Osaka Travel Report August 2024

We set off from South Korea for Osaka, and in my Osaka travelogue, I'd like to share some of our initial impressions of Japan. We were only here for two days, and normally I wouldn't write a travelogue for such a short stay.

However, the city was so beautiful and the impressions so numerous that I am writing at least a short and brief travelogue about Osaka, the third-largest Japanese city.

From Seoul to Osaka Downtown

We flew from Seoul to Osaka and, so to speak, took our first steps in Japan there. The first impression was: Clean! The countries we had been to before were also very clean. But Japan is even a notch cleaner. We like that and immediately feel comfortable.

We are checking into a hotel right in the middle of Umeda, the center of Osaka. Of course, Osaka has several centers, like any big city. But we arrive in Umeda by airport shuttle bus, and that's where we booked the Monterey Hotel. I specifically didn't book the smallest room because, as everyone knows, everything in Japan is very small and compact.

After we got our room on one of the top floors, then came the shock. The Japanese seem to have smaller suitcases. In any case, we can only open ours on the bed. The space around it is much too small. But in the end, that's rather funny. Everyone has to find their way through the small room. Our kids set up their „hideout,“ as they always do, on the windowsill. It's knee-high and just wide enough for them to sit on. Perfect!

After setting up our room in five minutes, we headed into the city. We had plans for lunch with my sister-in-law and nephew. It's school vacation week in Japan, so it's quite busy everywhere. But we found a delicious restaurant and feasted our way through the Japanese menu. Delicious!

Dotonbori Street – Osaka's Shopping Street

There's no getting around Dotonbori Street. It's located in the Namba district, in the south of the city. Namba is one of the entertainment districts, whereas Umeda is home to large office buildings and shopping malls, and also our hotel with its tiny rooms.

Still, we found a great coworking space in Namba and settled in for the day. Today, there were simply a few meetings on the agenda. The kids are out with their aunt and cousin. We'll all meet up again after a few hours and visit the Round 1. An entertainment center with thousands of slot machines for kids, karaoke, bowling, as well as arcade games and slot machines for adults. This is by far the most hectic place I have ever been. It is only surpassed by the Universal Studios Hollywood.

Round 1 – What a crazy store

Round1 can be found all over Japan, and there's one on Dotonbori Street that spans seven floors. We start on the ground floor, which, by the way, is always Level 1 throughout Japan. There's no zero, just a B1, which is then below 1. But once you understand how it works, it's quite simple. A practical tip on the side in my Osaka travelogue.

In Level 1, we also buy one hundred 100-yen coins. 100 yen is equivalent to about 60 Euro cents in 2024. That should be enough for a while. We head to the crane games, those machines that are also often found in Europe at fairs or carnivals. With the claw, you can win fun toys or plush animals. Maybe. If all goes well.

Our 100 coins disappeared within 5 minutes. 😲 With my cousin Liam, that makes three kids, and the machines were practically devouring the coins. So I headed out and exchanged another 10,000 yen to get 100 coins. I told the kids to slow down. After twice as long, 10 minutes, we'd thrown 120 EUR into these machines, and each of the kids had a small toy in their hands. Perfect! LOL

At level 2, there are arcade games. I exchange the same amount of money again and realize that the whole thing is only worth it because the kids are having a blast. I could have bought the toys and prizes next door at the store for a tenner. But the kids laugh, laugh, and laugh, and fall into bed dead tired in the evening. Best dad in the world, check!

On the other floor, there's a kind of amusement park with rides. Kids can also go-karting and skateboarding there. A little bit of sport doesn't hurt, so we'll take another lap here. You pay the entrance fee on Level 3, and then all other floors are included. Thank goodness!

By the way, we'll stop by Dotonbori Food Street and eat delicious Korean pancakes and natto. I ate natto, which I had as baked soybeans with cheese on top. It tasted pretty good. However, my sister-in-law Dary then tells me that the strings the soybeans are pulling are not strings at all. It's the soybeans themselves that are fermented. But still delicious. I won't order it a second time, but I'm glad I tried it.

Conclusion – Osaka Travel Report August 2024

Unfortunately, that's it for the Osaka travel report. We spent about a day and a half there. It was a great start to the next few weeks in Japan. Osaka is a great city. Top-notch organization, although we always used Uber. But public transportation, like buses and the subway, gets you everywhere cheaply and quickly.

There are countless cool sights and amusement parks in Osaka. Even Universal Studios Japan is located here in Osaka. If you have time, also check out Osaka Castle. It's said to be one of the most beautiful sights in Japan.

Have you ever been to Osaka? What did you like best there? What should we see there next time?

Photo Gallery Osaka Travel Report 2024