4-chōme-1-3 Minamisenba, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0081, Japan

The decor was absolutely stunning. Our room was spacious and adorned with remarkable decor. The staff members were warm and exceedingly helpful. They provided excellent service throughout our stay. Additionally, they had a well-equipped 24-hour gym that we thoroughly enjoyed. The pool and spa were both incredibly beautiful, and we took full advantage of these amenities. The hotel's location was superb, with fantastic shopping and dining options within walking distance. Without a doubt, we would choose to stay here again in the future.

The suite we stayed at offered a 180° stunning view of the city through its floor to ceiling windows. It was more than anything I've ever experienced, simply breathtaking.

The room itself was big and fancy, and the hotel has easy access to transport of all kinds. Definitely would go again.

Title: “Unforgettable Stay at the W Hotel, Osaka”

The W Hotel in Osaka excelled across the board. The state-of-the-art gym, accommodating staff, and personalized protein shakes offered a unique fitness experience.

The breakfast was a delightful culinary treat, with fresh fruits and superb Western dishes served until 10 am. Upgrading to a large room on the 24th floor provided a breathtaking view over Osaka, making the stay even more memorable.

In a nutshell, the W Hotel combines fantastic facilities, top-notch cuisine, and warm hospitality for an unrivaled stay in Osaka. Highly recommended!

W Osaka

1 Chome-9 Dotonbori, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0071, Japan

Sooo much stimulating triggers will surround you as you walk through the these streets. Energetic, full of sights and sounds, exciting food options. You'll navigate a sea of  people as you might expect, but this area is pretty exciting and worth seeing at least once. During our couple of days in this area we couldn't nearly explore all of the side streets and intriguing little places in between the larger ones.

Energetic, full of sights and sounds, exciting food options. You'll navigate a sea of  people as you might expect, but this area is pretty exciting and worth seeing at least once. During our couple of days in this area we couldn't nearly explore all of the side streets and intriguing little places in between the larger ones. I say get on out here and don't be afraid to let your hair down. Lots of other people aren't!

I visited Dotonbori and it was amazing. The bright lights and big signs were so cool. There were tons of delicious street food and great places to shop. The atmosphere was lively and energetic, definitely a must-visit if you're in Osaka.

Dotonbori

Japan, 〒542-0086 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Nishishinsaibashi, 2-chōme−10−３２ TRN心斎橋 2階 ビル

definitely an experience and if you like animals, this is not to be missed. the staff is kind and helpful, and they get you set up to receive any pigs that might find your lap comfortable. they may even bring you one. they make sure that the pigs are treated well, and they change the litter boxes so frequently that there is absolutely no "barnyard" smell. there are plenty of piglets in the room, soft music playing, and the sows are also walking around. at one point, a woman across from me had five pigs piled on top of her lap! i had two most of the time. it's peaceful as nd a really nice way to spend a half hour on a very rainy day!

Cute li-wait.. there are a few huge ones as well!
The piggies are really cute and would jump onto you once you cover your legs with the rag provided. I could tell that the big boss there were the huge pigs since the smaller ones would circle around or avoid them. The small pigs left my legs after the bigger ones snorted at them to leave haha!
I recommend getting a reservation and for an hour. It comes with a free drink as well.

Good for a one time experience. Pigs are super cute but some are quite big and can be intimidating if you’re not so into pigs or animals. They squeal a lot too. The staff were nice and they did help the piggies come onto our legs for us to pet them. The “free drink” was just a tiny cup of soft drink from a vending machine and you are not allowed to bring it out the cafe. Was about 70 usd for 4 adults for 30 mins. Definitely pricey but okay for one off visit

mipig cafe 大阪店

2-chōme-9-19 Motomachi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0016, Japan

Cool shrine shaped like a dragon or lion. You can wash yourself and pray, and there's a little shop as well. There were some other people around, but not too crowded. We spent perhaps 15 minutes, so it's a quick stop. Maybe not worth going a long way out of your way to see it.

Beautiful shrine. Iconic lion head shrine. It's not near subway station. There is isn't anyone on the weekend we visited. So not sure what we should do with the fortune telling we got. 😅 Just followed the flow by tieing it at the tree. Hope we got it right and be blessed until we next visit Japan. 🙏🏻🙏🏻👏👏

Its a little shrine in a middle of the city. Very unique shrine as the main attraction. Few people visit this one. Nothing much to see.

Namba Yasaka Jinja

4 Chome-9 Nipponbashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0005, Japan

For an anime enthusiast, Den Den Town in Osaka was like stepping into a wonderland! This vibrant district is an absolute must-visit for anyone with a passion for electronics, anime, and all things geeky.

Den Den Town is an anime and electronics hub, reminiscent of Tokyo's Akihabara but with its own unique charm. The moment I entered this lively neighborhood, I was captivated by the colorful storefronts and the bustling energy that permeated the air.

Anime lovers will be delighted by the numerous specialty stores offering a vast collection of manga volumes, figurines, cosplay accessories, and anime-related merchandise. It's a paradise for collectors and fans of both mainstream and niche series.

Nipponbashi Denden Town is a must-visit for any fan of anime, manga, and video games. This vibrant district is home to hundreds of stores selling all things otaku, as well as a variety of cafes, restaurants, and arcades.

Perfect! I could find stuff here that I didn't found in Tokyo! There are several plushies and figures store, some have a very large collection of figures for really cheap. Sadly for buying pokemon cards boosters, you are obligated to use a gachapon and hope you pull a ball containing the letter that corresponds to the pokemon cards. I could not find a store where you could directly buy the boosters instead of praying on some good luck.

Nipponbashi Denden Town

1-1 Ōsakajō, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 540-0002, Japan

Historical Place in Osaka – Is It Worth Visiting?

I decided to challenge myself and visit Osaka Castle under the blazing sun on a super sunny day.

The walk from the metro station to the castle took about 10 minutes, which was manageable. However, reaching the castle from the entrance itself required another 20 minutes, and I must emphasize again, be prepared for the scorching summer heat.

A helpful tip: consider getting the ticket online, or you can even book it when you arrive at the castle, which costs around $5. This way, you can skip the line at the ticket vending machine.

The castle boasts 7 stories, with the top floor offering a 360-degree view of Osaka. From that point, you can see the entire city. However, the walk path to the top is quite narrow, so be prepared for a crowd.

On the lower levels, you'll discover Japanese national treasures, including craftsmanship of swordsman, paintings, and an Osaka map.

All in all, visiting Osaka Castle can be a rewarding experience, especially if you're interested in history and cultural artifacts. Just make sure to plan ahead for the hot weather and consider purchasing tickets online to save time.

My 3rd visit here in 10 years and always a good experience. I've visited in winter, spring, and now summer, and all 3 seasons give a very different experience. Now I need to come back for autumn 🍂.

This summer in 2023, or was around 37°, but the blue skies and white puffy clouds made the photos look awesome. Despite the extra hot summer, there were hoards of tourists, mainly from China. Overall, I spent about 2 hours here, and because of the weather & long entrance line, I didn't go into the castle.

A great historical museum that is a must visit while in Osaka. A few warnings beforehand: Buy the tickets online to skip the massive queue! Also, be aware that the castle itself is quite a walk from the nearby stations (10-20 minutes walk). Other than that, the castle is super informative and interesting. At the top, you get a 360 view of the city! P.s., you are not allowed to take photos in the castle!

Osaka Castle

Japan, 〒530-8202 Osaka, Kita Ward, Umeda, 3-chōme−1−１ 大丸梅田店 13F

I’m not a Pokemon fan so I can’t say much about the merchandise. But I guess it must be good as a lot of customers were lining up at the cashier to pay for their purchases.

It was crowded but not packed with people as it was a weekday afternoon. Overall a pleasant visit.

Located on the 13th Floor along with many other toy stores such as Nintendo, Doraemon, and One Piece... if you are a fan of any of those, you won't be able to leave this floor easily.  The pokemon Center seems to be always busy with their checkout counter for the payment, so if you have a tight timeline, then better shop quickly and get to line up

This is a great place for Pokemon fans! They have lots of merchandise and souvenirs available. The floor space is about one width, and there's a cafe area that requires reservations. The products are very cute, but be careful as you might end up spending more money than you intended without realizing it.

Pokémon Center Osaka

2-chōme-5-1 Ebisuhigashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0002, Japan

Wow. This is the real Osaka.
Great vibe , lots of authentic Japanese eateries , many shops for shopping and definitely a lot of game parlors. You also get to have a peak into the old school Japanese bird games and the life they enjoyed 20-30 years back.
The tower view and street walk was great.
Highly recommend spending some time here when in Osaka.

This is a real-life area of Osaka, not a tourist attraction. If you're looking for the sanitized PR version of Japan, this is not the place for you.

Many good food options to have good food for cheap price, and animations for kids.

If you're from any large metropolitan city in the world you will be able to handle this area easily. It looks rough but is actually quite safe.

Definitely one of the f the must-see places around the whole of Osaka. It looks here great and you can have a lot of fun as well. It doesn't matter if you are looking for a walk, food, drinks or souvenirs. You can even have a new haircut from the local barber, buy the traditional flip flops made by bamboo or anything else. Just come and enjoy it. Thank you🤩

Shinsekai

2-chōme-1-33 Sakurajima, Konohana Ward, Osaka, 554-0031, Japan

Lines were crazy at a few times, and it was hot and uncomfortable, however we had a great time. I wish there was more seating and more shade options especially in lines. As for Nintendo world I wish more interactive boxes were available in the queues to make waiting more enjoyable. It was definitely worth it and I also want to note it was very affordable. Unlike the states there is no captive audience fee for drinks. Small surcharge but no way the same as in the USA. Will be coming back to keep using our power up bands!!!

I wouldn’t go to a theme park in the most densely populated country in the world thinking I won’t have to wait in lines so I had common sense and bought fast passes and Mario world tickets in advance. I had a fantastic time. I didn’t wait in line for one ride for more than 40 minutes, but most waits were 20 mins or less. The workers were very helpful and polite. The food and souvenirs are so much cheaper compared to America.

Great fun for the whole family! My husband and I just finished up our honeymoon here and we both had a blast! The rides, although had long waits, were thrilling. I like roller coasters, but my husband does not, so I got to get on a lot faster than most. The meals were fantastic, and the staff was always extra cheerful. Definitely bring sunscreen because you don’t want to be in line burning. Many of the rides do have lockers so you can put your stuff away before getting on. I highly recommend coming on a weekday and getting in line for any of the thrill rides first if you’re not one to wait around.

Universal Studios Japan

Una guida sulle principali cose da fare a Osaka, tra cultura, cibo e divertimento.

Osaka, cosa fare in 4 giorni

In Osaka

Japan, 〒542-0086 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Nishishinsaibashi, 2-chōme−10−32 TRN Shinsaibashi 2F Building

mipig cafe osaka store

Number Yasaka Jinja

Japan, 〒530-8202 Osaka, Kita Ward, Umeda, 3-chōme−1−1 Daimaru Umeda Store 13F

A guide on the main things to do in Osaka, between culture, food and entertainment.

Osaka, what to do in 4 days

Some of the cities I've visited are really special and little known... Come and discover them!

Giappone | giugno 2023

Melissa Marello

Japan: Osaka and nearby cities

Alcune delle città che ho visitato, sono davvero particolari e poco conosciute... Vieni a scoprirle!