Osaka is one of my absolute favorite places to be in Japan. The people are friendly, the food is mind-blowing, and the shopping is endless. Here’s my quick cheat sheet guide for everyone wanting to explore Osaka in all its glory!
Umeda is one of the largest city centers in Osaka along with Namba, filled with countless department stores, restaurants, and being a major transportation hub. Well known department stores like Hankyu, Grand Front Osaka, Hanshin, Hep 5, and LUCUA are all strong pillars of Umeda, providing shopping for all. There are also casual restaurants, “depa-chika” bento boxes, and high class dining around Umeda too. My favorites to explore are in Hankyu Sanban-gai and Shokudogai. Spend a full day exploring here and indulging in all the foods, attractions, and shopping!
For the classic, grungy Osaka experience, Namba is a must-visit place for your Osaka trip. While Umeda is clean, polished, and constantly creating new buildings and attractions for the locals, Namba is the well established, hole-in-the-wall experience that is iconic and can’t be missed. With lots of amazing food stalls selling traditional Japanese dishes like takoyaki, huge thrift stores like Second Street or Book-Off, and traditional live performances like Kabuki or stand-up comedy, there’s so much fun to be found! Don’t forget to take a picture with the Glico man too!
Just off of Namba, one of the best places to find street wear and thrift can be found! With a good mix of select items, vintage, and thrift, Ame-mura is a mix of all sorts of Osaka fashion. With a name that’s clearly taken from a love of American culture, Ame-mura is always crowded with young people that love hip-hop, rap, and American pop culture. My favorite stores to visit are Kinji, Ruby’s, Tre-Fac, and Nishi Kaigan. Orange St. and Kindal are for the higher end, select shops for luxury goods.
I’m sure you’ve all seen the iconic signage spelling out Dotonbori so make sure to not miss it! It’s one of the best places to find Osaka night-life with their classic bars, host/hostess clubs, and izakayas! Explore Hozenji Yokocho, drink in all the neon lights, and catch a ride down the river for a unique perspective in one of the biggest areas in Osaka. Find the funkiest people and sculptures all around Dotonbori. Don’t miss a thing!
Personally, I think USJ is more fun than Tokyo Disney because Nintendo World is absolutely fantastic. Easily accessible by train, there is Nintendo World, Harry Potter, JAWS, Jurassic Park, Spider-man, and also seasonal special anime events like One Piece or Jujutsu Kaisen themes that happen too! Don’t forget to reserve a time for all of the popular attractions like Nintendo World so you can enjoy! Make sure to check out all of the super cute souvenirs too, my favorite being the Hello Kitty store that they have at the front of USJ. Spend a day here and make some amazing memories!
