Escapism: Osaka

Osaka has been I and Rizky’s escapism for a while. Living in Kyoto can be boring sometimes, and the nearby city of Osaka offers a lot of entertainment that brings ‘city vibe’ that we didn’t get while in Kyoto. I believe there are many articles out there mentioning places you must visit when you are in Osaka – so this article will be personalised a bit. Most of the places I mention here are those that I went to with Rizky to escape – and I will put some additional explanation about what I love about them. Enjoy!

Osaka/Umeda Station area

People most likely went to Osaka Station for transit – because there is barely any touristy object around here. Actually, Osaka/Umeda Station area is a nice place to explore, especially for shopping. Yes, in Osaka, you don’t (always) have to go to the crowded Shinsaibashi to shop! Around this area, there are many major brands with giant stores – Uniqlo, H&M, ABC Mart (sneakers), Yodobashi (electronics), Loft (stationery), and many more. The only thing though, it might take quite a lot of walk since the shopping area is THAT big. 

What I love about this area is while it has the city vibe with tall buildings and all, Osaka/Umeda Station area has a light cheerful ambiance and is not that crowded (unlike Tokyo). I especially love the space in front of Grand Front Osaka, which in summer the corner of the pool in the area becomes people’s place to rest and in winter the area is added with an outdoor ice skating and some winter light-up. Recently, I also found a fancy and comfy food hall in the basement of Umeda Station and a Umeda Brick Museum which display Kansai top three cities – Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe – made of legos.

While in this area, I would suggest visiting Umeda Sky Building, the second tallest Skyscraper in Osaka, which can be reached by 10-15 minutes walking from the Osaka/Umeda Station (if you are with elderly, I suggest to take a taxi instead). The visit to the Sky Building’s Kuchu Teien Observatory costs 1000yen, but the scenery from above, as well as the architecture of the building itself, make the fee worth it.

Osaka Station area. Photo credit Rizky Ramadhan

Umeda Sky Building

Osaka Museum of History

Most of the museum in Japan amazes me, and this is not an exception. The museum consists of a four-story permanent exhibition which all has the English translation. The fee for an adult to enter is 600yen. Here, I learned a lot about Osaka – from the period when the capital of Japan is Nara to the development of the city in the current years. I would say this museum should not be missed for a museum and history enthusiast!

Orange Street

If you are walking west from the famous Shinsaibashi area, you probably will hit Orange Street. Located in the Horie area, Orange Street reminds me of the small street behind Omotesando and Shibuya – where some youth fashion brands have their small stores around. Some names of the brands are BAPE, Supreme, Real McCoys, Champion, Undefeated, and many more. It also has some artsy-fancy cafe named Biotop and not far from the famous coffee shop named Giracha Coffee. Even with all of this, this area is very quiet – not many people walking around. I myself like the neighbourhood in Orange Street – it’s calm, stylish and – the most importantly – it has quite numbers of artsy cafes to stop by (I can’t stand cute and stylish cafes, I just want to hop in!).

Photo from osaka-info.jp

Kuromon Ichiba Market

While tourist mostly is more familiar with Kyoto’s Nishiki Market, I would say Kuromon Ichiba Market is so much more than Nishiki. First, the street is wider – giving us a more spacious place to walk and breathe (people who’ve been to Nishiki would understand). Second, seafood is fresher! As Osaka is near to bay area, the seafood here is really fresh. You can enjoy it in a restaurant or at a stop-by counter while walking around. Third, there is more variety of food. I’ve been only once to Kuromon Ichiba Market and would love to come back again. Can never get enough of those tempting fresh seafood!

Nipponbashi Denden Town

To all of you who are toys, figure arts, gunpla, anime, and manga freak…. here is your heaven. You can say Denden Town is the Osaka’s version of Akihabara. Having a figure arts freak husband, I’ve entered lots of stores here, and quite amazed by their collection. I couldn’t really say what I love about the place, except that this place makes my husband happy haha. Anyway, don’t skip this if you into toys and stuff.

Shinsekai

Shinsekai means ‘new world’ – a term used for this area that developed before the war but then neglected after it. This ‘old town’ part of Osaka is actually one of the areas that are not really safe to explore, but I mention it anyway because it has the icon of Osaka: Tsutenkaku Tower. I personally love the restaurant’s lights in Shinsekai at night, it really feels like Japan in the old time. However, as there are many homeless people and prostitution business around the area, I would recommend anyone who visits to not be alone and to not spend to much time wandering around.

Osaka Castle

I put this as one of the last ones because it’s a mainstream attraction most people go to. The only reason I write about this here is that I have some tips about going to Osaka Castle that might help you explore. First, enter through Sakuramon Gate. As far as I know, this is the only gate that provides wheel-chair friendly access, so it will be convenient for you who are with disabled, baby stroller, or elderly. It’s also probably the nearest gate to walk from the station (Osaka Business Park St./Osakajokoen St.) compared to the other two gates. Second, if you are not into history and not really comfortable climbing stairs, don’t bother entering Osaka Castle. While it offers an interesting history for a museum-freak like I am, the elevator to go up and down in the castle often full with people and you have to wait for a long time before having your turn. The best choice is using the stairs, but again, it could be tiring for some. Third, if you want to know the history but do not want to enter the castle, go to the Miraiza Osaka – the souvenir shop in front of the castle. Upon entering, turn right and walk straight until you reach the corner. Here, they have the display of the brief history of Osaka Castle that pretty much explains everything you need to know.

Shinsaibashi-Dotonburi

Another must-visit touristy place where I could hear people speaking Bahasa probably more than people speaking Japanese (haha). I usually start in Shinsaibashi where shopping stores lining up then walking down to the Dotonbori area where most of the food is. One thing to note though, Dotonbori is often REALLY CROWDED (yes; caps lock, bold, underline) – so brace yourself. Here is some personal recommendation about where to eat in this area. First, for Indonesian food and halal-certified restaurant, I love to go to Cafe Bintang Shinsaibashi. Even though they do not have it in the menu, but try to ask for a bebek goreng and gurame bakar – they are sometimes available! Second, for a takoyaki, the best takoyaki I’ve ever had is from Konamon Museum Takoyaki in Dotonbori. The shop has a giant octopus in front. Please eat in your own consideration because all of takoyaki stores in Dotonbori do not have halal certification but the filling is seafood anyway. Third, for fresh seafood, go to Isomarusuisan (the restaurant sign is all in Japanese, so check your Google Maps). I like eating here because their kaisen-don (seafood rice bowl) is cheap and delicious! The range of price for the seafood rice bowl is 500-900 yen. You may also have grilled seafood if you like. They have grilled shellfish, squid, tuna, etc.

And that’s all! Writing this, I realised that somehow Osaka, the city that I used to have no feelings for, now has a special place in my heart. Looking forward to my next visit!

Love,