Japan Trip Day 4 — Osaka (Dotonbori, Shinsekai, Osaka Castle)
On the 24th of July, I finally visited the main objective of this Kansai trip, Osaka. More specifically, I visited notable tourist attractions and landmarks within Osaka’s vast city, including Dotonbori, Shinsekai, Tsutenkaku Tower, and Osaka Castle.
After riding on the JR Special Rapid Service Train (JR Kobe Line) and the Osaka Subway (Midosuji Line), I arrived at Namba Station for our first destination, which was Dotonbori, described as the “Big Heart of Osaka” in one blog article.
Dotonbori is essentially a large commercial and shopping district of Osaka, comparable to Shibuya in Tokyo or any downtown area in North American cities. As such, it is a huge tourist attraction (a must-go destination) for anyone visiting the region, including myself.
After a few minutes walk from the station, I saw the famous scene of the Dotonbori canal and the giant “Glico Running Man” billboard unfold in front of me.
At first, I visited the Takoyaki Juhachiban stand and ordered the variety combo consisting of the classic, green onion topped, and salt flavours. The Takoyakis were immaculate with their crusty outside, soft inside, and chewy octopus filling.
Next, I visited Don Quijote, an absolute must-go store for fair-priced Japanese goods in almost every category and for gifts to bring back home. The store is essentially Daiso but with goods from various named brands, not just Daiso. With no exaggeration, everyone except one person (my Japanese friend) in the store was Korean, to the point where staff members made live announcements in Korean. From there, I bought some skincare products for my acne-infested face and an electric eyelash shaver because it looked cool.
Outside Don Quijote was the famous 10-yen Cheese Pancake stand, which I tried one of. It was the taste of an American pancake but with a crunchy outside and cheese fillings which made it even tastier.
As if that wasn’t enough food for the day, I went to try the Kushikatsu, an assortment of deep-fried meat and vegetable skewers served on a single dish. The combo I ordered also came with an unknown soup with a seemingly sweet soy sauce base, fatty port, and Konjac. This dish was amazing but did leave me feeling overloaded with grease near the end.
Whilist struggling with an extremely full stomach, I once again got on the train and arrived at Tennoji station to visit the Shinsekai street markets and the Tsutenkaku Tower.
I walked through what seemed like a traditional Japanese street market (Kuromon Market) and also played a gun-shooting carnival game where I won no prizes.
After a few minutes of walking, we arrived at the Tsutenkaku Tower for the famous observation deck above Osaka. I actually booked the premium ticket which gives access to the outdoor upper-deck. The view of the city absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing. I never realized how large as a city Osaka actually was.
With the Tsutenkaku Tower off the list, we walked around Osaka and visited the Abeno Q’s Mall for a quick walk and a break from the heat.
I hopped on a train once again for Osaka Castle this time. We arrived around 5:30~6pm to avoid the heat and large crowds.
Upon arrival, I walked through a beautiful park full of trees and a lake where the Osaka Castle could be seen from a distance. I took this picture as we crossed the stone bridge across the river and towards the castle.
I also took a more detailed photo up close, which was even more stunning, with the blues of the screen and greens of the grass creating a beautiful medieval scenery.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t enter the castle as tourist operations ended at 5 pm that day.
To wrap up the eventful day, I dined at a small Okonomiyaki and Yakisoba restaurant with a few customers. The place was operated by a lovely middle-aged lady and a young man in the kitchen. Even though my Japanese accent was obviously that of a foreigner, she was very accommodating and responded with a smile. The food was amazing, albeit it took an unusually long time to prepare even though we were their only customers.
Anyways, that’s all of my Osaka trip. I’ll be back with another story. Until then, good night~
