Japan Trip 2024 - Osaka

I've been putting Japan on my wish list since 2020. 

In the midst of Covid, I've started researching and saving, hoping to go in the next couple of years. 

But other trips come up, and life got hectic,

until finally in 2024, we made time to go. 

As always, I want to document this trip here to look back on, 

because it was one of the most memorable trips thus far. 

--- 

DAY 0

We (me, mom, dad) started our trip with a quick costume change. We had a wedding to attend in the morning. I had bridesmaid duties! But exactly at 12 pm, we rushed to change from our formal attire to our travel set, and made our way to the airport. Fortunately, we were able to check our luggage in first with the help of a friend. 

Less than 30 minutes after arriving, we were already boarding! And soon we landed in Jakarta!

We then took the skytrain from terminal 2 to terminal 3, where we sat down for a late lunch at Sate Senayan. This was where we finally meet my sister - who travelled from Sydney to Jakarta on the previous day. Our unit was complete!

We checked in and went through security & immigration. It was fairly quick! 

We had a bit of time to kill - calling family and sipping on hot choc (and buying medicine because my sore throat was not going away). 

Soon, we boarded Thai Airways for a layover at Bangkok airport. But 1.5 hours later, we were flying again, all the way to Osaka. 

DAY 1 

We arrived quite early in the morning. Our plane landed at 7.30 am in Kansai Airport. 

Because we've done our research, we have filled the required forms needed for immigration & customs. 

After a short line, we just needed to record our finger prints and scan QR codes. 

I believe we were out of the airport within less than an hour! 

Next up, we headed to the airport's train station. As we cross the bridge from the terminal to the station, cold winter air greeted us. Nice to see you again, winter <3

Again, after doing some research on YouTube, we found the best way to get to the hotel for us is to book the Haruka Express train via Klook. 

So, we only needed to show the proof of purchase along with our passports to the JR office, and we're good to go! I think you can also do this via the machines - but the line at the office was a short one anyway. 

At this point, we also purchased Icoca cards for our next travels. 

So, 9.16 am was our train. We eagerly carried all 6 luggage across the ticket gates onto the platform, and waited.

Here we had our first encounter with the vending machine. A vending machine selling hot drinks, no less! I quickly purchased hot green tea for Y140. It acted as a nice hand-warmer, too. 

When the train came, we put our bags in the bags compartments, located next to the doors. We came just before the holiday season begin, so it was not too crowded. And as the train took us to the center of Osaka, there it was. Little Japanese houses, and streets, and buildings, and rivers. So beautiful. 

In about 40 minute, we reached our destination: Osaka station! 

We had a slight hiccup trying to exit the station. There were so many exits! And we quickly learned, too, that navigating with Google Maps in Japan is somehow more difficult. I don't know why - whether it was our GPS that didn't work properly, or maybe because it was just so crowded. 

But anyway, after a slight detour, we found our hotel (which is right by the station), and was able to store our luggage while waiting for the check-in time. 

Everyone was starving, so we marched out to find food! We walked and walked and walked around, but because it was Sunday morning, nothing seemed to be opened. (Or maybe we were in the wrong neighborhood for that time of day.) 

But then we found a ramen shop that was open. We purchased our meals via the machine. As we were shown to our seat, I realized what this place was - Ichiran! aka ramen shop for the introverts. The noodle and broth were amazing. 

We continued to walk around the neighborhood of Osaka Station, getting to know what else were there. And when it was time for a coffee break: Blue Bottle was our choice for the day. 

We were actually getting very sleepy at this point, because we just travelled for a whole day! But we still had a little bit of time to wait before we could check in. We checked out one of the biggest Uniqlo stores I've yet to visit! And after we truly cannot open our eyes any longer, we got ourselves checked in. 

We stayed at Granvia Hotel in Osaka - which is owned by the JR company, so the location was super convenient. 

After loading in, I truly cannot remember anything else besides sitting on the sofa, putting my feet up on the little coffee table (terrible, I know! sowwy), and passing out on to a much needed nap. 

The sky was dark when I woke up 2-3 hours later. Time to get going for dinner. 

What are we going to eat? Honestly, we haven't planned anything! This time, we didn't really plan our trip around specific food. I think there were just too much to try, do, and see, that we want to be flexible with mealtime.  

I really wanted to visit the Grand Front Osaka mall (since I heard it was very closeby). So we walked there (less than 5 mins!), and then probably spent around 20 minute, walking around - first the basement, then the 7F, trying to decide what to eat.

Finally we decided on Okonomiyaki. We're in Kansai, after all! Again, after a short waiting time, we were sat down and soon after, our orders came. Delish :") 

One thing to note when visiting Japan is that each person is usually required to order one dish. That is not a thing back home. We were so used to ordering less and just share our food (because we don't eat that much). So we had to get creative, that we still order 4 dishes, but can finish them all. 

After dinner, we found a 7-11 to purchase our next day's breakfast, then head back to our room for another much needed rest.

Overall, day 1 in Osaka was a chill one. 

 

DAY 2

Did I say I want to start the day bright & early? I totally lied. 

Mom & Dad did start the day super early as they were having brunch with the local pastor. Me? I was taking my sweet time. 

But anyways, I started the day with the 7-11 sandwich, which was super soft. After regrouping, we made our way to Kuromon Ichiba market!

To be completely honest, I got quite overwhelmed by the choices. And I was still getting used to the food prices here - converting them in my head, getting a sense if it was a good bargain or not. 

So, we got some: 

- beef skewers. melty, soft, yummy!

- takoyaki (my sister did - I'm off takos for now!)

- dango mochi 

- taiyaki. the warmest! 

- ebi tempura.

 

I think next time I'm coming to this market, I'd be better prepared to spend lol xD 

bcs everything looks good - a lot of grilled seafood, daifuku, fresh sushi bowls, etc. 

But next up, it was time to finally meet the infamous Glico - Running Man! Ahh we were finally, officially in Osaka! A few mandatory selfies, then off we continued to walk. 

We passed by the Shinsaibashi-suji shopping street briefly to make our way to LiLo Coffee Roasters. We passed by the beautiful Mido-suji street as well :") the 'tree-lined street' with many big brands flagship stores standing on each side reminded me of Collins street - but with more pizzazz - bigger & bolder & more glam!

LiLo Coffee Roasters was a tiny corner coffee shop, but the drinks were good - I got hot chocolate which was AMAZING. 

LiLo Coffee Roasters also brought us to the 'amerika-mura' part of town. The streets made for an interesting experience - between cafes, unique Japanese architectures, and thrift stores! The culture felt both Japanese but also some hints of American-ess were there! 

Fortunately for me, at this time of year, most stores only carry winter clothings - which I don't really need at the moment. So, less shopping for me xD less spending (or even more accurately: more to be spent somewhere else xD) 

We then traced our way back to Glico Man - stopping by at Pablo's cheesecake for a cheeky bite. We strolled by the river for a few minutes, marveling at the city under the dusk sky.  

And no matter how many Uniqlo's we encountered and would encounter throughout this trip, every single one of them were a necessary pit-stop xD I actually got myself a white, squidgy jacket from GU (which might be an intentional 'knock-off' of its sister company - bcs they are very similar but only half the price!) and also some gloves - because Japan is cold. 

We ended the night with a 7-11 shopping haul, and tried their microwave-able meals. They were quite good! Tasty, filling, not skimpy with the toppings. From hambagu, pastas, rice, they were more than decent. I also found my new favorite Japanese product - their lemon tea. Ah so good - not too sweet, not too tard. Just perfect. 

Another happy day in Japan! 

DAY 3

Today, we got a little more ambitious with the so-little-time we have. 

First on the agenda: Umeda Sky Building. 

We thought it was going to be a long walk. But via many shops, tunnels, and the most beautiful autumnal park, we were there in no time! 

Up we go, 35 levels into the sky. My legs were shakey as I realized we were leaving the safety of the ground. It has something to do with the almost-transparant elevator! But once we got up there, it was all good! We sat for a quick bite (matcha croffle hehe) in the cafe, as they have this huge window, looking over Yodo river. I love views like this :") I could sit for hours and hours and not get bored. 

But this isn't our final destination! 

As we go up another flight, we actually got to go outdoors! Yep, 36 floors or something above the ground! Ha! It was so bright, but thank God for the beautiful day and a pair of sunnies I had brought. Probably the only time I used it throughout this trip xD Here, we met another Indonesian group xD 

We didn't spend too long up here, because our next destination was waiting, and tbh our tummies are grumbling. We headed down and pondered the Christmas market that was happening on the plaza (pretzel and bratwurst - hello?)  and some restaurants in their basement (leading to another beautiful, hidden garden). 

But we decided to go to Links building instead, headed to the 8F and chose a restaurant that served set meals there for a very descent price! Oyako-don, chicken katsu kind of foods, with miso soup, pickles, and deliciously sticky rice. 

Then, we hopped on the train to Osaka Castle!

One word - beautiful!

Right from when we got off of the train station, walking all the way to the feet of the castle. Getting to the heart of Osaka Castle took a little bit of time, but I didn't mind at all. The streets were clean, wide, and sprinkled with the beautiful autumn leaves. And for me, I think this is where I started to get the charm of this country and fall in love with Japan. 

We didn't go into the castle - didn't want to pay lol. But we did take a lot of pictures. 100% recommended! 

We left the castle ground via another gate, making our way to another site. 

I'm not sure actually what this place was. There was a city zoo, but also a big Christmas market going on - maybe I thought it was close enough to one of Osaka's other famous tower Tsutenkaku? Or maybe I was hoping to see another temple Tennoji? I had been planning this trip for so long that I even forgot my original plan lol! But anyways, finally we indulged in a pretzel and bratwurst.

But our day didn't end here. We pushed for another, final stop of Osaka :")  

We went back to Mido-suji street. Now that the sky was properly dark, the trees lit up, and so did the buildings. So worth it!! Another cheeky coffee shop stop to rest our feet at Streamer Coffee Company. 

The person sitting in front of me were working and journaling accompanied by his coffee. Meanwhile, I got to enjoy my hot cocoa without worrying about work? Luxury!

What a sweet closure to our Osaka trip. 

For our final dinner: back to Links. I got myself a nice bowl of hot tempura soba. YUM. Warming, filling. Simple. Pinnacle of Japanese cuisine. 

That night, before touching back at the hotel, me & my sister took a quick walk around the neighborhood. We found a Starbucks x Tsutaya x a university library. IT WAS SO CUTE :") And the streets hosted cute little cafes and bistros as well :")