A Summer Journey to Kansai, Japan

Prologue: A Promise of Four Years

In the blink of an eye, another summer arrives. During the three years when travel was impossible, I constantly planned a summer trip to Kansai: chasing lively summer festivals, watching fireworks burst into bloom, walking through Kyoto's streets in a yukata, or storming through bustling Osaka and bumping into the Glico running man billboard in Dōtonbori...

So I packed my bags and set off this summer vacation to embark on a summer journey to Kansai, Japan!

I. Summer, Seeing Osaka Again

In mid-July, just after the rainy season, Osaka's weather is like a scene from a manga: a translucent blue sky, cotton-candy clouds, brilliant sunlight, accompanied by the cicadas' chirping and birdsong. Yes, this is the summer replay of Osaka in my mind.

My previous knowledge of Osaka was limited to bustling streets, a dazzling array of food, and lively nightlife. Returning to Osaka this time, I decided to explore the untouched unique charm.

II. Storming Through Osaka City Walk, Pilgrimage to Scenes from Detective Conan

Flying directly from Qingdao to Osaka takes about two hours, and I was back at the familiar Kansai Airport. Without resting, I started a city walk in Osaka. This time, I would follow scenes from the Detective Conan movies for a different Osaka pilgrimage.

💡 Recommended check-in spots:

Osaka Castle Tenshukaku—Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters—Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation (YTV)—Umeda Sky Building

Tsūtenkaku—Shinsaibashi—Dōtonbori—Ebisu Bridge

·Osaka Castle Tenshukaku

The Tenshukaku first appeared in Japan's Sengoku period and is one of the representative castle buildings in Japan. It appears many times in Detective Conan, and many Conan fans first learned about it through these episodes. Thus, it has become one of the classic check-in spots for Conan fans. You can imitate Heiji Hattori's classic photo pose to take a commemorative picture.

·Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters

The Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters is just outside Osaka Castle Park. After exiting the park and crossing the road, you'll see a curved building full of design. The Osaka Museum of History next to it is also worth a visit.

·Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation (YTV)

YTV is the TV station that broadcasts Conan weekly. It is on the other side of Osaka Castle Park, near JR Osaka Castle Park Station. At the entrance of the building, there are bronze statues of the Detective Boys from Detective Conan.

·Umeda Sky Building

As a landmark of Osaka and part of Umeda New City, the Sky Building was completed in 1993. It consists of two 40-story towers connected together, standing 173 meters tall. The top-floor circular open-air observation deck offers a panoramic view of Osaka. The most attractive part is the observation deck, which not only allows you to see the blue sky and white clouds indirectly but also provides a place to watch sunrise and sunset up close.

Tsūtenkaku is a steel observation tower about 103 meters tall. It stands tall and straight, like a guardian on the earth.

It is said that the designer, Naitō Tachū, adopted design concepts from the Eiffel Tower in France, so Tsūtenkaku's design combines traditional Japanese architectural elements with modern Western architectural styles. The circular observation deck at the top and the octagonal tower body complement each other, showcasing the perfect fusion of tradition and modernity.

Remember in Detective Conan: The Last Wizard of the Century, Kaitō Kid landed here.

The commercial streets around Tsūtenkaku are also worth exploring.

·Shinsaibashi + Namba + Dōtonbori Shopping District

If I were to recommend the most worthwhile shopping district in Osaka, it would definitely be Shinsaibashi + Namba + Dōtonbori. This area is highly recommended for shopping, eating, taking photos, and anime pilgrimages. Besides being very concentrated, transportation is also convenient, with major transport stations concentrated here.

Don't miss the Glico Running Man; it's a must-see landmark in Osaka!

The traditional photo spot is on the opposite bank. But this time, I want to recommend a place where you can sit at a high position to photograph the Glico Running Man with fewer people, and enjoy a coffee while watching the crowds on Ebisu Bridge—Daikoku Drugstore (Dōtonbori Store).

Name: Daikoku Drugstore (Dōtonbori Store) 3F

Address: 2 Chome-3-19 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0085

(It's right on the right side of the entrance to Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Street, cross Ebisu Bridge, and go straight to the 3rd floor.)

III. Recommended One-Day Trip Routes Around Osaka

The reason I love Osaka is not only because it's a Kansai area full of humanity and history, but also because Osaka is a major transportation hub in Kansai. With convenient transport, you can reach many places around Osaka in about an hour by car. Whether visiting historical castles, strolling in quiet mountains, enjoying natural hot springs, experiencing coastal scenery, or embarking on a healing nature trip, you can do a one-day round trip from Osaka. Here I recommend several one-day itineraries.

1. Healing Day Trip to Wakayama

Route: Kada Port—Tomogashima Island—Awashima Shrine—Wakayama Castle—Tama Train

Set off early in the morning, take the Nankai Electric Railway to Wakayama, then transfer to the cute Tai (Sea Bream) Train to Kada Port. Wakayama Prefecture has Kumano, the spiritual heart of Japan; Koyasan, a Buddhist sacred site and World Heritage site; and famous tourist spots like Shirahama Beach and hot springs. Wakayama is also a fishing area, with a small fishing village called "Kada" famous for its sea bream.

The train running between Wakayama City and Kada is a very cute "Tai Train" (Medetai Train, meaning congratulatory/wishing train). Different months have different colored trains. When I went, I happened to catch the pink "Tai Train," with a cute pink exterior!

In the morning, first head out to Tomogashima Island, which is the prototype for Laputa from Castle in the Sky and a pilgrimage site for Summer Time Rendering.

Returning to Kada Port from Tomogashima Island, you can stop by Awashima Shrine.

There are over 1,000 Awashima Shrines in Japan, but the one in Kada is the head shrine, with a long history that is rare in Japan.

In the afternoon, experience the cute and healing "Tama Train," a lovely train that actually had a real cat stationmaster. I happened to catch the black "Tama Museum Train." The crown with "TAMA" on the front sparkles, and the cool black carriage is like a stylish museum. The entire train has 777 cat-shaped patterns, completely healing me with cats.

2. Fresh Day Trip to Nara

Route: Nara Park—Kasuga Taisha—Tōdai-ji

The most popular attraction in Nara is undoubtedly Nara Park. You can feed the deer in the park, take photos with them, and also visit Tōdai-ji, which houses a 15-meter-tall bronze Buddha that attracts many visitors.

Besides the deer, Nara Park also has a Manyo Botanical Garden and Kasuga Taisha.

Kasuga Taisha is very popular with tourists. It dates back to the 8th century, with a long history. The approach to the shrine is lined with over 3,000 stone lanterns, which look spectacular at night.

3. One-Day Stroll in the Ancient Capital Kyoto

Route: Yasaka Shrine—Kiyomizu-dera—Fushimi Inari Taisha—Kinkaku-ji

Kyoto is located southwest of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest freshwater lake, overlooking the beautiful Biwa Lake Flower Fountain. Kyoto has 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, over 1,600 Buddhist temples, and over 400 Shinto shrines, making it one of the most culturally rich cities in the world.

Besides traditional architecture, there are captivating geisha dances, wonderful kabuki performances, and a variety of shops and restaurants. In Kyoto, everything you see matches the reputation of the "Land of the Rising Sun." Kyoto is on par with Paris, London, and Rome—a city everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime. There are many famous sites here that can keep you busy for days. If time is limited, you can also visit the most popular classic attractions in Kyoto in one day.

From Osaka, whether you take the Keihan Main Line or JR, you can reach Kyoto in about 50 minutes.

·Yasaka Shrine: Located in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, this shrine is one of the most famous and historic shrines in the Kansai region. The main hall is called "Gion-zukuri," a unique Shinto architectural style, and the countless lanterns on the dance stage make the night beautiful. There are places for drawing fortunes, writing ema, and buying omamori. The ema designs are very diverse, and the heart-shaped ones for prayers about love are very popular.

·Kiyomizu-dera: Visit the temple and ancient tombs, and explore the scenic park to find Otowa Waterfall, where people line up to taste the spring water for prayers and blessings.

·Kinkaku-ji: The core building of the temple is decorated with gold leaf on its exterior, hence its name. The garden is meticulously maintained and nestles beside a pond. Breathe in the fresh air and take beautiful photos of this historic temple.

·Fushimi Inari Taisha: Dating back to 711, it mainly enshrines Uka no Mitama no Kami and other Inari gods. Inari is the god of agriculture and commerce, and worshippers pray for bountiful harvests, business prosperity, and traffic safety. It is one of the most popular shrines in Kyoto, famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates stretching for kilometers!

IV. Encountering Osaka's Summer Festival

Every year in summer, many celebrations are held across Japan: lively summer festivals or brilliant fireworks displays, making the whole summer vibrant.

In Osaka, there are also many different summer festivals.

I happened to catch the Dōtonbori River boat procession event, which is one of the summer festivals of Namba Hachiman Shrine, famous for its big lion head, and a popular check-in for travelers visiting Osaka.

It is held on July 13 and 14 each year. The boat procession on the night of the 14th is especially popular and has become one of Osaka's summer highlights.

The boat procession is a ritual to honor the gods and pray for prosperity and fertility. This time, 11 boats with 500 people sailed along the Dōtonbori River to bless everyone.

From July 23 to 25 this year, Tenmangū in Osaka will also hold the Tenjin Festival. The Tenjin Festival at Tenmangū is one of the three major festivals in Japan, attracting over one million spectators. The evening fireworks display is also very famous!

Coming to Osaka in midsummer, I happened to encounter the lively summer festival!

V. Shopping in Osaka Go Go Go

Of course, when you come to Osaka, you have to go shopping! Osaka's shopping streets are very concentrated, especially the "Shinsaibashi + Namba + Dōtonbori Shopping District," the largest shopping, dining, and leisure area in Osaka. It gathers drugstores, cosmetics shops, duty-free shops, 100-yen shops, anime character shops, restaurants, and cafes. It's no exaggeration to say you can buy everything you want here.

In Japan, my favorite places to visit are drugstores. In drugstores, you can buy almost everything: daily skincare, makeup, snacks, drinks, daily necessities, and common medicines. Time to stock up in Osaka!

In Osaka, I only recommend Daikoku Drugstore because my local Osaka friend told me that Daikoku has the best prices. You can pay with Alipay, and purchases over 5,000 yen are tax-free. Plus, there are occasional discounts on top of discounts, making the savings quite significant!

Moreover, almost every Daikoku Drugstore has Chinese-speaking staff, so there's no language barrier.

💡 Recommended Store 1: Daikoku Drugstore (Daiebisu Store)

Address: 〒542-0076 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Namba, 3 Chome−2−27 Suzuki Building

Business hours: 10:05–23:00

After exiting Namba Station, you can immediately see the "Ebisu-bashi-suji" shopping street. Walk in for 2–3 minutes, and it's right next to the famous Osaka cheesecake shop. This Daikoku has a great location and ample stock, so even if you're lugging a suitcase, it's no problem.

💡 Recommended Store 2: Daikoku Drugstore (Dōtonbori Store) 3F

Address: 2 Chome-3-19 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0085

Business hours: 10:00–22:30

This store is on the right side of the entrance to Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Street. Cross Ebisu Bridge and go straight to the 3rd floor. Here, you can not only shop but also sit at a high spot to photograph the Glico Running Man, and enjoy a coffee while watching the crowds on Ebisu Bridge. You can check in at this popular spot while shopping.

📒 Shopping List:

1. Face masks, steam eye masks, and foot patches—must-buys every time I visit a drugstore.

2. Japanese sunscreen and makeup base—for sunscreen products, Japanese brands are the best; they are light and non-greasy.

3. Common medicines:

· Taisho Cold Medicine

This is a family standby medicine recommended by my Japanese friend. It has a high market share and is very safe. When you catch a cold, take it and symptoms quickly ease.

· Shin Biofermin S Tablets

As a travel blogger, I often can't eat on time while traveling. When faced with rare local delicacies, it's hard to stop at 80% fullness. Then a few S tablets help regulate intestinal flora vitality—perfect!

· Taisho Livita Premium Health DX

Sometimes I stay up late writing, editing photos, or cutting videos without enough rest, so during the day I feel tired and lethargic. A few tablets of this effectively relieve fatigue—a great item to restore my energy! Plus, it's caffeine-free, so taking it at night won't affect sleep. A must-have for a night owl like me!

· Livita Premium Care Green Tea Powder

This is no ordinary green tea powder; it also contains piperine, which helps maintain blood pressure, suppress post-meal blood sugar, reduce post-meal neutral fats, and improve gastrointestinal function. When traveling on business, it's hard to avoid certain foods, so I always need to regulate. One sachet a day, can be dissolved in cold water—very convenient.

· Also, some eye drops, artificial tears, and eye wash are things I always buy in Japan. I won't list them all; basically, you can just pick them with your eyes closed!

VI. Osaka on the Tip of the Tongue

Speaking of Shinsaibashi's cuisine, you definitely can't miss Dōtonbori. Along the riverside promenade, there are bustling stalls selling takoyaki, freshly boiled ramen, okonomiyaki, and various drinks. The saying "eat yourself broke in Osaka" is no empty phrase.

· Takoyaki: octopus balls stuffed with a whole piece of octopus.

· Okonomiyaki: you must try it!

When you come to Japan, how can you not treat yourself to authentic A5 Japanese black wagyu beef?

I recommend a high-quality meat restaurant—A5 Meat Shop 18 Ban, right next to Dōtonbori Bridge.

The restaurant selects A5-grade black wagyu from different regions according to the season. This time, we had Saga beef, the tenderest part of the female cow.

A whole piece of wagyu with marble-like fat distribution was placed on the charcoal grill. The handsome owner personally helped grill the meat. The meat was so tender it could be separated with a fork. The hot oil dripped deliciously. One bite—the meat was tender, soft, and bursting with juice, spreading in the mouth—a satisfying mouthful!

Besides the popular A5, the restaurant's menu is very diverse, offering dishes from over 1,000 yen to tens of thousands yen, catering to a wide range of customers. In addition to grilled meat, beef tongue is also good. Their wagyu udon noodles are also worth a try!

Store name: A5 Meat Shop 18 Ban

Address: 2 Chome-2-1 Dotonbori, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0071

Lunch: 11:30–15:00

Evening: 16:00–22:00

VII. A Trip to Osaka That Leaves You Wanting More

In midsummer Osaka, the light and shadow are beautiful every day—

The sky like a manga, clean streets and houses, walking in the sunlight, seeing cars on the road and people cycling in the sun. Press the shutter to capture beautiful moments and feel the Japanese summer vibe.

Sometimes, there's no need to deliberately think about the meaning of travel.

Just play according to your own ideas—enjoy the scenery you love, go shopping, taste food, and fully savor the joy that travel brings us.

Whether it's Osaka or Japan, I feel that no matter how many times I come, I never get tired of it. Even though I've returned home, I still feel like there's so much more to explore, and I look forward to the next trip!