Kansai Adventure! A Panoramic Photography, Food, Shopping, and Fun Tour of Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe

All images/videos are copyrighted. For reproduction, please contact the author for licensing.

As of 2020, I have been traveling to Japan for four consecutive years: Tokyo/Kyoto in 2016, Hokkaido in 2018, Kansai in 2019, and Hokkaido again in 2020. I've also been in Japan every January for three years straight. This trip in 2019 was to Kansai, focusing on cityscape photography, eating, shopping, and having fun. Highlights include shooting the tallest buildings and landmark nightscapes of Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto, such as Japan's tallest building, Abeno Harukas in Osaka, the iconic Osaka Castle, Umeda Sky Building, Kyoto Tower, Kobe Port and Kobe Port Tower. I also visited the bustling shopping streets Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi in Osaka, Nankinmachi (Chinatown) in Kobe, and Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto...

This trip to Osaka made up for missing it on previous Japan trips. Osaka is a charming, laid-back city known for its local cuisine, entertainment, and nightlife, also rich in history and culture. Though it's a short Shinkansen ride from Tokyo, it has a completely different vibe from the capital. Jump off the bullet train into a place with down-to-earth people and a frank atmosphere. The nightlife is vibrant, and the food is unforgettable. Besides numerous shopping spots and modern attractions, Osaka has a historical side, most notably Osaka Castle. This castle is an ideal place to explore Japan's history and stroll through scenic neighborhoods, especially in April during cherry blossom season when the weather is pleasant.

First, a drone video of the Osaka skyline.

D1 Arrival at Kansai International Airport / Umeda Sky Building

Across the cross-sea bridge is Kansai International Airport.

Umeda Sky Building near Shin-Osaka Station is known for its unique design.

Waiting here for sunset and night photography. Umeda is the most 'Manhattan'-like area in Osaka, with dense skyscrapers that showcase its modernity and prosperity as lights come on.

Umeda Sky Building at night.

Below is Shin-Osaka JR Station.

D2 Abeno Harukas / Tsutenkaku

Besides Umeda Sky Building, Osaka has another iconic building, currently Japan's tallest skyscraper — Abeno Harukas. Built by Kintetsu Group at a cost of 130 billion yen (about 10.42 billion RMB), it stands 300 meters tall.

Daytime view of the Osaka skyline with Abeno Harukas. The building houses Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Department Store, a huge shopping mall popular with Chinese tourists.

Abeno Harukas at dusk.

Nearby is Tennoji Park, great for walking and exercise. Next to the park is the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts (pictured below).

Across from Tennoji Park is another Osaka landmark, Hitachi-sponsored Tsutenkaku.

Another bustling center of Osaka, a panoramic view of dense buildings.

Osaka at dusk.

Waiting for nightfall, as the lights come on, another grand scene begins.

Osaka's two landmarks — Tsutenkaku and Abeno Harukas — complement each other.

Tsutenkaku is an observation tower located at 1-18-6 Ebisuhigashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka City. It stands 103 meters tall (100m tower, 3m antenna) and is one of Osaka's landmarks, also a Japan Registered Tangible Cultural Property. The name means 'tall building reaching to the sky', coined by Confucian scholar Minami Fujisawa in the Meiji period. Designed by Naito Tachu, completed in 1956 (Showa 31). In 1957, the following year, a large Hitachi advertisement was added to the side.

Overlooking Tsutenkaku. It's an observation tower; you can buy a ticket to go up.

Tsutenkaku changes colors constantly.

Abeno Harukas — with Osaka's dazzling nightscape in the background!

The higher you go, the colder it gets.

Another view of Japan's tallest building, Abeno Harukas.

The sky is fully dark, but this is when Tsutenkaku is most lively!

Below Tsutenkaku is another food paradise in Osaka.

This fugu (pufferfish) is an iconic sight at Tsutenkaku. Nearby, sumo hotpot offers giant portions.

D3 Osaka Castle / Naniwa Palace Ruins Park / Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi

Osaka Metropolitan Police Headquarters.

Osaka Castle is another place I love. Not only does it have a relaxing baseball field, but also Naniwa Palace Ruins Park. On weekday afternoons, many parents bring children to play baseball, soccer, etc., creating a harmonious scene... In fast-paced Japanese metropolises, such scenes are rare.

Osaka Castle was originally built in the Azuchi-Momoyama period in Settsu Province, Higashinari District, Uomaru, Osaka, and rebuilt in the Edo period. It covers about 710,000 square meters, also known as 'Kinjo' or 'Gold Castle'. Located in Osaka Castle Park, Chuo-ku, Osaka, it is one of Osaka's famous sites, and together with Nagoya Castle and Kumamoto Castle, is one of Japan's three famous castles. During the unification period under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, it was his residence and the center of the Toyotomi regime, called 'Taiko-san no oshiro'. Later, Tokugawa Ieyasu destroyed the Toyotomi clan in the two Osaka campaigns (Winter and Summer Sieges). The castle built by Hideyoshi from 1583 to 1598 was completely lost; the visible remains were rebuilt by Tokugawa Hidetada from 1620 to 1629 as a new Osaka Castle (Tokugawa Osaka Castle). It preserves 13 wooden buildings, gates, and warehouses from the Edo period. In 1931, the keep was designated a tangible cultural property. On August 31, 1953, the castle site was designated a Special Historic Site. In 1997, it was designated a tangible cultural property.

Distant view of Osaka Castle surrounded by several moats.

Naniwa Palace Ruins. Although Osaka was never officially the capital, before Nara (Heijo) and Kyoto (Heian) became capitals, Naniwa Palace was the political center of Japan's ruling class. Now only partial ruins remain, but the model in the Osaka Museum of History shows the palace's 7th-century splendor.

Namba is an area in Chuo-ku, Osaka, and together with Umeda near Osaka Station, it is one of Osaka's two major commercial shopping districts. Its name derives from the nearby Naniwa-ku. Namba is a major transport hub in southern Osaka, with terminals for Nankai Electric Railway and Kintetsu Namba Line, as well as JR West and Osaka Metro stations. The area includes Dotonbori and Sennichimae, with many shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues, including bars, izakayas, pachinko parlors.

Walking from Namba to Dotonbori, the most bustling dining and shopping district in Osaka, also a base for Chinese daigou shoppers. The crowded Dotonbori is a shopping street that excites you from the first visit.

Since the Edo period, Osaka has been a famous commercial and entertainment center. The best shopping and restaurants in Osaka are found in Shinsaibashi and the brightly lit Dotonbori area.

Actually, Dotonbori is a canal in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, famous for adjacent theaters, commercial and entertainment venues. Connecting the Kizu River and Higashi-Yokobori River, it is about 2.5 km long. Its name is also a town name in Chuo-ku.

In the 1600s, a merchant named Yasui Shinsai built a bridge connecting the emerging Shimmachi and Dotonbori theater district. Shops and merchants gathered around Shinsaibashi to start trade.

Today, traditional kabuki theaters and entertainment venues in Dotonbori have disappeared, replaced by modern drama and entertainment, keeping the area bustling. Shops, bars, and restaurants are everywhere, offering the city's vibrant energy.

Along the riverside walkway, you'll find stalls selling takoyaki, freshly cooked ramen, okonomiyaki, and drinks. You can stop for a drink and leisurely enjoy the lights reflecting on the water amid the passing crowd.

Ichiran Ramen, famous among Chinese travelers.

The streets and alleys of Dotonbori are full of izakayas, restaurants, and bars. The crab restaurants here are quite famous.

Dotonbori is a bustling area along the south bank of the Dotonbori River. Japanese say 'Eat in Osaka', indicating the abundance of eateries and entertainment facilities, making it popular among Osaka citizens. There are many cinemas, and traditional arts theaters like Bunraku-za for puppet shows and 'Yose' for popular vaudeville. Dotonbori often appears in domestic and international films as a representative Osaka area. Flowerbeds and fountains along both sides of the moat create a pleasant urban environment attractive to tourists and locals. Outdoor advertisements and neon lights along both sides of the canal form a continuous display. At night, illuminated signs, neon lights, and reflections on the water make the city more gorgeous.

The core of Dotonbori is Shinsaibashi. Shinsaibashi, as Osaka's largest shopping district, concentrates many boutiques and specialty stores, bustling from morning to night with citizens and tourists. It developed around the arcaded Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street. Large department stores, century-old shops, and various small stores for common people line up densely.

Dazzling lights and bustling city — that's the unique Osaka style. The picture shows Osaka's most iconic spot — Shinsaibashi and its dense outdoor billboards. This is Osaka's 'Manhattan' and 'Times Square'!

Crowds at Shinsaibashi.

Indoor shopping street connecting Shinsaibashi. A place for daigou shopping.

D4 Kyoto: Kiyomizu-dera / Kyoto Tower

Took JR from Osaka to Kyoto. Every time I come to Kyoto, I visit Kiyomizu-dera to make wishes and fulfill them. The incense is very strong; besides local Kyoto residents, many Japanese from other regions and Chinese tourists come for various reasons — education, love, career, etc.

Kiyomizu-dera is the head temple of the Hossō (Northern) sect of Japanese Buddhism, located in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, covering 130,000 square meters, founded in 778. It is Kyoto's oldest temple, burned and rebuilt several times. The main hall's veranda (Kiyomizu Stage) is a National Treasure, surrounded by trees. In spring, cherry blossoms bloom, making it a famous cherry blossom spot; in autumn, red maple leaves are a scenic highlight. The temple's tea ceremony is top in Kyoto. In 1994, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Unfortunately, Kiyomizu-dera was under renovation during this visit.

Kyoto Station area is the busiest commercial district, with many Japanese cuisine restaurants. The conveyor-belt sushi in the underground floor of the station is a must-eat every time, always with a long queue.

Outside the station, Kyoto Tower is a rare modern high-rise in the ancient capital, also the tallest building in Kyoto.

D5 Kobe: Nankinmachi / Kobe Port Tower

Temporarily leaving Nankinmachi, tonight's mission is to photograph Kobe's landmark — Kobe Port.

Panoramic bird's-eye view of Kobe Port.

Overlooking Kobe from high above, similar to Osaka.

Kobe Port Park, visitors strolling leisurely.

Taking a sightseeing boat to tour the Kobe coastline.

Kobe Port at dusk.

Kobe Port Signal Tower, now retired and a relic.

Wealthy people can board a cruise ship, enjoy dinner while viewing the port nightscape. I, on the other hand, prepare to start shooting.

Kobe Port Tower as the sun sets, before the sky is fully dark.

Kobe's lights are on.

Beautiful night view of Kobe Port, with the city center's rows of tall buildings in the distance.

The best time for night photography. The lit-up Kobe Port Tower looks enchanting, like a mini version of the Canton Tower! (But it was built many years earlier than Canton Tower.)

The Ferris wheel at Kobe Port waterfront.

Successfully completed the shooting of Kobe Port. Now back to Nankinmachi to find dinner.