This is what I did in Osaka in winter. Winter is one of my favorite season, but my week in Osaka actualy made me happier with it then I thought I would be. There are far fewer people at all the major sights.
The city itself felt more lived-in and less polished than Tokyo, yet it still had that same laid-back energy. I walked around, saw some temples, markets, and typical tourist sites, and, oh yes, ate. A lot.
Here’s what I did on my week in Osaka: a little sightseeing, lots of eating, and some random stops that turned out to be much more fun then expected.
My Fun Winter Week in Osaka
Osaka Castle Park
First up was Osaka Castle Park, what could be more logical than starting here?
This place was massive and really quiet in the morning. The only exceptions were some joggers and the occasional old people doing stretching exercises next to the moat.
It was a nice surprise that there are still a few trees with autumn leaves clinging on, who’d expect that in December?! You enter into a large open plaza that gives you a good view of the castle. Then it’s off to go walk up to main tower.
Up close, the roof ornaments really caught my attention, they’re quite detailed if you take the time to stop and look. Inside, the castle itself is a concrete rebuild, so I didn’t linger too much in the museum. But the park alone made it worth it for the stroll.
Kuromon Market
I got my fill of food chaos at Kuromon Market.
It is an indoor market covered by an arcade. There are stalls filled with fruits, seafood, weird kitchen gadgets, etc. I didn’t want to miss anything so I walked along, taking it all in as people rushed past me pushing their carts.
The sashimi was unbelievably fresh, some places even had a tank full of live fish ready to be cut up. I stood back for a bit and just watched one guy cutting up a tuna. Finally, I couldn’t wait any longer and went ahead and grabbed some for myself.
The wagyu also looked amazing, consisting of massive, thick pieces of meat with huge marbling.
Ichiran Ramen
It was probably more expensive then my plane ticket. There was no way I could walk away from a takoyaki stall where I was able to watch them flipping the balls around on the griddle. Piping hot (almost too hot to hold) and perfectly done, they hit the spot.
Having read about it previously, I decided to give Ichiran a go when in Osaka. It’s quite a simple process, there are ticket machines outside where you order, followed by an electronic board showing available seats. I recieved my cola and ramen tickets.
Then I sat down at my table and completed the small form to request my ramen preferences. Booths have a slightly odd set-up (you’re all alone with a bowl behind a bamboo screen) but it works. The broth was delicious; rich but not too rich.
Not the best ramen I’ve ever eaten, but it was exactly what I needed on a cold day spent wandering around.
Namba Yasaka Shrine
Another strange sight to behold is Namba Yasaka Shrine.
I entered the temple via an ordinary stone torii gate, and everything looked normal…until I rounded the corner and found this giant lion head stage sitting in the center of the courtyard. Apparently, its purpose is to eat up bad luck or evil spirits or whatever, but really it just looks crazy.
There were a couple of other tourists photographing it when I went by, and I did the same. What else was I gonna do? The rest of the shrine isn’t very large, and you could spend maybe ten minutes looking around at everything before moving on, but the lion head was enough for me to make the detour.
Shitennoji Temple
While most of the temple’s buildings were rebuilt over the years, Shitennoji Temple is supposedly one of the oldest in Japan.
I didn’t know much about it, so I paid the small entry fee. I wandered around its main courtyard, which houses both the main hall and the five-story pagoda side-by-side.
Because everything was laid out symmetrically and simply, it was easy enough for me to wander without a map. I also visited the back garden, which featured a quiet pond with a little arched bridge. When I went, there weren’t many people around; just a couple of older women sitting on a bench and a handful of people lighting incense.
The entire place was calm in a way that a lot of tourist temples aren’t.
Tennoji Zoo
The entrance fee for Tennoji Zoo was cheap, and I had some time to kill, so I decided to go.
It’s a pretty old zoo. You can tell, the enclosures aren’t huge, and it has a bit of a retro vibe all over.
That being said, I saw a polar bear do laps in the pool like he was training for something. I also saw a lion just lounging on a rock, looking totally unbothered even with a dozen people staring at him. If you have an hour or two on a quiet afternoon, this is a decent way to spend it.
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
The zoo’s not going to blow you away. The highlight for me was Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.
It’s really well laid out inside.
You enter at the top and spiral down through various ocean zones. The building itself sits directly on the water. There are whale sharks inside who simply glide by at eye level, as well as schools of smaller fish and some rays in the main tank.
I spent quite a while just standing in the tunnel section watching all the creatures swimming over my head.
Tempozan Takoyaki and Abura Soba
The aquarium wasn’t crowded but it wasn’t small either so it never felt too tight. Once I’d completed my time there I went walking around the harbour area and got to see the Tempozan Ferris wheel all lit up at night, a nice way to wrap things up. Then I came across this little spot that serves abura soba and takoyaki near the aquarium.
I was hungry and the menu sounded good, so I ordered both. First out were the takoyaki, still sizzling as they landed at the table complete with bonito flakes doing their thing on top. Next up was the abura soba which I’d never tried before (It’s basically soupless ramen tossed in a sauce with some toppings, kinda like a Japanese version of dry noodles).
I didn’t expect it to be as heavy as it was but it was really satisfying. It filled me up after a long day walking around the harbour. Everything was very cheap.
Universal Studios Japan
I spent a whole day at Universal Studios Japan, and it was exactly what I expected.
I saw everything they had to offer, including their new Super Nintendo World, which was actualy more fun then I imagined. I also saw their Wizarding World section.
It was done really well; Hogwarts Castle at the end of the street looked impressive despite the crowds, and Hogsmeade felt surprisingly immersive. They have a lot of rides and I didn’t get to them all, but I did get through most of the biggies and walked away pretty tired.
Mels Drive-In USJ
For lunch I headed into the park where there’s a retro American diner called Mel’s Drive-In (with old cars parked outside). It’s cheesy in a fun way and the interior, food and overall experience are all very theme-park. I had their BBQ bacon cheeseburger meal; an oversized, overly greasy delight that pretty much hits the mark for what it’s supposed to be.
Nothing gourmet here, just good-tasting and filling. Perfect for refueling before getting back on the rides.
Dotonbori
Osaka’s pretty much the postcard image of Dotonbori, and I went at night when the signs are all lit up. There’s the giant crab sign on Kani Doraku whose legs move. There is the Glico Running Man right where you think he’d be.
Then there’s a mechanical drummer statue that I hadn’t known about until I walked past it. There’s a canal running through the middle of it all, lined with people taking photos and restaurants and bars. Tourists, yes.
Locals, also yes. But that’s kind of the point. It was packed, but I walked up and down the main strip a couple times just soaking it all in.
Dotonbori River Cruise
Another thing that I did was the Dotonbori River Cruise.
This departs from a tiny pier located in Nippombashi. It’s a fairly small boat (open topped) and cruises down the river with you right down by the water.
In the evening this makes for a reflection of neon sign off the water and an alternative view of everything you just strolled past. It’s not very long (about twenty minutes), but it was a welcome change from walking around and provided some good photos that I would’ve otherwise missed from standing on the street.
Tsutenkaku Tower
The Shinsekai neighbourhood has this old-school Osaka vibe about it. Tsutenkaku Tower is here. It’s not that tall, especially compared to some of the newer towers.
However, you can pay to head up to the observation deck, which offers a decent view of the surrounding area. There’s also a little shrine inside with the Billiken statue, which people rub the feet of for good luck. People rub the feet for good luck, so I did too.
Why not?
Shinsekai
At night I looked out from the top and could see the entire Shinsekai district all lit up below me. The tower glowed when I returned downstairs. It’s not the fanciest observation deck but it felt more local than touristy.
The neighbourhood around Tsutenkaku is called Shinsekai, and it has this sort of retro, kind-of-gritty vibe that I loved. The entry arch is enough to set the mood, and if you take a stroll through the street at night, there are tons of old-school neon signs for izakayas and kushikatsu restaurants.
Umeda Sky Building
I saw one place with a giant takoyaki octopus face on its front, and another with a huge mural of the Great Wave. It all just felt like it was stuck in a different decade, in the best possible way. There’s a kushikatsu restaurant here that I didn’t get to eat at this time around but did make a mental note to visit next trip.
In December I visited Umeda Sky Building, where they have the entire Christmas set up. They had a Christmas tree in the plaza and also a big lit-up arch at the entrance making the entire area fairly festive. From there, I took an escalator up to their observation deck (the floating platform that connects the two towers).
The view of the skyline was solid… You can see all of Osaka stretching out in every direction. It was windy up there but the deck’s partially open-air so you get the full effect.
Even from the outside, the building itself is cool to look at.
teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka
I went to teamLab Botanical Garden mainly because of positive reviews; it was a light installation at night in one of the parks.
Basically, all the trees and such in the garden were illuminated with these color changing lights that reacted to your movements (or simply cycled through various colors). There were reflections in the pond, trees lit in a bunch of colors, etc. It all doubled the effect.
There was also an interactive part where if you walked by something it would change the lights. It was quite beautiful and very Insta-worthy. However, it did get crowded in places.
Mocha Cat Cafe
I wandered around for an hour and took pics. One day I took a break and went to Mocha Cat Cafe in Osaka. You can go hang out with a bunch of cats (that roam freely around the space) for an hourly fee, plus all the coffee/tea/wine you want.
Yakiniku no Dendo Kiyomizu Hall
There were some really fluffy ones lounging on the sofa, and one wore a little Christmas elf costume that was both ridiculous and kinda cute. They were used to humans, so they would either come up to you when they wanted to or ignore you. It was nice and relaxing (a good change of pace from running around the city), and quiet too.
I also had a really good meal at Yakiniku no Dendo Kiyomizu Hall one night. Located in a busy section of a building, the restaurant itself was pretty lively as people grilled at their tables inside. For dinner, I got the premium wagyu platter.
It’s ridiculous how well-marbled this meat was. It almost melts when you cook it. You get to grill the food yourself…
Half the fun! I didn’t want to mess up any of my food by overcooking it.
Wagyu to Buta Shabu-shabu
It was clearly high quality and well worth the extra cost. Another dish I sampled was Wagyu to Buta Shabu-shabu, which was located downstairs behind such a dark door that I had to check if I was at the right address. It’s warm and cosy inside and I went for the pork and wagyu combination.
They presented the meat on these lovely flower-shaped plates. Before dumping them all in the shabu-shabu pot. The wagyu cooked quickly, a couple of swishes around the broth and it was ready.
The pork wasn’t bad either and overall it was a warming meal for a cold night.
Chikuyotei Unagi Restaurant
After wandering about for awhile, I came upon Chikuyotei. I saw the wooden sign outside and it seemed traditional enough. And I felt like some grilled eel, so I stepped inside.
I had the unaju (eel on rice, served in a lacquer box) as well as the hitsumabushi set (where you get to enjoy the eel three different ways). The eel was grilled just right, with a sweet glaze that didn’t overpower; the rice absorbed all of the sauce. It was definitely not a cheap meal, but it was worth the price because of the good quality, and it made me leave feeling happy and full.
Kanizo Crab Restaurant
I’d been looking forward to trying the king crab. When I saw a directory of restaurants outside at the bottom of the building, I went up the floors to find a place and ended up at Kanizo. They brought out a giant platter of crab legs.
I spent the rest of the time cracking them open and picking out pieces of sweet crabmeat. We also grilled some on our table, a bit different in taste. It is messy and takes some effort to eat, but that is half the fun.
It was fresh and worth it.
Kato Hanten
For my final meal in Osaka, I headed to Kato Hantanen which is a relatively new Chinese restaurant with a moddern interior but dark wood decor. Since this place had Peking duck on the menu, I got that. This is one of those dishes I always order if I see it.
You’re given a plate of thinly made crepes and all the fixings and then you wrap up each piece yourself. The skin was crispy, the meat was tender, and it was perfect. The service was efficient, the restaurant wasn’t overly packed when I arrived, and it was a solid way to finish off the trip.
Turns out visiting Osaka in winter was a good idea. It was cold but not unbearable. I had enough time for everything without feeling rushed.
There was plenty of interesting stuff to keep me busy, from wandering through random neighborhoods to seeing old temples and modern attractions. Did you visit Osaka in winter? Where did you go?
Did you spot any places that I didn’t include?
