Are you heading to Japan, but not sure where to go? Do take in charming Osaka, a city often overlooked in the typical Tokyo-Kyoto schedule.
Osaka, the second largest of the cities in Japan, can feel like a bustling maze to many visitors. We squeezed in two days to explore Osaka in our hectic 3-week Japan-by-rail schedule. Here’s what we did in those two days.
2-DAY OSAKA ITINERARY
Day 1 – Visit the grand Osaka Castle and the enormous Osaka Aquarium.
Osaka Castle
Osaka castle or Osaka-jo as it is called in Japan is formidable – that’s the first impression we got when we approached it. It is one of the most famous and historic castles in all of Japan.
The castle has huge walls, deep and wide moats, and carefully placed turrets. This castle was the center of power in Japan in the Samurai era, 16th and 17th centuries, when Japan was unified with the sword and bow.
The massive castle tower at the center is 55 meters high, with a commanding view all around. There is a museum inside with eight floors of displays related to the castle’s history. There are historical artifacts, colorful screen painting, samurai costumes that you can try on for a fee and a scale model of the original 16th century castle town. The Observation deck on the 8th floor provides panoramic views of Osaka city.
Kaiyukan – Osaka Aquarium
Kaiyukan, located on the shores of beautiful Osaka Bay, is Japan’s largest aquarium housing marine animals from the Pacific Ocean habitats, including an enormous whale shark. We walked through tunnels, spiralling down 8 floors, for an inside view of the huge water tanks. An interactive exhibit gets you up close with penguins, seals, and rays in enclosures that replicate the animals’ natural living environment. Don’t miss Antarctica, which recreates the icy polar environment and houses various types of penguins.
After viewing the aquarium, we took a leisurely stroll along the beautiful Osaka harbour watching the ships at sunset.
Day 2 – Visit Nara Park
Nara or Nara Park
Nara is a beautiful town scattered with many temples which are UNESCO World Heritage sites – ancient temples, amazing landscapes, and of course, ‘deer’! Nara is just a short train ride away from Osaka.
We started with the historic Tōdai-ji Temple, which houses the largest bronze Buddha statue in the world – almost 50 feet tall and weighing 500 tonnes. Even its ears are huge, each over 8 feet tall. The Kōfuku-ji pagoda is five stories tall, the second tallest in Japan.
Yoshiki-en Garden in Nara is three gardens in one. You can wander through a moss garden, a pond garden, and a tea ceremony garden, with unique plants and aesthetics – a great way to get multiple experiences in one place!
Ah, the deer! They are everywhere, and quite fearless, too. But, beware! Do not tease them. We saw a boy teasing a deer with food, until it got annoyed and butted him in the stomach. Lots of crying, anxious parents….and the deer walked off nonchalantly.
In either day 1 or day 2 or both, you could stroll around the popular shopping and dining areas in Osaka.
Gourmet Dining in the Nation’s Kitchen
The food is not to be missed. Osaka is called ‘The Nation’s Kitchen’ because this gastronomic city has award-winning restaurants on almost every block. You must try out some of Osaka’s delicacies – Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, Fugu, Kushikatsu and Yakiniku, not to mention a famous Kobe steak.
The famous Shinsaibashi and Dōtonbori by the canal are probably the best shopping and dining areas. Explore the huge array of shops, cafés, restaurants and bookstores, and experience a bit of the daily lives of Japanese business here.
We had a great glimpse of Osaka. Try it – you will like it too!
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Oh wow I had no idea that there were deers in Japan!
Well, I know of knew that had a great wildlife, but I did not expect that kind of animals 🙂
Oops, guilty of skipping Osaka when I went to Japan but I did visit Nara which was one of my Japanese highlights. Planning a return trip to Japan as two weeks was not enough! Didn’t realise that Osaka was such a foodie destination – missed out there, my bad!
Well if it’s a foodie heaven then it should definitely not be missed. Thanks for shining a light on this Japanese destination – not one I’ve considered visiting before.
Japan hasn’t bee too much on my radar but I’ve noticed tourism is really growing there! It does look beautiful in Osaka and i think I would find myself hanging out with deer all day! The Nations’ kitchen looks pretty yum too!
I’ve heard great things about Osaka and it’s definitely on my list of places to visit when we head to a Japan. How did you cope with the language barrier? That’s something which concerns me as I don’t wish to insult anyone with poor language skills.
Nicky, Most of the signboards, station names and instructions are in English and Japanese. Communication is mostly by signs, gestures and broken English. The important thing is they are all very eager to help. They even bring English speakers from around them to help out. 🙂
Osaka is the city #1 I want to visit in Japan. Thanks for the info and great photos.
We were supposed to visit Osaka castle or the aquarium on our last day in Japan but we arrived at midnight from our trip to Nagoya the day before so we were tired. We also missed the Nara deer park. There are just so many things to do in Japan. I cannot wait to go back to Japan.
Oh, Jan what a wonderful trip. Japan is high on my bucket list and your photos are lovely. I have heard so much about the deer in Nara!
This looks cool. I love the deer!!
This is so beautiful. Japan is on my list of places to visit for sure and I cannot wait to explore the country. Thanks for sharing such detailed information.
We will be in Japan in April and I am seriously considering a visit to Osaka–especially because of the food. Thanks for all of this great information!
Love osaka especially the food! The deers were soo naughty though at nara Haha. Concidently I’m running a giveaway with a hotel 3 night stay for 2 adults in Osaka on Instagram if you’re planning to return?
I was lucky enough to spend a week in Osaka a few years ago and my hubby and I have been talking about going back. I had a great time and ate my way through the city never having a bad meal or a bad day in this amazing city!
Japan seems like such a foodie heaven and I love that you got to experience some of that in Osaka as well. How long do you think we would need to see and experience this place?
I’ve been wanting to visit Japan forever, so it’s near the top of my list. Osaka is definitely a place I’d love to spend some time to sample the delicious food. Nara Park also sounds lovely with all the deer (especially that one who stood up to the little boy’s teasing)!
The rail journey across Japan sounds like a magnificent adventure. Sign me up! And you’ve seriously tempted me to revisit Osaka with the gastronomy on display in The Nation’s Kitchen. Adore the Nara images.
You are absolutely correct in highlighting that Osaka is often overlooked where the main attention is on Tokyo and Kyoto. Osaka has so much to offer as you so correctly pointed out – the Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori were my favourite places.
We did not have the time to visit Nara when we wnt to Japan. Hope to visit it one day
Yay Osaka! I totally agree that it’s a fab city to explore while you’re in Japan. I live there for a while (as well as in Nara) so I am glad you mentioned them both and that you had fun in Kansai.
Now I will be dreaming of takoyaki, ramen and all the best Osaka foods all day. 🙂
Ohh Japan is one of my top bucket list destinations and Osaka is stunning. Such great pictures. I can;t wait to visit!
I’ve never visited Japan but it looks like such an enchanting place! Osaka looks especially beautiful! I’d love to visit Osaka castle and Nara to admire the incredible architecture and to explore the park. Thanks for the great guide, I hope I get an opportunity to visit one day!
Wowww! I loved these photos! I was supposed to visit Osaka and Nara when covid happened! I hope this year or the next I can go!
We had 2 days on a cruise to visit Osaka. But even that was not enough time to see it all. We are very sorry we missed Nara Park and the deer. Definitely worth a return visit when we finally get back to Japan.