We were on the Shinkansen or Bullet Train to the next city in Japan – Osaka. The trip took roughly 3 hours, passing beautiful coast line & what would be views of Mount Fuji if the clouds weren’t obstructing the view.
We arrived at Shin-Osaka station. From here, you will need to jump on another train to Osaka station which is roughly 5 minutes. But don’t be too concerned, Osaka is a lot easier to navigate compared to Tokyo. Your best friend in terms of rail will be the Osaka loop line that departs from platform 1 (anti-clockwise) & platform 2 (clockwise). As you may off guessed it, the Osaka loop line makes a complete circle covering most of the attractions you’ll be visiting!
There was one main reason we had to visit Osaka and I’m not one bit ashamed. Universal Studios Japan had recently opened a new attraction –
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
If you’re a Harry Potter nerd fan like, then you’ll be in heaven as you wander down the streets of Hogsmeade! You’ll pass the Hogwarts Express to your right before entering Zonko’s joke shop & Honeydukes where you’ll find Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans & Chocolate Frogs with collectible cards portraying famous wizards and witches inside! I got Albus Dumbledore. There’s Ollivanders, the Owl Post, Dervish & Banges, the Three Broomsticks for lunch and much more to explore! Be sure to try Butterbeer – delicious but oh so sweet!
It won’t be long until you are standing across from Hogwarts & it’s impressive!! Two rides leave from this area; the Flight of the Hippogriff roller coaster & Harry Potter & the Forbidden Journey, which includes a stroll through the castle before venturing on the most amazing 4D ride I have ever been on!! Be wary if you suffer from motion sickness like me but it’s worth it! Both rides had over 150 minute wait times in the middle of the day! Head back around 3:30 pm & you’ll find shorter queueing times.
There is more to Universal Studios, like San Francisco & New York themed streets, more 4D rides like the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman (pretty good) and Back to the Future (not so good) but for me, nothing was as impressive as Harry Potter World! Depending on yourself, I would recommend one full day in USJ. Getting there? Jump on the Osaka loop line, hopping off at Nishikujo station. Swap to the JR Yumesaki line to Universal City Station. From here, it’s a short walk to USJ via Universal City Catwalk filled with shops & restaurants similar to those at Universal Studios Hollywood. This trip will take roughly 15-20 minutes from Osaka Station and entry to USJ cost ¥7,200.
Ok back to the real world.
OSAKA
Osaka has some pretty sweet sites like the aquarium, Tempozan ferris wheel, the Pokemon centre, great shopping & restaurants in the Grand Front Osaka & Dotonbori and the Umeda Sky Building with rooftop observatory featuring views across Osaka.
There is one site you can’t miss and that’s Osaka Castle. It was such a beautiful day as we explored the grounds before entering the castle itself. You’ll ascend up the castle in an elevator to the top floor where you can explore the observation deck in the main tower of Osaka castle. From here, you’ll descend down the stairs through the museum of the castles history. Entry is ¥600 per person and is easily accessible by JR Rail on the Osaka Loop Line to Osakajokoen Station.
Osaka may not have skyscrapers or famous temples but it takes first prize as the foodie capital of Japan. Whilst I can’t read Japanese & tell you exactly which restaurants we visited, I can tell you that the food was absolutely delicious! There are two main dishes you cannot miss whilst in town, Okonomiyaki & Takoyaki! Okonomiyaki is a savoury pancake, typically made of cabbage and a mix of vegetables with your choice of pork or seafood! Cooked up fresh on the hot plate in front of you, a mayonnaise sauce is spread across before you dig in! Another must try dish is Takoyaki or more commonly known as Octopus Balls which is made up of a flour & egg batter filled with pieces of octopus. It’s deep fried into the shape of a ball (which is where it gets its name) and topped with mayonnaise, bonito flakes and Takoyaki sauce.
We also enjoyed the cheapest & freshest sushi & sashimi at Osaka Station City, in a sushi-train style restaurant I believe was called Ganko food. Osaka Station City is located right next to / underneath Osaka station and you might be surprised to know that the food surrounding train stations in Japan (especially Osaka & Shinjuku station) is amazing! We found ourselves exploring these places daily, always resulting in delicious fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood, pastries & more! It’s rumoured that as the Japanese work hard with such long working hours, trust-worthy food is located in close proximity to the train lines so they can grab a bite whilst on the run.
We wanted to stay somewhere a little more traditional whilst in Osaka so we booked our 3 nights at Drop Inn, Osaka. We stayed in a Japanese-style Tatami room which featured traditional straw-mat flooring (Tatami), 4 x futons, doonas / duvet, pillows & views over Umeda city. With a great hostel vibe & kind reception staff, our room was great even with the overpowering smell of hay that disappeared after a few hours of staying there.
Osaka is a great place to base yourself. Not only is it a cool city itself but it’s only a short train ride to beautiful Kyoto which is situated north of the city. Keep an eye out for my upcoming blog on Kyoto. Happy planning!
Hotel: Drop Inn, Osaka
Room Type: Japanese-style quadruple room (share bathroom)
Price: ¥45,600 or AUD $458 for 3 nights, 4 people (at time of exchange)
ONLY HAPPY WHEN I TRAVEL 