36 Hours in Osaka: What My 5-Year-Old and I Did in the Nation’s Kitchen

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During our first-ever trip to Japan, my family and I spent a whirlwind 36 hours in Osaka, which felt like just enough time to get the highlights of the city in between our stints in Tokyo, Nara, and Kyoto.

Read on for our experience, tips, and suggested itineraries in this lovely city on Japan’s Honshu island.

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Trip Purpose

Visit Osaka with my 5-year-old and extended family during our first-ever trip to Japan

COSTS TO CONSIDER (USD)

Train fare included in JR Pass (otherwise, the one-way train fare from Tokyo: ~$110)

Add-Ons

Accommodations: $80+/room/night
Food: ~$50/person
Metro fare: $7/person/day
Souvenirs: ~$20

About Our Visit

AGE OF THE KIDS: 5 years

LENGTH OF VISIT: 36 hours

TIME OF YEAR: Winter (cold and snowy!)

DAY OF THE WEEK: Sunday/Monday

Top Tips to Make the Most of Your Visit

Before You Go

Have cash on-hand. While credit cards are accepted at most establishments, Apple Pay/contactless payment is not. I had not brought my credit card on this trip so burned through my cash fairly quickly, and ATM fees are no joke!
Buy an e-sim to save on cellphone roaming costs

What We Packed

Standard diaper bag essentials
Ergobaby or soft baby carrier, or hiking backpack, if needed
Stroller, if needed
Light winter gear

Getting There

By Air

A non-stop flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Osaka (KIX) spans 12+ hours and round-trip can cost ~$1,200. You can also opt to fly into Tokyo, as we did, and take the train.

By Land

We visited Osaka between stints in Tokyo (which we reached by air!) and Kyoto. If you purchased a JR Pass, the JR Shinkansen train fare on either the Hikari or Kodoma trains is covered, otherwise the train fares are listed below. Unfortunately, fares on the super-fast Nozomi train are not included in the JR Pass.

As with most places in Japan, it’s much more economical, both in terms of time and money, to take the train!

From Kyoto:

Driving: 1 hour
Train: 15(!)-60 minutes ($5-$21/person one-way)

From Tokyo:

Driving: 6+ hours
Train: 2.5-4 hours ($110/person one-way)

Recommended Activities

Kuchu Teien Observatory in the Umeda Sky Building

Great for enjoying sweeping views of Osaka in a beautiful building

If you’re looking for beautiful views of Osaka, check out Kuchu Teien Observatory, located near Umeda Station. Besides the fireworks in Nara and the Dotonbori River cruise, going up the tower was one of my kid’s favorite activities on our entire trip! The Observatory on the 40th floor features a stunning glass-covered escalator, mirrored observatory deck, 360-degree views, and an outdoor deck.

This was one of the pricier experiences of our trip to Japan at ¥1,500/adult and ¥700/kid, but still reasonably priced and well-worth it to admire the beautiful views in an artfully designed space. My only regret is that I didn’t budget enough time to see everything at a leisurely pace and enjoy one of the Instagram-worthy soda floats from Cafe SKY 40.

Enjoy Dōtonbori at Night

Great for an evening out to see the city lights

Dōtonbori is a popular tourist attraction for its Times Square-like atmosphere and nightlife. It features a canal flanked by giant screens on tall buildings projecting ads, including an iconic ad from Glico that many in the crowd were trying to imitate for their photos. The atmosphere was a bit overwhelming but worth at least spending a little time there to see what the fuss was about. I can imagine people looking for a robust nightlife scene enjoying their time here!

Cruise Down the Dōtonbori River

Great for seeing Dōtonbori at a leisurely pace from the canal

This 20-minute river cruise was one of my kid’s favorite activities on our trip! It was quite basic, taking us just a few blocks down the river in an uncovered boat before making a u-turn back. The tour guide’s narration was entirely in Japanese, but they made it a fun and lively ride, spending most of the time waving merrily to the passersby on the canal’s bridges. It was a nice way to see the city from a different vantage point. Plus, going on the cruise introduced us to the 10 yen coin pancake (which I’ll explain below)!

Purchase cruise tickets at the booth located in front of the Dōtonbori Don Quixote. We went at night to be able to see the river lit up, but the cruise runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with trips every 30 or 15 minutes, depending on the time of day. Be aware, the fumes from the motor were a bit heavy.

Visit B-Side Label

Great for souvenir shopping

I loved this little shop, which has locations dotted throughout Japan’s major cities. B-Side Label sells the cutest artwork from local artists printed on all sorts of swag: stickers, prints, washi tape, earrings, tote bags, keychains, luggage tags, etc. I could not resist getting my family stickers of their favorite Pokemon, or washi tape with little onigiris. My daughter picked out a sticker of shrimp tempura (one of her fave foods) and a rainbow unicorn sticker.

Go Shopping at Don Quixote

Great for souvenirs or just general low-cost shopping

Don Quixote is THE place for your shopping needs. With locations all throughout Japan (and even in Hawaii, which is where we first heard about it!), the department store has a dizzying array of food, snacks, souvenirs, and electronics. Our favorite purchases were the KitKats (with flavors like cheesecake, strawberry, and dark chocolate), Sanrio-branded items, and snacks.

Spend a Day at Universal Studios Japan

Great for Super Nintendo fans that don’t live near Los Angeles

Universal Studios is a fun theme park for adults and kids alike, where fans of Super Nintendo, Harry Potter, Sesame Street, and other Universal Studios favorites can immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of their favorite worlds.

Visiting the park in Osaka was personally not on my must-do list for our Japan trip. Living in California and being privileged to live near enough to Universal Studios Hollywood, where a near-identical Super Nintendo World recently opened, I decided to forego the theme park in Osaka.

If you decide to go, keep in mind that the park is about a 20-minute metro ride from the Umeda Metro Station, and that once at the park you will spend a good deal of time waiting in line for rides and food. My cousin and brother decided to make the trek, and while they enjoyed their time, they wish they could have spent that time checking out the rest of Osaka instead.

Where to Eat

Coming Soon!

Wishlist for our Next Visit

I wouldn’t necessarily plan to visit Osaka again, but if we ever return to the city, I’d love to visit the iconic Osaka Castle and go back to the Kuchu Teien Observatory to have a sweet drink overlooking the views.

Osaka is a big metropolitan city whose landmarks were fun to visit, but which to me didn’t warrant a side-trip. Looking back, I would’ve much rather spent the extra time in Kyoto, Nara, or another city completely. Still, the city offered many activities, including two of my kid’s favorite activities on the whole of our trip!

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Angelica

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Angelica (she/her) is of Cebuano(Pilipinx)-descent and was born and raised in Huchiun Ohlone territory (the East Bay Area--pay your Shuumi Land Tax!), where she also now resides with her partner and their toddler. She loves to spend her time sipping on boba and dirty chai lattes (sometimes together), and eating pescetarian goodies at BIPOC-owned cafes and restaurants.