Enjoying our Dotonbori Nights

After a few great days in Kyoto it was time to move on and we caught an express train to Osaka, meaning our ride was under 30 minutes. The only drawback was that the express train was packed, so we had to stand all the way. At least since we only travel with small carry-on suitcases, it made it easy to keep track of on the train.

After our arrival to Osaka, we made our way to the subway and got off at the Namba station where after a short walk, we reached our Airbnb. Thankfully, I had prearranged with the owners and we were able to drop off our bags at 11.00 that morning, even though the actual check-in wasn’t until 16.00. 

From here our first stop was Osaka Castle and not wanting to walk back to the train station we just came from, we just used the GoTaxi app and ordered a taxi. The grounds at the castle are impressive and go on forever. As we reached the castle itself, we started getting some light rain and as there was a massive line to enter the castle, we decided against it and just enjoyed the exteriors and its garden which are impressive and surrounded by a moat.

For lunch that day we picked a place called Matsunoya, here we were served some reasonably priced breaded and fried chicken/pork. Once lunch was completed, we found a subway station and made our way to Dotonbori for our first look.

Dotonbori is just as crazy as you’ve seen in photos and videos, the streets have massive 3D signs and neon boards, depicting everything from Huge mechanical crabs with its legs and arms moving to giant octopus, bowl of ramens, sushi and so much more. They are flashy, over-the-top and quite amazing. One in particular, the most iconic one, is the Glico running man which was first installed in 1935. We had just had lunch, however had to have something to snack on along Dotonbori so we purchased a 10 Yen cheese coin, a street food which is like a waffle filled with melted mozzarella cheese, doesn’t sound like much however was amazing!

After browsing the crazy isles of a local Don Quijote and having a Karaoke session, it was now time for us to check into our AirBnb so we made our way back. The AirBnb was located very close to the Namba station and had four single beds for us, plus a bonus traditional Japanese bedroom with a tatami floor which was a nice bonus.

That night we made our way to the Kyocera Dome where we watched a baseball game between the local team, the Orix Buffaloes and the visiting team, the Chiba Lotte Marines. Once we got inside and got our seats, we got to experience an amazing atmosphere, even though we couldn’t understand a word of what was being said.  We in particularly loved the facts that we could be served beers right in our seat by the traditional beer girls. These girls carry heavy kegs on their back, different colours for different brands, and they walk up and down the isle, offering their services, so easy! We enjoyed the game, however left just before the end, to avoid the rush and find our way along the subway system which we did.

The following morning we spent all day at Universal Studios (more on that in the next blog).

On our final full day in Osaka, we had a sleep-in before we ventured to the Shinsekai area where we explored the streets and also went up the Tsutenkaku Tower for views over Osaka. From there we made our way to the Namba Shrine and also got to try a small cat café where Eloise loved feeding and cuddling the cats.

That night we returned to Dotonbori where we wandered, eating different street foods such as takoyaki (small yummy squid balls), cheese coin, and wagyu beef skewers among other treats showing that Osaka truly lives up to its name as “Japan’s kitchen.”

That night we finished up at Round One, a massive entertainment complex where we got to try hitting a baseball in batting cages, rollerblading, shooting air rifles, playing a range of different games in the arcades (including a train driving one), and finishing with a bonus claw machine that unfortunately didn’t give us anything. However, it was a great way to end our time in Osaka. 

Onwards to Hiroshima and Miyajima.