Osaka Itinerary Part 2

We took plenty of sleep the previous night recovering from the night bus ride, so we were ready for a full day of an adventure. In our second day in Osaka, we went to a lot of places and had different kinds of experiences. So here are what we did on the day – aquarium, tower, market and more!

10:30 Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

We first headed to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. We took a subway to Osakako Station, and walked for about 10 minutes. In Kaiyukan you can find a number of different sea animals, including big whale sharks, the highlight of the aquarium. We took an escalator to the top floor, going down the slope surrounding the biggest pool in the middle, seeing different booth on each floor and eventually came back down to the bottom. Kaiyukan is the second biggest aquarium in Japan – you can literally spend hours here!

 

11:30 Little break

After we got out from the aquarium, we took a quick break with a soft cream. (picture below) We also checked out a view from the port near by. On the way back to the train station, we played (again) at a game center!

 

13:00 Tsutenkaku

We took a subway to Ebisucho Station, and arrived at Tsutenkaku. It’s an observatory tower located right beside the Tennoji Park and Tennoji Zoo. We didn’t climb up the tower so we don’t have any pictures, but if you go up, make sure you find the statue of Billiken, the god of happiness, and rub the soles of his feet to make your wishes come true!

 

13:45 Kuromon Market

We decided to walk to Dotonbori for lunch, since we were not so far away. On our way we accidentally found the entrance of the Kuromon Market (picture above), so we went inside and check it out. Here you can find variety of fresh seafood which just came from the ocean in the morning. We went half way and decided to go back because so many of the stores were closed for holidays. It would be nice to walk around when this place is packed and busy!

 

14:00 Dotonbori

We came back to Dotonbori, where we were the previous day, and tried Takoyaki. There are so many Takoyaki vendors with long line in front of it, so we picked one had the least line (all of the places had a line!!). One bowl had 12 pieces of Takoyaki, and it was around ¥600. There are so many flavors of them, so try as many and find your favorite!

 

14:45 American Village

We walked for about 10 minutes from Dotonbori, and arrived at America-mura Village, where the youth culture is born. On the street you can find clothing stores with unique styles – I would say this place is “Harajuku of the west”. (If you know what I mean!) There are also some street arts on the walls here and there, so we took some pictures of them. (picture above)

 

16:00 Nakanoshima Park

We took a subway for about 5 minutes, and arrived at Nakanoshima Park, a reclaimed park on a river. We bought some beer on the way, so we sat down and took a break. Some people were doing yoga, and others were playing with kids. We enjoyed the beer under the sky, a nice chat and a little flower garden inside the park! (picture above)

 

19:30 Dinner

Because the park is located near Osaka Station, we decided to go there and find something to eat. We headed to Shin-umeda Shokudo-gai (Shin-umeda restaurant area), where various izakayas and ramen restaurants gather under the railway viaduct, and went in to one of the izakaya restaurants. We ordered some fried sticks, sashimi, steamed eggs and so on – they are all so delicious! It was nice to sit among locals and eat like locals. We really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere of the place!

 

I wrote another post about Top Tourist Attractions in Osaka, so check it out for more information!