This itinerary was built for two full days in Osaka, although we might recommend three full days if possible. Osaka was, without a doubt, our favorite destination in Japan. Spend as much time as you’re willing to give wandering its streets deep into the early morning, stepping into izakayas and kushiage (or kushikatsu) restaurants at every opportunity.

Detail 1

• Leave Tokyo early in the morning (6 AM) for Osaka

• Arrive in Osaka at 9 AM

• Drop off bags at HOTEL THE FLAG Shinsaibashi

• Spice Kitchen South Park

• Umeda Sky Building

  • At 173 meters high, the Sky Building is only the 19th tallest building in Osaka but still has one of the most popular views in town. Predominantly an office building, its main feature is the Floating Garden Observatory, or Kuchu-Teien Tenbodai. The trip to the top is not for the faint of heart. Take a glass elevator all the way to the 35th floor, from which you can take a glass-encased escalator to the 39th floor. Here you will find an inside observatory from which to take in the view away from the elements. On this floor you can also find Sangu, a Cantonese-style restaurant, as well as the Sky Lounge Stardust, both of which feature premium views of the city.

  • The 40th floor features an outdoor observation deck from which you can get a 360-degree view of downtown Osaka and its surroundings (some say you can see all the way to Awaji Island on a clear day). Of course the view is epic at any hour, but it’s especially magical at dusk and after sunset, when the lights of the city twinkle around you. Stop by SKY40 Cafe for an assortment of drinks, alcohol, and sweets.

  • The basement of the Sky Building contains the Takimi-Koji gourmet market, which features built-in alleyways that replicate the retro streets of early Showa-era Osaka. Outside is a carefully landscaped urban garden with a flowing river, waterfall, flower beds, and walking trails.

• Lucia1100, Station City

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• Shinsekai

  • Shinsekai (新世界, lit. "New World") is a district in Osaka that was developed before the war and then neglected in the decades afterwards. At the district's center stands Tsutenkaku Tower, the nostalgia-evoking symbol of Shinsekai.

  • The area was developed into its current layout following the success of the 1903 National Industrial Exposition, which brought over five million people to the neighborhood within just five months. Shortly after the expo closed its doors, work began to improve and update Shinsekai.

  • Zuboraya restaurant for fugu (food)

  • Indoor mall for “B-Gourmet” (cheap tasty food): Janjan Yokocho

    • Takoyaki

    • Kushikatsu (Kushiage) from anywhere

  • Sennariya Cafe/Coffee for “mix juice“: Osaka is home to a special kind of juice called 'Mix Juice,' which is made of many different fruits. Osaka is really famous for its Mix Juice! This store, Sennariya Coffee, a famous kissaten (old Japanese cafe) is where Mix Juice was born! Make sure to check out when you are in the area!

  • Isshinji Temple

    • They also have Shinsekai Inari Shrine, where they have Omikuji made of stones. Omikuji is like a fortune cookie, but instead of cookies normally you shake a box filled with papers with numbers written on them, and you would get a number, then get exchanged with Omikuji, that tells your luck for the year. It is popular and people usually do it on new years.

    • Shinsekai Inari has a rare Omikuji! It is a form of roulette, where you spin the roulette made of stones, and you refer the number you got to the ones written on the board, and you'll see your luck.

  • Shitennoji Temple (famous Goju no Tou, five-storied pagoda)

    • Another famous temple in Shinsekai is called Shitennoji Temple. It was built by Shotoku Taishi, who was a legendary politician and prince during the Asuka period in Japan. Aside from all of the legendary work that he did in Asuka period, he was also famous for his ability to understand 10 people talking at the same time! Shitennoji Temple is an old temple with a long history and is located in the middle of the city. Make sure to check it out when you're in the area!

Detail 3

• Abeno harukas (tallest skyscraper in Osaka)

  • The observation deck is called "Harukas 300" and occupies the building's top three floors (floors 58 to 60). The observation deck is accessed by elevators from the 16th floor. With large floor-to-ceiling glass panels all around, the 60th floor offers 360 degree views of Osaka, while the 58th floor features an attractively designed inner court with a wooden deck and cafe. A souvenir shop and restrooms with views are also available.

• Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Department Store (get there before 7 PM, things start closing at 8 PM) is the largest department store in Japan. Covering over 100,000 square meters of retail space, it comprises of two buildings, tower and wing. The tower building carries many international brands, has two floors dedicated to interior and furnishing, two food floors in the basement, as well as three floors of restaurants. The interior is aesthetically designed, combining art and functionality.

• Back to Osaka

• Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (already have tickets from Voyagin for Saturday, December 28; closes at 8 PM?)

• Dinner: chicken yakitori at Torisho Ishii

• Misono Building (bars on 2F)

  • With a waterfall and a grand, spiralling staircase out front, the Misono Building (built c 1956) was once a symbol of the high life. It's now fallen into a kind of decadent decay, making the building a lure for underground culture types, who have turned the 2nd floor into a strip of tiny, eccentric bars.