Autumn, Let's Embark on a Warm and Romantic Journey (Osaka-Kyoto 7-Day Independent Travel)
Some people love spring because it has seas of flowers and willow trees like smoke; some love summer because it is vibrant and green as ink; some love winter because it is covered in ice and snow with majestic views. But I have a special fondness for autumn because it leaves me with warm and romantic memories.
At the end of September, in the early autumn season, the long-awaited trip to Japan finally began.
We departed from Shanghai's Pudong Airport. In the early morning, the airport was not very crowded. We ordered a bowl of wontons and a serving of xiaolongbao.
We filled our stomachs, ready to board. Osaka, here we come.
We picked up the pre-booked WiFi (Ninja WiFi) directly at the airport and exchanged a small amount of Japanese yen (the exchange rate at the airport is very low, try not to exchange there; it is better to exchange at a foreign currency exchange bank in the city).
We bought train tickets directly from the airport to the city center. (This was also our first time in Japan, and we didn't understand a word of Japanese. We managed with our limited English and recognizing the Chinese characters in Japanese.) Japan's train transportation is quite convenient, with various train routes and a well-connected subway system. So if you have time, you can definitely try to find your own way. It's really not that difficult.
The hotel we booked on the website was in a bustling area, about 400 meters from the subway station. Shopping, dining, sightseeing, and transportation were all very convenient. Although the hotel was in a busy area, it was not noisy at all. The soundproofing was excellent, and it was very clean. The service facilities were complete, with vending machines, washing machines and dryers, a designated smoking room, and luggage storage.
HOTEL THE FLAG Shinsaibashi
1-18-30 Chuo-ku Higashishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Opened: 2018
If you want to stay in Osaka's Shinsaibashi/Namba area, Hotel the Flag Shinsaibashi would be a convenient choice. The surrounding transportation is very convenient; you can reach Shinsaibashi Station on foot.
Since it was already dusk when we arrived, we ordered two glasses of beer at the nearby izakaya, ate a little, and went back to the hotel to rest.
Tomorrow we will truly begin our romantic journey in Japan.
Since it was really our first time, and we didn't know where to buy breakfast or what Japanese breakfasts are like, we chose a hotel package that included breakfast.
To be honest, this decision was perfect. The hotel's breakfast was very hearty, with porridge suitable for Asian tastes and Western-style jam and bread. The environment was also nice and very clean.
This time we didn't plan to visit all the popular Instagram spots; we just wanted to stroll around some distinctive attractions at a leisurely pace, relax, and take our time. If we liked it, we would consider coming again.
After breakfast, we turned left out of the hotel and walked 50 meters to find various drugstores, department stores, brand shops, and a long pedestrian street. The best part was that this street was covered, so you never had to worry about rain or sun affecting your shopping.
Since it was our first day here, it was a bit early for shopping, so we just looked around, bought a piece of cheesecake, and continued through the crowd.
Walking through this pedestrian street, we arrived at the famous Shinsaibashi.
As you walk along, you enter Osaka's liveliest and most bustling area, Dotonbori. It was truly a sea of people, dazzling and overwhelming.
We turned into a small street and headed to Tenryuzan Hozenji Temple.
After making a wish, we continued wandering the nearby streets. There were noticeably fewer tourists here, and the streets were not as crowded.
Feeling a bit tired, we happened upon a ramen shop with a sign claiming it was Namba's No. 1 Ramen.
We were a bit hungry, so we gave it a try.
Japanese people seem to really like soup noodles with gyoza and fried rice, all staple foods. The fried rice portion was small, but we ate until full. The soup in the noodles was good, and we felt it was much better than the popular Ichiran Ramen (we went to Ichiran later, and honestly, the taste was not as good as this small shop).
This was a completely random choice, and it turned out to be pretty good.
After eating and drinking, we planned to go back to the hotel to rest, as Dotonbori is very lively at night as well.
We walked the whole day without taking any transportation. We downloaded Google Maps on our phones, which made traveling convenient. Before coming, we read some tips online: taxis in Japan are very expensive, and in a big city like Osaka, the subway and trains are very convenient and well-connected. Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi are very concentrated areas; you can't fully explore the shops there in just two days. It's nice to wander through the streets and alleys, occasionally discovering small surprises.
When we were almost back to the hotel, we noticed a seafood shop in the alley to the left of the hotel. It seemed to be a place for king crab (looking at the big sign, you could guess that much). Alright, we'll try it one day.
Dotonbori at night was still as lively and bustling. We found a riverside barbecue shop, ordered two glasses of beer and some skewers, sat comfortably by the river, enjoyed the night view and the food, and happily ended our first day in Osaka.
We'll go back to the hotel and rest well, then continue tomorrow.
Tomorrow's itinerary: Kuromon Market - Tempozan Ferris Wheel - Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan - Umeda Sky Building
We woke up early and enjoyed a hearty breakfast at the hotel again. Although the breakfast was good, we felt a bit regretful this time because our first stop today was Kuromon Market, where you should come with an empty stomach.
Today we took the subway, which was very convenient. It wasn't far from the hotel, just a few stops.
We ate too much seafood, so we quickly had two pieces of super sweet cantaloupe. Although expensive, they were really sweet, like honey.
Kuromon Market felt like a morning market. You really should come here in the morning; the food is good, there are many choices, and everything is fresh, fresh, fresh.
Also, don't eat too much before coming.
Today's first stop, Kuromon Market, was perfect.
We continued on the subway to the next stop: Tempozan Ferris Wheel and Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.
Tempozan Ferris Wheel - Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
After exiting the subway station and turning a corner, we could see the Tempozan Ferris Wheel in the distance. Actually, if you have time, you can line up, buy a ticket, and go up to check it out. But today it was a bit cloudy, and the line was very long, so we decided to just look from afar and not go up. We went directly to the aquarium, which also had a long line.
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is really a great place. If you are a marine enthusiast, a couple, or a family with kids, you can come here.
The whole experience takes about half a day, and queuing takes a long time.
Tired, we rested at the café inside the aquarium, ordered a coffee, and bought an extra-long hot dog...
After resting, we also visited the jellyfish exhibition.
With that, our visit to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan came to a successful end.
As we walked out of the aquarium, we were pleasantly surprised to see a beautiful sightseeing boat parked nearby. We spontaneously decided to take a ride.
We enjoyed the sea breeze and viewed Osaka's scenery from the sea.
This was the Santa Maria sightseeing boat.
After a cruise at sea and taking some nice photos, we got off the boat and headed to the Umeda Sky Building.
From there, you can see the entire Osaka city.
Umeda Sky Building
After leaving the aquarium, we walked a bit to the station and saw a small police box.
We took the light rail to Umeda.
Exiting the station, we found a large shopping center.
There was still some distance to the Umeda Sky Building, but the building is very tall and visible from afar, so we wouldn't get lost.
Near the building, we followed the signs, bought tickets, took an elevator, went upstairs, and took another elevator. To get to the observation deck, we had to take yet another elevator.
Perfect. We watched the sunset from the Umeda Sky Building and created perfect memories.
After leaving the Umeda Sky Building, we took the subway to Osaka's Tsutenkaku.
Tsutenkaku (Shinsekai)
You must come here at night. The area is brilliantly lit, with various Japanese-style restaurant signs. Choosing what to eat is definitely a difficult task.
With this, our second day in Osaka came to an end. We took the subway back to the hotel, rested well, and prepared to visit Osaka's iconic landmark, the Osaka Castle (Tenshukaku), tomorrow.
Early in the morning, we took the subway to Osaka Castle Park. Be mentally prepared: the park is quite large. It's a considerable walk from the subway station to the park, and then a long walk from the entrance to the castle itself. So if it's too sunny, it's advisable to bring an umbrella and carry two bottles of water.
Before we knew it, half the day had passed. We decided to go back to the hotel area for lunch.
We tried this Ichiran Ramen.
How to say it? It was just a check-in, but honestly, it wasn't that delicious.
After eating, we went back to the hotel to rest. We planned to have dinner nearby as well. Tomorrow we were heading to Kyoto.
After resting, we changed clothes. It was a bit cool in the evening.
We strolled through the streets.
We casually browsed some shops.
We saw a takoyaki shop that looked pretty good.
We bought a cosplay outfit for our cat.
After walking until tired, we found a restaurant to sit down and eat sashimi.
We happily returned to the hotel early to pack up; tomorrow we would depart for Kyoto.
We woke up early again, had our last breakfast at this hotel, checked out, and headed to Kyoto.
We arrived at Kyoto Station quickly. Japan's trains are truly developed, with various sizes, styles, colors, and types of trains.
This time we booked a guesthouse.
Because it looked distinctive, we wanted to give it a try.
The small ornaments inside the house were quite interesting.
What I liked most was the courtyard. You could brew a pot of tea, put out some snacks, and quietly gaze at the courtyard, letting your mind wander. You could stay like that all day, thinking of nothing.
We bought some food at the supermarket and decided to rest well today, recharge, and explore Kyoto thoroughly tomorrow.
Leaving the guesthouse, we took two stops on a small train and arrived in central Kyoto early in the morning.
Following Google Maps, we walked through small alleys and reached Nishiki Market.
We didn't have breakfast this time, ha, so we could eat more here.
We turned into a matcha ice cream shop and ordered two desserts.
After enjoying the desserts, we continued shopping.
We saw some oysters that looked good, so we had beer with oysters.
After eating, we continued exploring. Honestly, you couldn't finish visiting this place in a week. The streets with their ancient charm are particularly captivating.
We walked into a very secluded dessert shop.
We rested a bit and then continued shopping.
As dusk fell, we had pretty much finished shopping. Since it was cold at night, we went to a nearby department store and bought some clothes.
Finally, we chose a restaurant with a nice atmosphere among the many in the old town.
There, we enjoyed a delicious dinner.
With that, our beautiful and romantic one-day trip to Kyoto came to an end.
Actually, Kyoto is really beautiful. If you want to fully experience and appreciate it, you can arrange 3 to 7 days.
But our itinerary this time didn't include much. We are looking forward to our next trip to Japan. Kyoto, we will come back.
On the last day, we returned to Osaka and started shopping at various drugstores and duty-free malls.
This time we checked into another hotel.
This one was very clean, and the service was excellent. When you check in, they clean your suitcase, including the wheels.
And the breakfast was also very hearty.
On this day, we just shopped, ate, and drank, preparing to return to Shanghai tomorrow.
The trip to Osaka and Kyoto was truly beautiful and romantic. I believe we will have another opportunity to go there again and once more seek the memories of autumn.
Travel Diary Directory:
1. Departure from Shanghai Pudong Airport
2. Day 1: Osaka - Shinsaibashi - Dotonbori
3. Day 2: Osaka - Kuromon Market - Kaiyukan - Umeda Sky Building
4. Day 3: Osaka - Osaka Castle (Tenshukaku) - Dotonbori
5. Day 4: Departure to Kyoto
6. Day 5: Kyoto - Nishiki Market - Kamo River - Yasaka Shrine
7. Day 7: Return to Osaka for shopping
8. Last Day: Return to Shanghai
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