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Osaka is one of my favorite cities to visit in Japan! It's a short 15 minute bullet train ride from Kyoto. We went to Osaka multiple times while in Japan in 2019 and during 2023.
1. Super Nintendo World
To attend you join an app when you enter the park and apply for a timed entry pass. Or you can purchase an express pass with timed entry to different rides that guarantee entry into Super Nintendo world which is what I did. You can purchase it on the USJ website but be warned the English site is super glitchy and the express passes sell out pretty fast. If you can I would navigate to the Japanese site and purchase there or use klook. The Mario themed food was great and the rides were fun! I think the power up bands can be fun but they were pretty expensive for just being able to interact with the park. Warning to not take photos of the actual ride. If you're visiting in winter, try to visit before sunset. You can purchase tickets here.
Location: 2 Chome-1-33 Sakurajima, Konohana Ward, Osaka, 554-0031, Japan
2. Moeyo Mensuke
@moeyomensuke or @moemen423 is a popular ramen shop in osaka that sells duck based ramen. Honestly, it was the best ramen I ate in Japan so far. The rich broth blew me away. Cash only and the wait is about 1 hr, get here early. Get the kishu duck ramen, the special one sells out fast so I recommend getting the ajitama one and adding Iberico pork and duck charsiu!
tabelog: Moeyomensuke
location: 5 Chome-12-21 Fukushima, Fukushima Ward, Osaka, 553-0003, Japan
3. JTRRD Cafe
@jtrrd is a must. I believe there’s multiple locations but they have art inspired desserts and they are all very delicious. The parfait was clearly one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. We also got their seasonal tiger smoothie. They hand painted the stripes onto the glass.
tabelog: JTRRD Cafe
Location: Japan, 〒530-0043 Osaka, Kita Ward, Tenma, 3 Chome−4−5 タツタビル 1F
4. Jump Shop!
I recommend visiting this one and pairing it with the Pokémon center nearby. It’s a must if you are looking for anime and manga themed goods.
Location: Japan, 〒530-0011 Osaka, Kita Ward, Kakudacho, 5−15 HEP FIVE 6F
5. Visiting Dotonbori!
Dotonbori like the Times Square of japan. There’s tons of Japanese aesthetic things and delicious foods.
Location: 1 Chome Dotonbori, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0071, Japan
6. Trying Kushikatsu
It’s basically breaded and fried things on a stick. Daruma is a good first place to try it, it’s fast and cheap. There’s like 3-5 locations in Dotombori alone so don’t worry about wait times.
tabelog: Daruma KushiKatsu
Location: Japan, 〒542-0071 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Dotonbori, 1 Chome−6−8 道頓堀だるまビル 2F
7. Fishing in Dotonbori
This isn’t necessarily a must but I thought it was fun! You get a prize if you catch a fish. You can pay per 30 minutes. They give you a bowl of fish food that you roll into balls and use to fish. For each fish you catch you win a prize. Unfortunately, I didn't catch anything.
Location: Japan, 〒542-0086 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Nipponbashi, 1 Chome−1−13, Sotetsu Grand Frésa, B1F
8. Trying Okonomiyaki or Takoyaki
There’s tons of takoyaki stalls in Dotombori and I’ve tried 4 of them and so far I like Wanaka Takoyaki the most! The crisp exterior is a must! I tried okonomiyaki last time so I focused more on takoyaki. We tried Chibo Okonomiyaki in 2019, they cook it in front of you!
Wanaka Takoyaki Location: 1 Chome-6-7 Dotonbori, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0086, Japan
Chibo Okonomiyaki Location: Japan, 〒542-0071 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Dotonbori, 1 Chome−5−5 1～6F 道頓堀ビル
9. Visiting the Osaka Aquarium
I recommend going early and purchasing tickets in advance. This is one of the best aquariums in the world. I came here specifically because i wanted to see a whale shark.
Location: 1 Chome-1-10 Kaigandori, Minato Ward, Osaka, 552-0022, Japan
10. Umeda Sky Building
Make sure to get here to watch the sunset. The view is breathtaking.
Location: 1 Chome-1-88 Oyodonaka, Kita Ward, Osaka, 531-6023, Japan
Click here to check out my guide for Kyoto
Click here to check out my guide for Kawaguchiko
Click here to check out my tips for visiting japan.
Click here to check out my guide to Tokyo
