Inside Osaka: A One-Day Trek

Posted on 09/22/2023 Last updated on 01/11/2024

Some of us only have a short time to visit Osaka. I designed a short itinerary that can be completed during a higaeri ryokou (日帰り旅行). That’s Japanese for a one-day trip. Alternatively, you could visit most of these before staying overnight at a reasonable hotel near Shin-Osaka station for shinkansen access. While I also enjoyed my visits to Osaka Castle, the Korean “Tsurushin Square” in Tsuruhashi, and many ancient kofun in the Osaka area – this article does not include visits to them.

Nakanoshima: Enjoy some art!

The trip should start off at Nakanoshima. The Nakanoshima Museum of Art is a fantastic art museum with memorable exhibits. This is a great spot to go to after arriving as it is best visited in the early day, for an hour or two. The island itself has a nice park on the eastern end.

America-mura & Lunch

After you’ve had your fill of mostly modern Japanese art, then go to Higobashi Station and catch the Yotsubashi Line to Yotsubashi station. You can get off and pass through America-mura (literally “America village”). Not everyone is hunting for retro American clothes – but it’s fun to get a feel of this area’s vibe. You need a big stomach to enjoy Osaka – so save some stomach space by stopping for a latte or “ale” while enjoying the modern Korean-Japanese aesthetic of the Rocoki Cafe.

Photo by 潜伏たなか

Alternatively, you could grab a bottle of coke and play on some classic pinball machines at THE SILVER BALL PLANET in Shinsaibashi Bigstep. Bigstep is not a bad place to get lunch if you like Club House Sandwiches, curry, or Japanese-style Gapao Rice.

Mido-Suji: Shopping Street

From there I would pass through Mido-suji – a famous shopping street featuring high-end brands. Unless you’ve got a big budget or want to get new Apple products – this is probably just an avenue to walk through and snap a few photos of. You can admire the storefronts and architecture.

Shibsaibashi: The Arcade

After that you could head north for some shopping (or window shopping) at Shinsaibashi Parco. There are some great character goods shops here featuring Godzilla, Jackie’s Dream (The Bear’s School), and Capcom characters. There are lots of small restaurants and cafes to grab a light lunch. The area around Parco is full of high-end brand-name stores. The Daimaru to the south is even more high-end. There is a Pokemon Cafe in there.

Photo by 520

The place to go afterwards is the Shinsaibashi-suji Shotengai (Shinsaibashi Street Covered Shopping Arcade). In Osaka they use the “suji” kanji for muscle or artery (筋) to mark a street. Remember where this shopping arcade is.

Ukiyo-e Museums: Get some Culture

There are two small Ukiyo-e museums in Osaka. These are my favorite places to get wall decorations for small apartments in Japan. The Osaka Ukiyo-e museum often shows Hiroshige and Hokusai prints. The gift shop is amazing. It’s closer to the north end of the Shinsaibashi-suji Shotengai, so I’d definitely visit it around the midday or early afternoon. The other Ukiyo-e museum is the Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum south of the Tonbori river in Dotonbori. The latter features portraits of Kabuki actors – some of their works were owned by Van Gogh!

Dotonbori: Leisure

After you’re done at the north Ukiyoe museum, you can walk down the Shinsaibashi-suji Shotengai to the Tonbori riverside. You’ll see a small bridge called “Ebisu-bashi” here. You should come back here at night to see the advertisements lit up. It’s rather incredible. You can spend a lot of time in the Dotonbori areas. I would recommend the Round1 Stadium Sennichimae for Karaoke with friends, arcade machines, or bowling.

Sennichimae is actually a shopping district south of Dotonbori that stretches down to Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street. A cool shop to see in this area is Yamashita Kanamono (山下金物） which features many of the best Japanese knives and kitchenware. You’ll likely find lacquerware in this area as well.

Denden Town: Electronic Goodness

If you have more otaku interests, then a great place to spend time is Nipponbashi Denden Town. Similar to Akihabara, it features arcades, electronics shops, manga, cosplay cafes, and more. I won’t lie, I enjoyed the model trains here. If you’re dying for American nerd culture, then visit Goonies – a sort of semi-America-themed Takoyaki restaurant.

Ebisucho: Time to Eat (Again)

Just five minutes south of Denden Town is Ebisucho station. You will probably notice the Tsutenkaku tower from there. This is the icon that defines Osaka’s retro and kitsch. An example – there’s a museum dedicated to instant chicken ramen inside! Depending on the season, this is a great spot to catch the sunset. The typical ritual is to visit the fifth-floor observation deck to rub the soles of Billiken after a donation. And no, he isn’t some ancient kami. The character was invented by an art teacher named Florence Pretz from Kansas City, Missouri in the USA over a century ago.

I would use Ebisucho station to return to Nanba and spend the twilight and/or early evening near the Dotonbori area. As mentioned before – don’t forget the views from Ebisu-bashi at night.

The must-eat food of Osaka can be found here – kushikatsu. Basically, you order whatever you’d like from the menu breaded on a stick and laid on some cabbage. There is an incredible sauce to dip it in – but never dip twice! This is against any proper kushikatsu restaurant’s rules (and is not hygienic!). Some kushikatsu restaurants will also feature typical izakaya sides. My suggested places are the famous Daruma chain shops, Shirotaya, Nishiki, and the kushikatsu izakaya Fuuta (風太).

And Beyond!

But there are plenty of incredible shops to eat various cuisines in around Dotonbori, especially near Hozenji. This small temple is incredible at night – as are the Showa-era style streets. The establishments are too numerous to name. This is a yokocho – an alleyway. If you crave an authentic Japanese night out, then this is the place to be.

If you’re looking for a second party, then you’ll find various small establishments around the Tonbori river. Please enjoy your time responsibly – try not to “eat until you’re broke/defeated” unless you are a true Osakan(食い倒れ）. Alternatively, the Kasayacho-suji and Suomachi-suji roads have many establishments. Just be careful not to walk into a shady one.

Photo by G photo

You can make it back to your hotel, train station, or bus stop from either Nanba station or Shinsaibashi station at night.

Speaking of Nanba (often spelled “Namba”) – you may have noticed that I didn’t mention it. The Nanba area near the station has great shopping arcades, malls, theaters, and more. But I would save it for another day.

Some links to check out in advance:

Tsurushin Square
https://tsurushin.com/

Nakanoshima Museum of Art
https://nakka-art.jp/

SILVER BALL PLANET
https://www.silverballplanet.jp/

Shinsaibashi Parco
https://shinsaibashi.parco.jp/shop/detail/?cd=026275

Osaka UKIYOE Museum
https://osaka-ukiyoe-museum.com/

Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum
http://kamigata.jp/kmgt/english/

Kushikatsu Daruma Website
http://www.kushikatu-daruma.com/tenpo_houzenji.html

Yamashita & Co., Ltd.
http://joycooking.net/english/store.htm

Round1 Sennichimae
https://www.round1.co.jp/shop/tenpo/osaka-sennichimae-eng.html

Tsutenkaku
https://www.tsutenkaku.co.jp/

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