Osaka, Japan
Osaka was our first stop in Japan. Landing at Kansai International Airport. The 20-hour flight with a stop in Dubai along with the 9 hour time difference took its toll so we headed straight from the airport to central Osaka.
We flew from London Heathrow to Kansai Airport via Dubai international airport with Emirates Airline. This was the longest flight we’ve been on, but we were able to reset and get enough sleep on the way.
From the airport we picked up our train passes and took the ‘Hello Kitty’ themed train directly to Osaka. We’d be staying at the IAM HOTEL in central Osaka’s Chuo Ward.
After dropping off our bags, we headed out to see the city and grab some food. Stopping at Acchichi Honpo Dotonbori for Octopus balls and beers and taking a walk around the Dotonbori Bridge area.
We Picked up some snacks from a shop near out hotel and retired after a long day of traveling.
After a good night’s rest, we were a bit more used to the time difference of the UK and Japan.
We headed out for a morning walk and to find some breakfast.
We stopped at Karahori Toast Cafe Fine where we had sandwiches with the fluffiest bread I’ve ever had. All made and served by one woman. I fully recommend this place if you are in the area.
Before heading to Osaka Castle we visited the Namba Yasaka Shrine. It has a huge 12 meter tall lion-shaped stage next to the shrine and is well worth the visit.
At shrines like this one it’s fairly common to be able to receive paper fortunes (Omikuji). If it’s a good one, people tend to take it with them. If not so good, they are often tied it up on the ropes in hope that it doesn’t come true.
If going in the January there is a Tug-of-war ritual and if going in July there is a summer festival taking place at this shrine.
Osaka castle was a very impressive sight and seeing this 400+ year old castle against the modern backdrop of Osaka was amazing. We spent hours walking around the 15-acre grounds and sounding gardens. You could easily spend a whole day here.
The weather was still quite warm at around 18 degrees in mid-November. Happy to be here to see the colour changes of the trees as we travel though the country.
Once done with Osaka castle we headed back to Central Osaka to explore a bit more and drop off our bags.
We took the time to jump on the Ebisu Tower Ferris Wheel for some great views of Dotonbori and beyond.
After a bit more exploring and we visited Kingemon Dotombori for ramen. After some confusion with the vending machine based ordering system, we were served a lot more food than we expected but after a long day this was not a problem.
After too much ramen there was only one thing left to do, find some dessert.
We took a short walk to
Naruto Taiyaki Hompo for some custard and bean paste Taikyaki ( a fish-shaped cake filled with various things).
Great to watch them being made in front of us.
A warm and delicious treat on a cold autumn evening.
We headed back to the hotel via the Hozenji Mizukake Fudoson Temple, It’s a little out of the way but worth seeing.
We made sure to get some sleep before traveling to Koyasan in the morning.
Overview
We Stayed at: IAM HOTEL for two nights in Dotonbori.
We visited: Namba Yasaka Shrine, Osaka castle, Ebisu Tower Ferris Wheel, Hozenji Mizukake Fudoson Temple
We ate at: Acchichi Honpo Dotonbori, Karahori Toast Cafe Fine, Kingemon Dotombori, Naruto Taiyaki Hompo
Next Stop: Koyasan
Subscribe to the blog and follow us on Instagram to keep up with our adventures.
