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A Day trip to Kyoto from Osaka
Kyoto was the capital of Japan and it is famous for hundreds of historic temples, shrines, gardens and palaces. There are quite a number of UNESCO World Heritage sites in this city. So I think it is a must to take a day trip from Osaka to Kyoto to see the amazing sites. Do not give Kyoto a miss if you are in the Kansai region. Most of the wanderers in Japan would recommend at least spending two days in Kyoto for its rich cultural and architectural sites. If you are tight in your schedules, then at least take a day trip from Osaka to Kyoto, just like what I…
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Things to do in Universal Studios Japan (USJ) in Osaka
Who loves to go on a theme park adventure? I do. Universal Studios Japan or most people like to call it, USJ, is the most family friendly place you can find in Osaka. However, it is also the most crowded place you can find in Osaka too. This vastly huge place can become cramped before it opens its gates to the thousands of visitors that come here daily. I had the privilege to witness this madness on my visit during the recent Osaka trip. We went to USJ early. “Early” means we arrived at USJ before it opened its gate. We reached the front gate at 8.30am on a Wednesday…
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Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and Tempozan Ferris Wheel
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and Tempozan Ferris Wheel are Osaka’s top attractions. They are very family-friendly and children, as well as adults, will enjoy going to these places. These two top attractions are next to each other, so if you go to one of them, you should not miss visiting the other. The Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is one of the largest aquaria in the world with more than 15 large tanks and 30,000 creatures. On the other hand, Tempozan Ferris Wheel was crowned the tallest Ferris Wheel from 1997 to 1999. Its height is 112.5 meters and 100 meters in diameter. Its 60 gondolas can take in 480 passengers at any…
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A Day Trip To Nara From Osaka
Want to take a day trip from Osaka to somewhere else? Want to venture out of Osaka but don’t know where to go? My suggestion is to take a day trip to Nara from Osaka. From Osaka to Nara is about 38 minutes by train. We planned to visit Nara for half a day in the morning. After breakfast, we walked to Osaka-Namba station to take the Kintetsu train to Kintetsu Nara station. This station is the closest to the Nara Park and Todaiji temple. The walking distance from the station to Nara Park is about 20 minutes. Click this to get Osaka Itinerary! Along the way from the station, we…
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The mouthwatering Ippudo Ramen in Namba Osaka
What do you like to eat during cold weather? Well, for me, I like to eat something with hot delicious soup. So we decided on this winter day travelling in Osaka, we should get a bowl of hot ramen each to fill up our ever-hungry stomachs.In the daylight, while walking towards the subway station, we saw the big advertisement for Ippudo Ramen and it was a very short distance walk from the Namba subway station. So after a tiring day walking around Osaka Castle, Osaka Museum of History and Umeda Sky Building, we headed to this restaurant for dinner before going back to our Airbnb apartment for recharging. Click this…
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The view of Osaka city from Umeda Sky Building
Do you like to visit tall buildings, bell towers, Ferris wheels or architectural sites to take a bird’s eye view of the whole city that you visit? I think I did this in most of the cities I visited for the past few years. The view from tall structure always gives me the estimates of how big or small of the cities. And sometimes it accompanies with the explanations of how the cities grow from small towns to what they are now. So, that’s why I pay a visit to Umeda Sky Building to enjoy the view of Osaka. After visiting Osaka Museum of History, we took the subway train…
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Weekly Photo Challenge – Weathered Bridge At Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine
During my recent trip to Osaka Japan, I had visited a few shrines. One of the oldest shrines I had come across is the ancient Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine. It was founded in the 3rd century. Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine was and still is the headquarter and the most famous of over two thousand Sumiyoshi shrines found across the whole Japan, i.e. it is also called Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine. What attracted me to this shrine was perhaps the beautiful Sorihashi Bridge. In its bright red colour and its high-arch, it was always attention-grabbing. However, because of its age (at least 400 years old), when crossing the bridge, I could see the aged wooden…
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Osaka Museum of History
Do you enjoy cultural activities like visiting the museum? If yes, then I would suggest paying a visit to Osaka Museum of History after the Osaka Castle. The walking distance between the two is about 14 minutes. It was easy to get to the museum as there were lots of signs along the way to the museum. This museum is just next to NHK Osaka (Japan broadcasting company). I really like the architecture style of this museum. Very tall, modern, and a three-quarter globe-shaped entrance. Click this to get Osaka Itinerary! After the morning walk in Osaka Castle, we decided to get lunch first. So, we had our lunch at…
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8 Fun Facts About Japanese Cultures
Usually, before travelling to another country, I will try to research online about places to go, what to eat and what is the culture or practices the locals do so that I know what to expect. However, no matter how I read extensively about these, it will never be the same as personal experiences. So here are some of the fun facts about Japanese culture when I was in Osaka for my recent trip. 1. Are you on the RIGHT side of the escalator? In Singapore, we always stand on the left side of the escalator and overtaking on the right side. However, this is totally opposite in Osaka. So…
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The iconic Osaka Castle
One of the most picture-worthy spots to take amazing photos in Osaka is the Osaka Castle. Like other palaces and castles built around the world, Osaka Castle was built to show the power and wealth of the owner, Hideyoshi Toyotomi. It is a symbol of the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century. After the death of Hideyoshi, the castle was established as the government office. It was destroyed twice either by war or natural disaster and finally in 1931, reconstructed as a military base using funds raised by the citizens. Today, Osaka Castle sits on two square kilometres plot of land with lots of green space, big garden, sports facilities,…
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