Summer in Osaka

Saturday, 18th November 2017

A mix of digital + film photos from my trip last summer to Osaka, Japan

I really fell in love with film during this trip. Initially, I was scared to use up the entire roll, because film is kinda expensive and I don’t want to waste a shot. But, I decided to go for it anyway. It feels so liberating to just take a photo and put the camera down. Not being able to see what it looks like right away keeps you in the moment. See how they turned out below.

We got an airbnb within walking distance to the Dobutsuen-mae station and Shinsekai for easier access. Since it was our first time to visit Osaka, we wanted to go see the popular sites. We got the Osaka Amazing Pass (2 days), which really came in handy, especially since we planned to go to a lot of different places around Osaka. It came with a lot of tourist attraction passes and subway/ bus/tram passes.

What we did 1/2 of the time there. Definitely came home with a food baby.

To eat

CREMIA – Do not miss this when you go to Japan. It is the best soft serve ice cream i’ve ever had! Hokkaido milk ice cream + langue de chat (lengua) cone. We tried to eat this everytime we spotted a stall! It’s on the pricey side, but it’s definitely worth it! Also, it has a Michelin star (!!)

MATSUSAKAGYU YAKINIKU M – Another one you can’t miss! They’re known to be one of the best in Osaka. Crazy good melt-in-your-mouth beef. Matsusaka beef is really a different kind of dining experience altogether. Don’t forget to book reservations as they are always full!

ICHIRAN – I always drop by Ichiran everytime I visit Japan or Hong Kong. My favourite ramen place!

DŌTONBORI – You can’t really say you’ve visited Osaka without visiting Dōtonbori. Since we booked an airbnb really near Dōtonbori, we were there almost every night! You’ll never run out of food options.

To see

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS – Wizarding World of Harry Potter. That is all.

TSUTENKAKU TOWER – Great for a bird’s eye view of Osaka. Admission is also free under the Osaka Amazing Pass.

UMEDA SKY BUILDING – An even higher view than the Tsutenkaku Tower also under the pass

TSURUMI RYOKUCHI PARK – More on this below.

NAGAI PARK/ OSAKA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY – More on this below.

Tsutenkaku Tower

View from the Umeda Sky Building

If we weren’t stuffing our faces during our stay, we spent most of it wandering around parks and gardens. Nagai Park is definitely worth a visit. You should check out the Osaka Museum of Natural History too while you’re there.

This gorgeous pair of swans came to say hello while we were sitting by the lake.

Osaka has so many beautiful parks and Tsurumi Ryokuchi park has got to be one of my favourites. It also has a botanical garden inside with a massive aray of flora. There are even different areas specifically for plants that thrive in hot/cold weather! Definitely take a look at the arid plants area when you’re there! Cactus heaven!