Our Osaka 2 Day Itinerary takes things a step further, and brings in many of the popular tourists destinations, as well as places with an interesting retro and old-school charm to them.
It allows you to dive abit deeper into Osaka's neighborhoods, although we definitely do encourage you to check out day trips to other places like Himeji or Kinosaki Onsen instead.
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The Best Sumptuous Foods, Electric Atmosphere, and Cozy Neighborhoods of Japan's Kitchen
Essential Osaka Itinerary
When foreigners talk about Japan, three major cities often come to mind: Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō), Kyoto (京都, Kyōto), and Osaka (大阪, Ōsaka). Like Tokyo, Osaka can sometimes also come off as too much of a “big city” type of atmosphere. That being said, the charm of Osaka lies in its food culture, and bustling neighborhoods.
Although Osaka is often a favorite amongst tourists, we would also encourage you to also go beyond just Osaka. Kyoto is just a 30 minute train ride away, so is the lovely district of Arashiyama (嵐山). If you have more time, checking out Himeji (姫路) and Kurashiki (倉敷) will also let you experience more of Japan’s cultural side. Visiting Japan should be more than just checking out its big cities, but also enjoying the smaller, more traditional neighborhoods.
If you would like to visit Universal Studios Japan, you are free to add it to your itinerary, but we are leaving it out as we want to focus more on what the city has to offer.
Osaka Castle has a beautiful tenshu (天守, Main Keep) that stands in the middle of the bustling city, and is one of the most accessible castles in Japan. The castle, however, is not one of the twelve original castles (日本現存十二天守, Nihon Genzon Ju-ni Tenshu) in Japan, instead being a reproduction with a modern museum inside.
The museum covers the history of Osaka, as well as the history about Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉), one of Japan's Three Great Unifiers (三英傑, San Eiketsu).
The tenshu itself features a magnificent exterior, it’s green roofs and golden ornaments make for a stunning structure.
If you are looking to experience what the inside of a traditional Japanese castle might look like, then you would likely be disappointed. Those looking for a more authentic Japanese castle to visit can check out the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Himeji Castle, just 30 minutes away on the Sanyo Shinkansen.
One might deride aquariums as being for children, but there’s a reason why the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is considered Japan’s 2nd Best Aquarium and one of the Top 10 aquariums in the world. This eight story aquarium is designed as an experience, as you meander through the route, circling the buildings exhibits, eventually ending up at the largest tank with 5,400 tons of water and hosting a massive whale shark.
The Kaiyukan was the largest public aquarium in the world when it opened in 1990, today, the aquarium still holds up as an amazing experience that will impress even the most ardent naysayers of aquariums. There are over 30,000 creatures, across 620 species, and simply going through this massive aquarium takes around two and a half hours.
What makes the aquarium stand out, is not just its size, but the design of its exhibits that bring you up close and personal with these magnificent sea creatures. There’s a sense of energy when you watch dolphins swim through a two-story tank, sea lions swim round rock structures, and otters dash up and down logs. There are also plenty of unusual creatures including Japanese spider crabs, the largest crab species in the world that lives 300 to 400m underwater, whale sharks, the largest species of shark,
arapaima, the largest species of freshwater fish, as well as cute mammals like the South American Coati and the Capybara.
The Shitennō-ji Temple is considered to be Japan’s oldest Buddhist (仏教, Bukkyō)temple (寺, Tera) and the first to be officially built by the government at the time.
On the 21st and 22nd of each month, the Shitennō-ji Flea Market is held at the temple grounds.
Part of the Minami (みなみ, Minami) district, and bordered by Shinsaibashi in the north, and Namba in the south.
Dotombori is a riverside neighborhood along the Dotonbori Canal (道頓堀川, Dōtonbori-gawa) that runs from Ebisu-bashi Bridge in the west to Nipponbashi Bridge in the east. It primarily consists of the shotengai (商店街, Shōtengai, Shopping Street) area to the south of the canal, as well as the Tonbori Riverwalk along the canal.
You can find plenty of food stalls along the shotengai, including shops selling takoyaki (たこ焼き, Octopus balls) and kushikatsu (串カツ). The neighborhood has a lively buzz at night, with many izakayas (居酒屋, Japanese pub) in the area.
This is also the area where you'll find Osaka's famous Glico Man sign next to Ebisu-bashi Bridge, as well as the giant crab sign above Kani Doraku.
The Shinsekai area is an old neighborhood that feels like it has been left behind by Osaka’s modern development. The area has a distinctively different feel to the rest of Osaka, with its rundown and yesteryear appearance, you can find many old shops, cheap restaurants, bars and more.
In the center of the neighborhood is the Tsutenkaku Tower (通天閣, lit. Tower Reaching Heaven), built in 1956, this 103m tall tower has an observatory at 91m with an open-air deck above the observatory. There’s even a 60m long slide at the base of the tower.
It should be noted that the Shinsekai area has a strong stigma surrounding it for locals, and in terms of safety. After the war, and up till the 1990s, the area was infamous for the criminal activity that used to flourish in the area. The neighborhood is also has a large homeless population, and the south side of the area is also home to a red-light district. That being said, that dangerous reputation does not seem to hold true today, especially with the many tourists in the area, though it still wouldn’t hurt to be a bit more cautious in the area.
The Umeda area is the downtown business district of Osaka, and is also the area surrounding Osaka Station (JR) and Umeda Station (private railways and Osaka Metro).
Apart from the large shopping malls that cover the surface, there are many underground malls that link together the various lines and railways in the area. The underground complex is so complicated, that it has earned the area the nickname, "Umeda Dungeon" (梅田ダンジョン, Umeda Danjon). It is easy to get lost in the criss-crossing malls, loops, and messiness of this complex that you realize, it truly does deserve the nickname of being a dungeon.
The area does feature an immense amount of shops, malls, and train connections, and if you're in Osaka, you're bound to pass through the Umeda area as the central point of connectivity to other cities in Japan.
The stations and lines connected in the Umeda area are:
JR Osaka Station
Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station
Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station
Osaka Metro Umeda Station (Midosuji Line)
Osaka Metro Higashi-Umeda Station (Tanimachi Line)
Osaka Metro Nishi-Umeda Station (Yotsubashi Line)
That being said, Shin-Osaka Station, Osaka's shinkansen (新幹線, Bullet train) stop is located a few stops away by Osaka Metro or JR. There is also the Namba (難波, Nanba) area that is the city's lifestyle downtown district, that has private railway connections to Kansai International Airport, as well as to cities like Nara.
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Osaka 2 Day Itinerary
Osaka Castle, Kaiyukan, Karahori Len, Dotombori, and Namba
We'll be kicking off the day at Osaka Castle (大阪城, Ōsaka-jō), a stunning reconstruction of this historically important Japanese castle (城, Shiro). Followed by checking out Karahori Len (からほり れん, Karahori Ren), a preserved residence turned mixed-use commercial complex. There, we'll also dig into some amazing chocolate at Ek Chuah (エク チュア, Eku Chua), a chocolate specialty shop and cafe.
Then we'll head over to Tanimachi 4-chome for lunch at Shuhari (手打ちそば 守破離 谷町), which serves handmade soba (蕎麦, Buckwheat noodles) in a stylish restaurant. Before heading off to the stunning Kaiyukan (海遊館), with its massive tanks and even a whale shark.
Lastly, we'll spend the night in the Namba area where we'll try out two of Osaka's must-try food souvenir shops, Rikuro's Cheesecake (りくろーおじさんの店, Rikurō Ojisan no Mise) and 551 Horai (551蓬莱). Then we'll grab dinner at Ajinoya (味乃家), one of the oldest and most popular okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) shops in Osaka. We'll then end off the night by doing the iconic Glico Man pose at the Ebisu-bashi Bridge, and strolling down the Dotonbori (道頓堀, Dōtonbori) area along the Tonbori Boardwalk.
Shitenno-ji Temple, Kuromon Ichiba, Den Den Town, Shinsekai, and Umeda
We'll start off the day by heading to Shitenno-ji Temple (四天王寺, Shitennō-ji), Japan's oldest buddhist (仏教, Bukkyō)temple (寺, Tera).
Then we'll head back over to the Nippombashi area where we'll check out Kuromon Ichiba (黒門市場, Kuromon Ichiba), also known as Osaka's Kitchen. After that, we'll head over to Tsurutontan, an udon (うどん) shop famous for udon bowls larger than the size of your face. We'll then walk down the kitchenware wholesale street, Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shotengai (千日前道具屋筋商店街, Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shotengai), and into Osaka's retro electronics town, Den Den Town (でんでんタウン 日本橋筋商店街, Den Den Taun Nipponbashi-suji Shōtengai).
Next we'll take a break at Brooklyn Coffee Roasters, a stylish cafe located in Namba. Before heading to Shinsekai (新世界), an interesting area in Osaka that sort of feels like it's been left behind in time. From there, we'll go on to the Umeda Sky Building (梅田スカイビル, Umeda Sukai Biru), a juxtaposition between the retro and the futuristic.
Lastly, we'll wander around the Umeda (梅田) Station Area, also nicknamed "Umeda Dungeon" for its winding underground pathways. We'll then end off with dinner at Fishmonger Stand Fujiko (魚屋スタンドふじ子, Sakana-ya Sutando Fujiko), a popular local izakaya with fresh seafood and great drinks.
Travel Westwards and Discover More!
This Osaka 2 Day Itinerary hits most of the major spots that tourists would cover during their stay here. Osaka is a great city if you enjoy the urban vibes, and the nightlife as well. Nothing beats the lively atmosphere of Dotombori at night. If you're even so inclined, you can also consider going cafe-hopping around Osaka, and we have some good recommendations here.
After your visit to Osaka, you'll probably be thinking of checking out Kyoto (京都, Kyōto), Kobe (神戸, Kōbe), and Nara, because these are generally the mainstream places that tourists head to in the area.
While those cities each have their own charm, they are also vastly overcrowded with tourists, and it may be hard to truly enjoy the laidback charms of Japan in these cities. Whatsmore, none of these cities really possess the stunning natural beauty that Japan is famous for. Afterall, they are all highly built-up urban areas, and there aren't many natural sights in the area.
In order to diversify the places that you visit on your trip, we highly recommend that you check out some of the more off-the-beaten track locations in order to experience more of Japan.
If you're looking to check out more of its culture and traditional vibes, then you can check out Himeji (姫路) or Kurashiki westwards on the Sanyo Shinkansen. One of the more popular cities northwards is also Kanazawa (金沢) and Takayama (高山), although they are a two-hour train ride away.
If you're looking for an authentic ryokan (旅館, Japanese inn) stay, rather than finding a populated one in the big city, you can head over to Kinosaki Onsen (城崎温泉). A quaint onsen (温泉, Hot Spring) town filled with ryokans, onsens, and a place where you can usually rent out yukatas (浴衣) from your accomodation for free.
If you're looking to find somewhere that's more scenic, you might have to travel a bit further out. You could consider checking out one of Japan's Three Great Views (日本三景, Nihon Sankei), Amanohashidate. Or if you can spare the time, or are heading to Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō), you could head up northwards to check out the Japanese Alps (日本アルプス, Nihon Arupusu), and visit the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (立山黒部アルペンルート, Tateyama Kurobe Arupen Rūto). (Do note that it is only open from mid-April to end-November)
There's a lot more to do and see in Japan, and while Osaka is a good start given it's one of the two major international aviation hubs of Japan, we do feel like it might not be a good experience to do just Osaka and Kyoto because of how crowded these two cities are.
So don't be restricted here, Osaka is a great first step, but really go out and explore Japan and figure out which areas you enjoy and would love to pursue more!
