy texture It's filled with plenty of minced meat giving it a juicy flavor Next is the beef cutlet sandwich made with beef fillet The slightly spicy sauce goes well with the beef fillet. It's a popular shop So you may have to wait for over 30 minutes, but it's worth it Next is the osaka port area where one of the largest aquariums in the world is located It takes about 30 minutes by train from shinosaka station to osakako station via honmachi station Tempoza marketplace is located about a five minute walk from the station It's a commercial facility with many shops including restaurants and souvenir shops. In the center of the building There is a ferris wheel. The ticket is 900 yen for adults Riding it during the day is nice, but you can enjoy an even more fantastical atmosphere at night There is a place called naniwa kuishinbo yokocho where you can find many restaurants There are 15 shops where you can eat osaka specialties. By the way, many shops close around 7 p.m So it's recommended to go early In this place there is also a legoland discovery center It's an indoor entertainment facility where you can play with lego and watch 4d videos The admission fee ranges from 2,200 yen to 3,280 yen You can enter the shop area even without a ticket Next is kaiyukan the aquarium located right in front of tempoza marketplace the admission fee varies depending on the date ranging from 2,700 yen to 3,500 yen. Let's head inside the aquarium This aquarium is designed for visitors to walk and tour from the upper floors to the lower floors There are not only fish but also about 620 species and around 30 000 creatures It's the second largest aquarium in japan One of the most popular spots is the tank with the whale sharks The whale shark is very large and seeing it up close is impressive In addition to that there are other rare creatures not commonly seen in other aquariums As well as animals popular among children. This aquarium is very spacious So it takes about two hours to see everything Universal studios japan is located near kaiyukan We'll briefly explain how to get to universal studios japan First you'll head to osaka station from shin osaka station Take the train on platform one then transfer to the train on the opposite side of the platform at nishikujo station It takes about 30 minutes from shin osaka station to universal city station It's about a 10 minute walk from the station to universal studios japan the admission fee varies depending on the day ranging from 8,600 yen to 10,900 yen for adults by the way Donkey kong country is scheduled to open in super nintendo world I'm, not sure about the details, but it seems it will open this year Universal studios japan offers many attractions and areas not found in other countries So you can enjoy the entire day. We'll introduce seven recommended foods that we want you to try First up is the pie you can buy in the harry potter area Inside is filled with plenty of minced meat seasoned with tomato sauce. It has a nice aroma of butter and olive oil Next is the hello kitty chinese bun Inside there is minced pork flavored with cheese It's not only cute, but you can also enjoy an authentic taste Next up is a donut illustrated with snoopy Inside the dough there is whipped cream and chocolate chips. It's sweet and delicious Next is the chinese bun shaped like minion's face. The filling is curry with a nice aroma It has sweetness so even kids can enjoy it Next is the pork wrap. It's tender with just the right amount of fat Particularly popular food is the turkey leg. It's smoked slowly giving it a wonderful aroma The flavor of the meat fills your mouth The last one is a pancake sandwich shaped like mario's hat It's filled with whipped cream custard cream and strawberry jam. It's the kind of food that makes you want to take lots of photos Next up is tsuruhashi, which is one of the largest korean towns in japan The nearest station is tsuruhashi station, which is about 25 minutes by train from shinosaka station Tsuruhashi shopping street is located right in front of the station This area began to flourish as korean town around 1946 And even today there are many shops There is osaka korean town located about a 10 minute walk from tsuruhashi station Compared to the shopping street introduced earlier. There are many stores for young people making it lively We'll introduce four recommended shops in the tsuruhashi area First up is dechoruha pegopa. It's a place where you can enjoy samgyeopsal But this time we'll introduce the cheesecake that is popular on social media It's shaped like cheese just like something you'd see in an anime and it's cute The cheesecake is smooth and the texture of the cookies adds a nice accent. It's so cute You just want to take picture Next is doishoten. You can enjoy freshly grilled chijimi There are five varieties available and we chose the seafood chijimi The sweetness of the shrimp and squid along with the chewy texture of the dough makes it delicious It feels like being in korea Next is hiyoko kimbap It's a specialty shop for kimbap and is popular on social media for its cute interior This time we chose the classic kimbap It has a wonderful aroma of sesame oil The texture of the egg and vegetables is great and it's delicious The last shop in this area is jonno hot dog It's an especially popular shop among young people offering korean food that is perfect for a food tour This time we'll introduce the potato corn dog with mozzarella cheese After generously coating it with sugar add some ketchup and mustard and it's ready to eat The crispy texture and the sweetness of the sugar are addictive The melted mozzarella cheese is incredible. If you visit tsuruhashi, we highly recommend trying it Next we'll introduce popular spots around dotonbori First up is nanba yasaka shrine Nanba yasaka shrine is located about a five minute walk from nanba station There are no detailed records of when it was built But it's a historic shrine said to have been built around 1070. The highlight of this shrine is the shishi den It's shaped like a lion's face and it's a popular photo spot Not widely known, but the eyes are lights and the nose is speaker Next up is akichi located about a seven minute walk from nanba station It's an instagrammable spot with colorful walls. We'll introduce a shop located here It's sakimoto bakery. There are various kinds of bread, but the sole truffle bread is especially popular It has a nice aroma of truffle and fermented butter. The outside is crispy and the inside is fluffy It's simple but very delicious Next up is amerikamura located about a 10 minute walk from the dotonbori area Amerikamura is an area for younger people with plenty of used clothes shops and record shops It's a recommended place if you want to buy clothes. We'll briefly introduce three shops for foods in this area First one is shiroichi a soft serve ice cream specialty shop Their soft serve has a crunchy texture of crushed ice and you can enjoy the rich taste of milk Next to shiroichi is strawberry fetish Their most popular strawberry candy has a crispy texture on the outside and strawberry juice fills your mouth The last shop in this area is bpc donuts. We'll briefly introduce two kinds This one is a cream donut The dough is fermented so you can enjoy a chewy texture The cream inside has a nice aroma of vanilla beans This donut is filled with pistachio cream The rich flavor of pistachio spreads in your mouth Next up is kuromon market where you can enjoy fresh seafood dishes We'll briefly explain how to get to kuromon market Take the midosuji line subway from shin osaka station to nanba station from nanba station Walk through the underground passage called nanba walk to nipponbashi station right near exit 10 of nipponbashi station You'll find the entrance to kuromon market. It takes about 30 minutes in total from shin osaka station By the way, you can walk there from dotonbori in about 10 minutes This is kuromon market It's a market that has over 200 years of history and there are over 150 shops At kuromon market many shops close around 5 or 6 p.m So if you want to enjoy food tour, you should go early. We'll briefly introduce nine popular shops First up is shin uoe, a seafood specialty store We'll introduce two dishes from this shop. Let's start with the skewered eel It's just the right amount of fat and melts in your mouth Next up is the crab stick The crab flavor spreads throughout your mouth Next up is manno sou honten, the butcher shop. After buying the meat they grill it on the spot Japanese wagyu is marbled, but the aftertaste is refreshing Next is oire, a cafe popular among locals. This place is famous for sandwiches The tonkatsu sandwich is juicy and goes well with the sweet sauce. The tamagoyaki is thick and fluffy Next up is uomaru, a specialty shop for sashimi. The tuna and sea urchin are especially known for being delicious The fat of tuna has sweetness and a rich flavor. The rich taste of the sea urchin fills your mouth Next up is and, a specialty store for croissant The croissants at this store are made with butter and milk from Hokkaido It contains salt so it enhances the sweetness of the butter Next is kushisei, a specialty store for seafood grilling. We highly recommend the scallops It's plump and has a sweetness Next is kuroman burger makotoya, a place where you can enjoy hamburgers and taiyaki The unique taiyaki filled with minced beef patty and cheddar cheese is recommended This taiyaki tastes like a hamburger Next up is a kashin sou honten, a seafood specialty shop The freshly grilled oysters have a rich flavor. You can enjoy it at an affordable price The last shop in this area is osaka maimon sushi This time we'll introduce two dishes that you can enjoy in front of the shop Let's start with the crab gratin It's baked with plenty of flake crab meat and crab miso on top of the gratin Once you take a bite, the rich crab flavor fills your mouth The next is a seafood bowl topped with plenty of salmon and salmon roe The salmon has just the right amount of fat and a rich flavor The salmon roe is seasoned with a rich flavor of soy sauce and it goes perfectly with the rice The last place is dotonbori, the most visited area by tourists in osaka We'll briefly explain how to get there Take the midosuji line subway from shin osaka station and get off at nanba station It's about a 15 minute ride The closest exit to the dotonbori area is exit 14 at nanba station It's about a two minute walk from there to the main area of dotonbori This is the most popular tourist spot in osaka There are many restaurants making it a great place for a food tour We'll briefly introduce 22 recommended shops in this area First up is wano mia, a specialty restaurant for kobe beef. We recommend the kobe beef sushi The meat has a rich taste with subtle sweetness. It's nice that you can easily enjoy premium kobe beef Next is kanidoraku, a specialty restaurant for crab dishes You should try the kaniman steamed right in front of the store Inside there is plenty of crab meat. It has a sweetness and the aroma of crab spreads in your mouth Next up is rikuro ojisan no mise. It's a cheesecake specialty shop with a line every day The sponge cake is fluffy and has a melting texture Underneath that there are raisins adding a fruity and subtle tartness giving it a nice accent Next up is anjuru no egg tart The classic egg tart has a rich flavor of egg and tastes delicious There are also caramel chocolate and matcha flavors available. So give them a try The next place is this shop called kyabetsu yaki. We'll introduce kyabetsu yaki, a specialty food at this shop It's made with cabbage and wheat flour dough mixed with japanese style broth It's topped with sauce. So it has a taste similar to okonomiyaki Next up is kin no tori kara, a karaage shop The karaage at this shop is smaller in size and shaped like sticks making it easy to eat You can freely season it with seven different sauces and seasonings The special spices and chocolate sauce are available. So you should try them Next up is ganso puria, a specialty shop for pudding This pudding doesn't contain caramel sauce so you can enjoy the flavor of eggs and milk It's creamy and melts in your mouth Next we'll introduce gogoichi horai. It's a specialty shop for pork buns always with long lines By the way around 4 pm is the busiest time So it's recommended to visit around opening time at 10 am The dough of pork buns at this shop is fluffy and moist The savory juices from the pork and onions fill their mouth The shumai and meatballs are also delicious. So give them a try Next up is osaka osho, a specialty restaurant for chinese dishes There are a variety of dishes, but we recommend trying the classic gyoza The skin is chewy, but it has a crispy sear Inside there is pork, cabbage, garlic, and ginger making it juicy Next up is this shop daiyo cheese jyuen pan It's a place where you can have bread shaped like a 10 yen coin and it's very popular on social media The saltiness of the cheese and the sweetness of the dough are a perfect match Next is strawberry mania, a specialty shop for strawberry desserts You should try the matcha flavor strawberry daifuku It doesn't have bitterness and has a rich matcha flavor Next is hirota, a pastry shop. The most popular item is the cream puff It's crispy on the outside But fluffy on the inside. The whipped cream is made with fresh cream from hokkaido giving it a natural sweetness The next shop is kushikatsu daruma It's a kushikatsu deep fried skewers specialty restaurant with the standout sign in the dotonbori area The kushikatsu of beef fillet shrimp and cheese is recommended Give them a try with some drinks The next place is kinryu ramen It's a ramen shop with a dragon sign. The ramen soup at this shop combines pork bone and soy sauce The chashu pork has just the right amount of fat and melts in your mouth The thin noodles are coated well with the soup and delicious Finally we'll introduce eight takoyaki shops There are plenty of takoyaki shops in dotonbori So you might wonder which one to go to We've tried almost all the famous takoyaki there. So please check out our reviews for reference We included google maps links in the description box making it very convenient if you save them to your favorites First up is dotonbori kukuru. This is the main store. So you might wait for over an hour The takoyaki at this shop is not too crispy It's drizzled with white wine. So it has a fruity aroma You can enjoy a melt-in-your-mouth texture. It's a bit pricey, but it's popular with tourists Next up is honke otako. It's the oldest takoyaki shop in the dotonbori area established in 1972 This one is chewy rather than a melt-in-your-mouth texture The octopus at this shop is large. So it has a nice plump texture The next shop is kureoru It's a popular shop located in the center of the dotonbori area always bustling with the long lines Their takoyaki sauce is sweet. The size is large, but the price is affordable The most popular item at this shop is the takoyaki topped with soft boiled egg and green onions The texture of the green onions is nice when you have it with the soft boiled egg. It's even creamier The next shop is takohachi This shop uses a griddle made of copper not iron when making takoyaki By using that and carefully grilling it artisans create fluffy takoyaki The surface is not crispy and the inside has a creamy texture almost like a drink The sauce has a mild spiciness and a fruity flavor By the way, there are also takosen where takoyaki is sandwiched between rice crackers. So give it a try Next up is juuhachiban It's a shop that frequently gets featured on social media and always has a line It's better to go a little before the opening time at 11 a.m We recommend trying the takoyaki where you can enjoy two flavors sauce and salt The feature is that it contains plenty of tempura bits, which makes it crispy The next shop is achichi honpo It opens at 10 a.m But on Fridays and Saturdays it opens at 9 a.m Making it a great choice if you want to eat takoyaki early The most popular one is the takoyaki with sauce and mayonnaise on top You can taste the sweet broth in the sauce The texture of the green onions and the subtle spiciness adds a nice accent Next up is odori jako The feature of this shop is that each takoyaki includes a whole small octopus We recommend the takoyaki where you can enjoy two flavors Soy sauce and sauce. The surface is crispy and the inside has a chewy texture There is one whole octopus, but it's tender and delicious The last shop is wanaka The main store has been listed in the michelin guide for three years in a row and always has long lines We recommend trying the takoyaki where you can enjoy four flavors sauce soy sauce green onion salt and spicy cod roe mayonnaise The outside is crispy and the inside has a melting texture This shop is popular not only among tourists, but also among locals Our recommendations are takohachi and kureoru If you know any other delicious takoyaki shops, let us know in the comments Well, that's all for today See you in the next video. Bye. Bye