Welcome to Osaka (大阪市)! Affectionately known as Japan's Kitchen, this was the first stop or
our trip and a wonderful place to eat. We dove straight into the local cuisine visiting
markets, street food stalls, and restaurants that required ordering from ticket vending
machines. But our trip to Osaka (大阪市) wasn’t all food. In between all the eating, we also managed
to visit towering skyscrapers, hidden temples, and retro gaming arcades - all of them complete
surprises. So if you’re curious about what there is to see and do in this city, stick
around and let us show you 25 things to do in Osaka, Japan! Alright, guys, so we are
currently visiting Shitennoji (四天王寺), which is a Buddhist temple and this is actually a pretty
large complex. Like it's made up of various parts, and we are starting off in the Japanese
Gardens. We paid 300 yen per person to access this area. You've got like little streams,
and little ponds, lots of trails where you can walk around, and yeah, we're just going
to enjoy this for a little bit before we continue to the main part of the temple. Founded in
the year 593 this is the oldest officially administered temple in Japan, though the buildings
you see today have been rebuilt over the course of the centuries. This temple is named after
the shitenno: the four heavenly kings of the Buddhist tradition said to guard the world
from evil. We found the golden fish. Look at that! Glowing in the sun. You go fish!
So we just finished visiting the Shitennoji Shrine (四天王寺), unfortunately, part of it is under
renovation so we couldn't visit the 5-story pagoda, but instead, we've crossed over to
Tennoji Park (天王寺公園), so we're just walking through here now. And again, it's so tranquil, so
peaceful, beautiful summer day. Sam's having fun photographing. - I'm loving it. - How's
it going? - I've had my camera out all day and it's just gorgeous. And it's nice that
we're kind of starting out by exploring some green spaces here in the city. It's been a
really fun time. This next place is the Horikoshi Shrine (堀越寺) and we stumbled upon it completely
by chance. It was like a miniature version of the torii gates that we would eventually
encounter at the Fushimi Inari Shrine once we reached Kyoto. And then we found this oasis
in the middle of Osaka (大阪市): the Keitakuen Garden (慶沢園). So next attraction here in Tennoji Park (天王寺公園). So
we're visiting Keitakuen Garden (慶沢園) and the tickets were only 150 each. Mmmmhmmm. So really good
price. Again, it's another beautiful green escape here. It's tranquil, it's lovely. It's
so nice to just wander around, and we've been actually just finding little places to sit
down and take it all in. Alright guys, so we were melting. It is so hot outside! So
we decided, we need some ice cream. We got some green tea matcha (抹茶アイスクリーム) soft-serve. Oh yeah.
Looks good. Let's cool down. Looks so good. I think the temperatures were as high as 30
today, so. Yeah, and the ice cream is melting fast so let's do this. Let's do this! And
this right here is going to be our next stop. Abeno Harukas (あべのハルカス). We're going to this skyscraper
for some views of Osaka (大阪市). Alright guys, so we made it to the Abeno Harukas Building (あべのハルカス),
and we are currently on the 16th floor. We took the elevator up and they have a garden
on the 16th floor of the skyscraper. Like this is pretty cool. And admission is free
of charge. You get amazing views of Osaka, and you can even go up higher. They have an
observation deck you can pay for, but honestly, the views from this garden are pretty cool.
This is currently the tallest building in Japan standing 300 meters tall and 62 stories
high. We only went part of the way up, but the views were impressive! Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園)
is a large urban park complete with shrines, gardens, moats, and its namesake landmark:
Osaka Castle (大阪城公園). It’s a nice place for a stroll, especially on a weekend. And now here's Osaka
Castle itself. The original castle was built in the year 1583, though it’s needed some
serious reconstructions and renovations many times over. It’s quite the sight from the
outside, and we also paid to go up to the 8th-floor observation deck which offers 360-degree
views. Alright guys, so we made it to the top! Made it. We had to climb eight floors.
It was a bit of a sweatfest. It was also crowded too. And you also know there is an option
to take the elevator if you want to, it's just the lines were way too long. There were
too many people. We legged it up instead. Alright, so time for thoughts on Osaka Castle (大阪城公園).
Yeah, so our, basically, the concensus is we enjoyed it more from the outside than the
inside. The complex area itself is quite impressive, just walking around and seeing the castle
from different vantage points. I would agree. It's incredible. But inside, we chose to go
on a weekend, which was a bad decision in hindsight. It was packed. So many people!
Packed inside. Umm, the best part were the views at the top. There were some really nice
views. But, you can get better views in Osaka (大阪市), and we're going to show you those later in
this video. Yeah, exactly. Alright guys, so next up, we are visiting the Namba Yasaka
Shrine (難波八阪神社), which is shaped like the head of a lion. It's pretty unusual. I've never seen
anything like it. And the idea is that the lion is meant to swallow any evil spirits,
and it's also a popular place where people come to pray if they want to do well in business
or in their education. So yeah, cool little spot here. Another place that can’t be missing
on your list of things to do in Osaka is: Dotonbori (道頓堀). This is one of the main tourist
areas in the city, and it’s a place known for its nightlife and entertainment. We visited
by day and got a much tamer experience of the place, but you can expect lots of neon,
billboards and massive signs that let you know each restaurants' specialities. One big
reason why we visited Dotonbori (道頓堀) was to enjoy the street food! There are countless food
stands in this area, and it was our mission to hit them up! We tried taiyaki, kushikatsu,
gyoza, and takoyaki, among other things. This is actually a dish that originated in Osaka
in the 30s. So if you come here, like you have to try takoyaki. It's just mandatory.
How could you no? Look at these little balls. It's one of the most iconic food items you
can try in Osaka (大阪市) for sure. Piping hot. Piping hot. While you’re in the neighbourhood,
you can also check out the Kuromon Ichiba (黒門市場), a covered market often nicknamed Osaka’s
Kitchen. There are shops selling fish, meat and vegetables, but you can also find stands
serving street food. One final tip: don’t forget to look up because this market has
some cool seafood-themed signs. Alright guys, so 'm getting number 6, ramen with soft-boiled
seasoned egg. And Sam is going for number 11, meat-filled wonton dumplings. Still talking
about food here, another dish that we really wanted to try in Osaka was ramen (ラーメン). We had this
in Dotonbori (道頓堀) where we ordered it from a vending machine and then had it served inside the
restaurant. Sam got the ramen with dumplings, and I ordered ramen (ラーメン) with a perfectly soft
boiled egg. Okay, Sam, how thrilled are you about this bowl in front of you? Beyond. So,
I mean, look how big this is. Check this out guys. Oh my gosh! It's huge. And this is just
the regular size. You could actually upgrade and get a bigger one. Yes, you can do one
and a half times, or twice as big. And it's not that much more. I decided to get mine
with dumplings. See the dumplings there. They look a bit like momos, the shape. So it looks
like there's some cabbage. We also have lots of noodles, and some pork. Oooo, look at that!
Slurps up! Haha, did you just say slurps up? Like bottoms up? Like surf's up. Mmmm, these
are really nice noodles. Let's dig on in. First of all, the egg, the egg! You've been
very patient filming me eat mine. Yes, I just love egg. And I want to cut this open to show
you how they cook it to perfection here. Wow. Look at those colours. It's not too soft,
not too hard. It's just right. This is how I love my eggs and it is so hard to get them
this way. Whenever I try making them at home, I usually overcook or undercook them. It's
usually a cooking fail. So sad. And let's bite into this magic right here. I'm not a
huge fan of egg so it's less magical for me than it is for you. Mmmm. Isn't that good?
It's amazing. That egg looks so good I might even like it. That saying a lot! Noooo. That's
saying a lot. You're going to have to share. We’ve talked about Japanese food quite a
bit already, but another dish that needs to be added to the list is okonomiyaki (お好み焼き). This
is a very popular dish in Osaka (大阪市), and it’s best described as a savoury pancake with toppings
that vary by region. We ordered two different kinds: one with pork and another with seafood.
Both were topped with a bbq sauce, mayonnaise and bonito flakes that dance in the heat.
There are restaurants where you can cook it yourself or have it prepared for you. We had
quite a bit of help at our table, but it was a really fun food experience! Let's sprinkle
a little bit of this on. Whatever it may be. And aside from that, we can't forget the bonito
flakes. Yes! These are the ones that dance in the heat. Yeah, they dance. Look at that.
That's the best way I can describe it. They look like they're alive. Yes. Look at them
moving. They are moving right now as you see. Fish flakes. Fish flakes, load it up. Let's
try this! In he goes. Oh my gosh, it is so hot and warm. That is steaming. A lot! Just
trying to grab a bit of everything. Let's try not to burn yourself. Oh my gosh, that
is so good! Yeah? It's one of those dishes where it's like where have you been all my
life? I've been in Japan! I've been waiting for you in Japan. If you’re looking for
things to do in Osaka at night, we’d recommend checking out the views from Umeda Sky Building (梅田スカイビル).
The structure consists of two towers that are connected by glass-tunnel escalators and
an open-air observation deck at the very top. The views from there are pretty spectacular!
While in Osaka (大阪市), we also made sure to try a typical Japanese breakfast. The highlight:
grilled fish and delicious miso. The lowlight: a raw egg and natto. The latter is a fermented
soybean with an off-putting slimy texture. And it looks like a really nice piece of fish.
I like how you're using the chopsticks as a fork and knife. Yes, definitely. Why not,
right? Take it for a big swim. I think I'm going to grab a little rice with it. Oh, wow.
Mmmm. The fish is so tender it just melts in your mouth. And I love the soy ginger sauce
too. Mmmm, oh that's really good. It's nice to be having protein in the morning as well.
So next up we are vising the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living. It is on the 8th floor
of this building. We had some trouble finding it, but now, you know. We didn’t visit too
many museums in Osaka, but one that we particularly enjoyed was the Museum of Housing and Living.
This museum recreates how the streets and buildings of Osaka (大阪市) would have looked like
during the Edo Period. They also have a kimono experience where you can dress up and take
photos, however, we visited on a weekend so there was a long wait time for that! As you
can probably already tell, food was a major focus of our trip to Osaka (大阪市), and one food experience
that we couldn’t miss out on was conveyer belt sushi (回転寿司)! We ate at Kura Sushi, which is
a sushi chain where you can get plates for ¥100 - the equivalent of $1 US Dollar. A
bit of wasabi! Whoa-ho, he's being adventurous with that wasabi. Yup, gonna mix that around
a bit. Alright, let's try this. One biter, right? Yup. One biter or go home. Mmmmm. How
is that? It's absolutely wonderful. I've been craving salmon so much, and to get it here,
and the quality is pretty decent too. Yeah, I would say so! For sure. For conveyor belt
sushi, this is really good. Yeah, it's just awesome. It's such a nice taste. I love salmon!
The cool thing about this sushi restaurant is that you can win prizes. Every time we
finished 5 plates of sushi, we would slide them into a machine for a chance to win a
capsule toy. We tried 3 times and failed, but it’s certainly a fun incentive to consume
more sushi. Womp womp! Haha, we didn't get a prize. We have to eat 5 more. Our next stop
was Den Den Town (日本橋), which is the heart of all things anime, manga, and gaming related. After
exploring the area on foot, we went into Taito Station (太東駅), which is a gaming arcade, where we
proceeded to lose a few hundred yen on our quest to win a Pikachu. Oh, no. No! Oh my
gosh, we're just wasting money at this point. We're just wasting money. One evening we decided
to visit Shinsekai (新世界). This is an older neighbourhood with a bit of a retro-futuristic vibe. The
centrepiece is Tsutenkaku Tower, which stands 103 metres tall. If you visit Shinsekai, it’s
good to come hungry. There are lots of restaurants where you can try things like blowfish, kushikatsu,
and sumo-sized meals. One cool find in Shinsekai was a retro arcade with games from the 80s
and 90s. They had some classics like: Pac-Man, Mario Brothers and Street Fighter. This arcade
was located on the left diagonal lane moving away from Tsutenkaku Tower. Oh, you got it!
Another place we visited in Osaka is Tsuruhashi, which happens to be the largest Korean neighbourhood
in Japan. The area around the train station is full of eateries and restaurants sure to
satisfy your kimchi cravings. We found a small little restaurant and ordered up some of our
favourite Korean dishes: pajeon, sundubu jjigae, and dolsot bibimbap. It was all delicious
and we walked out of there feeling beyond satisfied. Now my main dish, this is the one
I ordered. I got the sundubu jjigae, which is a tofu stew. Ooo, this one also has seafood!
Oh, this is so good. Even though it's a really hot day outside, I'm all about this hot soup.
I remember, when I was in Korea, someone told me once, that you fight fire with fire, so
on a hot day, you have hot food. You just don't care. Today is baseball game day. It's
baseball in Japan! We're going to be watching a Japanese basenall game, and it's our first
time ever to do that. We're watching one of two local Osaka teams called the Hanshin Tigers (阪神タイガース).
We just arrived at the stadium. As you can see, I've already picked up a new hat. Fancy!
I'm loving it. Last but least, there’s one day trip from Osaka (大阪市) that’s not to be missed
and that’s Nara (奈良市)! This was the capital of Japan from the years 710 to 784 AD, and that
means there’s plenty of history. We visited temples and gardens, but the main highlight
was getting to see the inhabitants Nara (奈良市) is so known for: deer! We bought crackers called
‘shika senbei’ and fed them to the deer who eagerly bowed their heads waiting for
their next treat. Ayayayayayayayay! Another reason we enjoyed Nara (奈良市) was because there’s
quite a bit of street food to sample. We had freshly-pounded mochi, takoyaki, sushi and
more. Now a quick note on transportation in Osaka (大阪市). When it comes to getting around the
city, subways and trains are your best bet. We spent our first few days buying one-way
tickets and day passes, which in retrospect was a bit of a headache. The easiest thing
to do is to get a prepaid card where you can load money as needed. Osaka’s version of
this card is called Icoca, but you can also use Pasmo and Suica in the city. And that’s
a wrap for our Osaka travel guide. We hope you found this video helpful and that it gave
you some ideas of things to do in Osaka on your own trip. If you have any other suggestions
of things to do in Osaka that you think we missed on this visit, feel free to share your
suggestions with fellow travellers in the comments below. Wishing you happy travels
and stay tuned for more Japan travel videos on this channel!