Second Trip to Osaka (Nara + Universal Studios + Kyoto)

In July this year, my bestie and I spontaneously decided to meet up in Osaka with our daughters (they had already been to Tokyo and Kamakura). Our 4-day itinerary was packed, averaging 20,000+ steps per day.

My last visit to Osaka was in May 2016, a three-day food and shopping trip staying at the Marriott near Tennoji (very convenient for travel and shopping). Now the Marriott's price has doubled, so I decisively gave it up.

On the first day, we took the 8:00 Juneyao flight and arrived in Osaka around 11:00 (Japan time). There was no queue at immigration, and we cleared customs and picked up luggage in 5 minutes.

Previously, when visiting Japan, I bought point-to-point single tickets for the subway. This time we bought two subway cards, which can be recharged anytime (deposit 500 yen each), and they work on buses too.

Google Maps is very convenient for traveling in Japan, offering multiple route options (different colored lines have different travel times and costs).

Due to flight timing, I didn't rent a Wi-Fi egg this time (worried about not picking it up on time at the airport), so I bought a Japanese SIM card for Kimi (5 days, 1GB daily, total 32 yuan, worked great). I used Shanghai Mobile's roaming network directly, which was fast enough—I could access all common apps except Google Maps. So I left navigation duties to Kimi, who was initially confused because Japan's subway lines are incredibly numerous. We wanted to take the Nankai Main Line but ended up at the JR platform. Fortunately, we asked a helpful station staff member who corrected us (similar mistakes happened later; on the way back from Nara to Osaka, a station staff member even guided us directly to the correct platform—very warm).

This time we chose the Osaka Royal Hotel (Midosuji) near Honmachi Station and Yodoyabashi Station, close to Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi (one subway stop). We booked an executive king room with breakfast for 1,268 yuan/night (much better value than the Marriott's standard room at 2,800 yuan/night). Breakfast was served on the executive floor, with fewer people and a pleasant atmosphere.

On the first afternoon, we met at the hotel and then headed to Nara. Not long after stepping out of the subway, we saw deer. Nara Park was crowded with both tourists and deer. Kimi bought a pack of deer crackers (200 yen) and hid them in her bag, holding a small piece, and deer came to beg for food.

We walked and fed them along the way, from Nara Park all the way to the top of Mount Wakakusa. The mountaintop has a large lawn with few people and many deer, perfect for photos.

Kimi interacted with the deer for a long time until one discovered she had crackers in her bag and started nudging her bag and biting her skirt. Kimi almost got angry, muttering, 'How can they be so rude?'

Returning to Osaka from Nara, we got off the subway at Dotonbori directly to eat street food. But Dotonbori was packed, so we had a quick bite after queuing briefly and then went back to the hotel to rest.

On the second day, we set off early for Universal Studios. We got lost again when transferring at Umeda, asking for directions all the way. We arrived at the park around 9:30, when most people had already entered, so we got in quickly. Beverages and snacks were allowed inside. We had bought tickets and Express Pass (4 items, includes Mario Land entry) two weeks in advance. Harry Potter and Mario attractions had designated times (all in the afternoon).

When we entered, Doraemon had a 70-minute wait, Spider-Man 50 minutes. Osaka Universal's queues have two types: regular and single rider. Spider-Man's regular queue was 50 minutes, single rider only 5. We four joined the single rider line (paired with other families, split up) and finished the first ride quickly. Then we watched a stage show 'Sing,' with strong indoor AC, a good chance to rest. Next, we rode a roller coaster (about 20+ minutes wait).

At 11:00 we entered Harry Potter World, which has a similar layout to the one in Beijing. We queued to buy 'Butterbeer' (a popular trendy drink). Riding Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey for the second time, I still felt dizzy and unsteady, while Kimi was thrilled, saying it was a bit different from Beijing's.

At 13:30 we watched a Water World show—a real stunt performance that Kimi found spectacular.

In the afternoon, we went to Mario Land. The kids bought special wristbands (about 210 yuan) used for interactive features (like hitting question blocks). The park's background music was various game sounds, very nostalgic—though it didn't resonate much with the post-2000 kids.

The wristband requires the Universal Studios app, which works on iPhones but not Huawei.

Around 17:00, a heavy rain fell. The Jurassic Park ride temporarily closed, and the Flying Dinosaur queue thinned out. My bestie alone took 5 minutes in the single rider line for Flying Dinosaur, said it was a great ride (haha, I wouldn't dare).

In the evening, we used our last Express Pass for Jujutsu Kaisen 4D. Since I hadn't seen the anime, my experience was just average.

The park closed at 20:00. We returned to the hotel; the subway wasn't crowded due to frequent trains.

On the third day, we went to Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Taisha and Kiyomizudera. Near Kiyomizudera, we found a kimono rental shop: outfit plus hair accessories for 5,000 yen a day. There were many small shops nearby selling delicious snacks and ice cream. When tired, we could find a café for afternoon tea—very pleasant for a girls' trip.

On the fourth day, it was all about shopping. In the morning we went to Shinsaibashi. After checkout, we headed to Rinku Premium Outlets (luggage storage available just outside the subway station, 300 yen per piece). Besides tourists, many Japanese were shopping there; local brand items were quite affordable, e.g., Thermos bottles (350ml, under 90 yuan), Onitsuka Tiger casual shoes, etc.

Finally, let me mention Japanese convenience store treats. Finding delicious sweets and drinks at Lawson, FamilyMart, etc., was something Kimi loved doing every day. In her words, it was like the joy of opening a blind box.

This trip was rushed due to time constraints, but it still left many happy memories.