Osaka – Things to Do in 3 days

Osaka is a fun place to bring the family for a holiday. With its lively neon-litted streets,  an impressive aquarium, giant ferris wheel, and amazing rides at the Universal Studios Japan and The Wizardry World of Harry Potter, this Japanese city is all set for a fun adventure your family will not forget!

Our family spent 3 full days exploring this city as part of our Japan winter trip.

 

OSAKA DAY 1 

Explore Namba and Dotonbori 

Osaka’s most popular attraction is the area around Namba. The Namba district is bustling with activities, especially in the evening when the bright colourful lights illuminate the area. Look out for the animatronic crab, giant octopus, huge puffer fish and many other gigantic 3D shop signs.

The Dotonbori walking street is lined with restaurants and street food.  Long queues can be seen at the stalls selling Takoyaki. This pancake-like balls with octopus filling originated from Osaka and are a hot favourite amongst visitors and locals.

Just one street away from the lively walking street is the river where visitors could take a boat ride. Look out for the famous running Glico Man, a prominent feature in Dotonbori.

For dinner, we had an all-chicken Japanese treat at Tsuki No Odori. Located along the busy Dotonbori walking street, this restaurant serves succulent yakitori, chicken miso and salt pots.

 

Explore Shinsaibashi

After dinner, we walked to the equally lively Shinsaibashi area where you will find one of the most popular desserts – the huge warm cheese tarts from Pablo.

 

OSAKA DAY 2

Marvel at marine life at the Osaka Aquarium

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is one of the largest public aquariums in the world and known as one of the best aquariums in Japan.  It is definitely one of the top things to do in Osaka.  It boasts over 15 large tanks with each one covering a specific area of the Pacific Rim.

The centrepiece of the aquarium was a gigantic tank that was over 4 storeys tall and 30m wide!  It was big enough for the whale shark to swim comfortably with many other fishes.  To see the fishes in the biggest tank from top to bottom, we had to walk around a spiral walkway from the 8th floor down.

There were thousands of species of marine life to see, including penguins, dolphins, jellyfishes and sea lions.  The aquarium covered marine life in areas such as Great Barrier Reef, Tasman Sea, Coast of Chile, Maldives, Arctic, and Antarctica. It was something the kids definitely enjoyed.

 

Tempozan Ferris Wheel and Market Place

 

 

Next to the Osaka Aquarium is the  Tempozan Marketplace which offered several dining choices and shops.  There was even a stall where the kids had the chance to throw real Shurikens, Ninja’s famous weapon. That was something unique that we have not seen before, even in other parts of Japan.  While they did not hit the target most of the time, they were happy to receive a toy shuriken as a souvenir.

Other things to do within the Osaka Bay are going up the giant Ferris wheel, exploring the Legoland theme park and taking the pirate ship across the Osaka Bay to Universal Studios.

 

Go back in history at the Osaka Castle

While most of the city is modernised, there is still some history left to be seen at the Osaka Castle.

During our trip, we were able to catch an outdoor performance in front of the castle telling Japan’s history with dance, music, lights and pyrotechnics.

 

 

Sink your Teeth in one of Japan’s Best Cheesecake 

One of the best Japanese cheesecake in Japan is in Osaka and it is only available in this city. The Rikuru cheesecake is by far the best cheesecake we have tasted. It is velvety smooth and creamy, yet soft and fluffy at the same time. The sweet and tangy raisins at the bottom of the cake complements perfectly with the creaminess of the cheesecake. I could literally eat the whole cake on my own as it was not too sweet like some others and it does not make you feel like you have had too much cream afterwords. 

 

Explore Osaka station or the Skybridge at Umeda 

If time permits, explore the shopping area around the huge Osaka Station or go up the sky bridge at Umeda or head to the Pokemon Centre.

 

OSAKA DAY 3

Get an adrenaline rush at The Wizardry World of Harry Potter 

Whether you are a fan of Harry Potter or not, the Wizardry World of Harry Potter is an attraction not to be missed at Universal Studios Japan (USJ). 

With cobblestone path, snow-capped buildings, shops selling butterbeer, wands, and other magical items, it is easy to feel that you have been transported to the magical world of Harry Potter.

The highlight of the Wizardry World of Harry Potter, and in fact the whole USJ park was its Harry Potter and the Forbidden City ride. Hands down, it was the best 4D ride we had ever taken at any themed park.

 

Savour Osaka’s famous Takoyaki

Osaka is known for its street food. One of the must-try food in this city is takoyaki. We had the opportunity to make our own takoyaki at Matsuri, which was just 2 train stops away from Universal Studios Japan.

 

Family Accommodations in Osaka

We stayed at Wafu Ryokan Uehonmachi which was a short walk from Uehonmachi train station.  It was a budget-friendly Japanese-style accommodation with rooms that had up to 6 futon beds.  Uehonmachi station is just 1 train station away from Namba.  Other accommodations with family rooms that we considered are in the popular areas listed below:

• Namba
• Dotonbori
• Shinsaibashi
• Uehonmachi and Tennoji

 


Booking.com


 

 

Day trips from Osaka

• Kyoto: Osaka is also a great hub for day trips to nearby areas especially Kyoto, which is just 1 hour away by train. Read more about our Kyoto adventures.
• Nara: Another great place for a day trip is Nara where you can stroll through beautiful Japanese parks where deers roam freely.

 

Other Japanese cities

As part of our Japan Winter trip, we also went to the following places:

• Hakone: Before arriving in Osaka, we spent a day in the mountain resort of Hakone with a great view of Mt Fuji. Read more about our Hakone in Winter adventures.
• Nagoya: After Osaka and Kyoto, we headed to Nagoya to see one of the best and biggest winter illuminations in Japan at Nabana no Sato Winter Illuminations. 
• Tokyo: After Nagoya, we went to a ski resort in Hakuba, before completing our last leg in Tokyo.  You could even go to Tokyo directly from Osaka. The fastest Shinkansen *bullet train”) takes 155 minutes, while the slow Shinkansen takes about 4 hours. Read more about our Tokyo adventures.