🏙️ Visit Osaka 2 days

Looking for information for visit Osaka in 2 days? The Osaka barrios to visit? Where to sleep in Osaka? Where to go out in Osaka? What to see in and around Osaka (Nara, Kyoto)? In this article I answer all your questions to make the most of your stay in Osaka.

In this article discover:

A short interlude on the history of Osaka
What to visit in Osaka, what to see in Osaka in 2 days?
How to get to Osaka from Tokyo?
Where to go out in Osaka?
Where to sleep in Osaka?
Read the article about the JR Pass

1) History of Osaka

Osaka is the third largest city in Japan. It was the capital of Japan between the middle of the XNUMXth century and the middle of the XNUMXth century. It is also in this city that Japan's first Buddhist temple, the Shi Tennō-ji Temple, built in the late XNUMXth century, was built.

Osaka is a bit special, in fact, people are a bit less formatted. People are more relaxed. For example, you will see the Japanese crossing the red! Madness in other cities! And also they walk on the right side, they are crazy :)

More information on the history of Osaka - Wikipedia.

2) Visit Osaka in 2 days

Here we are, you are surely wondering if you are going to visit Osaka. And you say to yourself, let's go but only one afternoon or one day from 10am to 18pm! And big mistake! I was misled, and I must confess that I am bitterly sorry I did not spend a night in Osaka. So stop asking yourself the question! You have to visit Osaka 2 days point barre, curtain!

So what to visit in Osaka? What are the must-see sites in Osaka? Here is a selection:

Visit Kaiyukan Aquarium in Osaka

Kaiyukan Aquarium opened in 1990, it can be nice to take a tour as it is one of the largest aquariums in the world. There you will find more than 580 aquatic species. More information at kaiyukan.com.

Visit Den Den Town district in Osaka

Denden Town is a bit like Osaka's Akihabara. An electronics district, you will find everything, it's crazy! So if you are a fan of video games, manga, Japanese robots, movie characters, figurines ... Well, you will be happy;)

Visit Osaka's Dotonbori District (Namba District)

Dotonbori is a street that you must walk, it is located between the Dōtonboribashi Bridge and the Nipponbashi Bridge. This street is the emblem of the city of Osaka. On the menu, neon lights, unconventional spirits, restaurants, bars, students.

In short, it is a very touristy area to do!

Visit the Shin-Sekai district in Osaka

Shin-Sekai is the "new world" of Osaka. Created in the 1960s after the war, this district was created to embody the joie de vivre. If you take a look, I advise you to try the kushi-katsu, breaded skewers that are quite good.

Shi Tennô-ji: the oldest Buddhist temple in Japan

Located near the Shin-Sekai district, this temple is a true haven of peace. It can be fun to go there, just to recharge the batteries of Osaka's energetic environment.

Created in the late XNUMXth century, Tokyo at that time didn't even exist!

It can be nice to eat there, as the atmosphere around the temple resembles that of a small town. There you will find interesting little shops and local specialties.

You will also find a typical Japanese garden:

Tennoji Zoo

This is one of the largest zoos in Japan, so if you have the time and you like animals, it can be fun to take a look! Located in Tennoji, it is home to more than 300 species, of course you will find pandas but also polar bears. Count 500 yen per adult, which is not that expensive.

Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle is one of the most famous castles in Japan. It played an important role in the unification of Japan in the XNUMXth century during one of the last great revolts against the Tokugawa.

Therefore, I highly recommend that you go there. There you will find the Osaka Castle Museum (with the main dungeon). The museum tells you the history of Osaka. Of course not (some information in English), but still worth it.
Climb to the top of the castle, you have a magnificent panorama.
On the 1st floor you will have the opportunity to try on a samurai helmet (Kabuto). Enough to make a nice photo!

Metro: Temmabashi station or Tanimachi station
JR Train: Morinomiya Station or Osakajo Koen Station on the Circle Line
Price: 610 yen

Le Sky Building (Umeda)

The Sky Building is one of the tallest skyscrapers in Osaka. Located in the economic center of Osaka, this district is at the forefront of technological development. This skyscraper rises more than 150 meters high. It can be nice to go up all the way to enjoy the view. The ideal time to go is at dusk, to enjoy the sunset ...

An event in Osaka?

If you visit Osaka during these dates, take the opportunity to see:

-From March 13 to 27 the Sumo tournament in Osaka

-Del 29 al 30 de julio el festival Tenjin Matsuri en Osaka

Other visit information to do on this site osaka.j-hoppers.com

3) How to get to Osaka from Kyoto, Tokyo and Nara

You want to get to Osaka from Kyoto (Tokyo, Nara, etc.) by train and you want to know which station to stop at, here is for you:

From Nara:

Allow 30 minutes.
Stop at Shin Imamiya or Namba Station

From Tokyo - By JR Shinkansen Train:

Wait 2h30 until Shin-Osaka Station.
Please note: Osaka Station (Umeda), a few minutes south, does not host Shinkansen.

From Kyoto - By JR train:

Wait 15 minutes to Shin-Osaka Station by Shinkansen
And 30 minutes to Osaka-Umeda by "limited express", 28 minutes by "express special" or 45 minutes by "local"

How to get to Osaka from the airport

Well, it all depends on the airport you arrive at because you have the Osaka International Airport (which no longer operates internationally), or the Kansai International Airport which is the best known because it is the only one to manage international flights.

So if you are arriving from Kansai, your best option is to get to the station which is in Terminal 1, Terminal 2 is not accessible by train. To get to T2 from T1 you have access to free buses.

From Kansai airport, it is best to take the Nankai Electric (on the other hand the Nankai is not on the JRPass) "Nankai Airport Express" (allow 45 minutes for the trip for 900 yen), which allows you to reach Namba Station in downtown Osaka. From there you can take the metro if you want.

From Namba you are 400 meters from Dotonbori, so this trip is perfect. Then maybe there should be a train that also makes the trip through the JRPASS, but here I have a big doubt.

Here is a GoogleMap "Osaka Transfer from Kansai International Airport" that can give you more information:

4) Where to sleep in Osaka

Come on, where to sleep in Osaka?

Well, without hesitation, I advise you to stay in the lively Osaka district, the Namba district.

Why sleep in the Namba district?

Well this is the heart of Osaka (Midosuji subway line). It is the liveliest district in the city, including also the famous Dotonbori alleys. A little less lively but located not far from Namba (a little further north), you have the Shinsaibashi district, you will find many restaurants and shops there.

It is in this district where the Shinsaibashi gallery is located, and the Amemura district, the youth district.

In short, as you can see from the map below, they are two districts not far from each other. Below this map I give you good directions in this district.

In the first place you have the Kens House, which is therefore well located (in a youth hostel but clean…).
An address given to me by Julien, a fan of Osaka, the first cabin. Just so you understand, you sleep in cabins (not capsules).
Base Point Osaka, youth hostel.
A capsule hotel for lovers of this type of hotel.
More elegant, the Fujiya hotel.
It also has the Namba hotel, which is very nice and classy.

Where to sleep in Osaka to be closer to Osaka Station (Umeda):

Guesthouse J-Hoppers Osaka, good atmosphere

Well I think you have a lot of information to know where to sleep in Osaka! Feel free to share your good direction by leaving a comment at the end of this article. Sharing is good;)

Otherwise, you also have Hotels.com or TripAdvisor. Take your time to compare.

5) Where to go out in Osaka

Well again if you want to know where to go out in Osaka, where to party in Osaka, I advise you to go out in the Namba / Dotonburi district, you will find many bars / pubs and good restaurants.

If you want to meet the Japanese, there are special nights, called "why not". They take place on Fridays and Saturdays. The venues change but Saturday night is generally at “Pure”, it is from 19 pm to 22 pm.
In Dontoburi, you have: the HUB, Blarney Stone, Pure, Sam &, Dave in Umeda, the sky, the butterfly, Fubar, Zerro, chanti ...

Well, here the article ends to discover Osaka in 2 days. Feel free to share your good addresses, sharing is good!

Feel free to check out my other articles on Japan! Tokyo, Kyoto, the JR Pass ...
Have you taken your JR Pass and thought about pocket WiFi to have unlimited internet in Japan?

¡ Sayonara!

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