Osaka, Japan Travel Blogs

Osaka - Universal Studio
Apr 1, 2007 (3 photos)

... checking in, having a nice lunch, passing through the security check point, a 3 hours and 40 minutes of flying, I finally arrived in Japan, Osaka Kansai Airport. The best way to get to Osaka, the city center, is to travel by JR train. So, I and my ...

Sumo wrestling...
Mar 22, 2007 (15 photos)

... been travelling for 17 months, and would be embarking on another two year jaunt this September! Clare was only in Japan for two weeks, and had come to Osaka to see the sumo wrestling, and I couldn`t resist when she asked if I wanted to accompany her the ...

Osaka Pin
Nov 3, 2007

Osaka Pin

USJ
Nov 23, 2002 (3 photos)

I ended up going to the overpriced, but fun, USJ three times - first Tracey and I went as its a "must do" and then I had to take guests too cause its "must do"!

Hajimimashte!
Oct 27, 2002 (10 photos)

... English School as a random teacher meant that I went to every one of their classrooms, about 40 dotted within about 2 hours of Central Osaka. We missed life in Japan and friends made, so we stopped over on our way back from trip to Sydney in 2004.

Mega Star
Jan 12, 2003 (1 photos)

... but she stopped saying that during my bottoms starring moment.. must stop eating snickers bars! I had thought that the old men of Japan were just staring at me cause I was foreign and/or wearing flesh revealing clothing (oh my god you can see my neck) ...

New apartment
Jun 16, 2003 (3 photos)

... except our bedroom windows face over a side street and we still get crazed sound trucks driving past from early in the morning. Osaka got its first typhoon warning for Saturday 31 May. School - meaning my work and most shops issued closed notices for Sat. ...

One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish!
Apr 3, 2006 (3 photos)

... itself a little so on a recommendation from a couple of Canadians staying at the hotel I set off towards one of Osaka's main entertainment districts, Dotombori. Feeling quite hungry once I got there I opted to try some Octopus Balls one of Osaka's ...

Kyoto and a big hangover (CONTAINS VIDEO)
Dec 12, 2006 (6 photos)

... 10, but Jane is suffering a rather nasty hangover, as she does on the rare occasions that she drinks.   Tuesday, December 12 - Osaka   Another ex-roommate, Takuya, lives in Osaka too, so we spend a bit of time with him today.  ...

Konichiwa from Osaka, Japan.
Apr 5, 2008 (30 photos)

... 's an indecipherable craziness to Japan and the traditions go hand in hand with an enviable technical superiority. We arrived in Osaka at 7:30 am, Japan time. This was after waking up at 5 am the previous day to catch a train from our beach-side hostel ...

Osaka
Apr 15, 2009 (20 photos)

... , but the bums instead of seeming threatening, seemed quiet, peaceful and sometimes very even friendly. We visited Osaka castle and got a taste of medieval Japan which was all the more enhanced by the unexpected surprise of a free guided tour by a retired ...

Oh It's Raining Again
Sep 6, 2007

So today I ventured into Osaka for the first time. Andy was off work so went with him and his girlfriend.  Osaka is cool but it's not as nice a city as the others I have visited! Still good all the same, although as was the case yesterday, the weather ...

Kobe and Osaka
Jul 20, 2003 (4 photos)

... Sake museum. After walking for half an hour in the wrong direction, twice, I gave up and got back on the train to Osaka. In Osaka I decided to go up the Umeda Sky Building, which has a floating observatory at the top, perched across the top of 2 tall ...

Osaka
Sep 12, 2008 (3 photos)

... the Tsuruhashi market and headed back to the Hostel for dinner. Burp..excuse me. Our last day in Japan we went to the Aquarium in Osaka. It has the biggest fish tank in the world. Nice way to spend the morning before heading to the ...

Minoh Quasi-National Park
Feb 23, 2003 (1 photos)

Just a couple of hours from Osaka is lovely Minoh Park, which has lovely Minoh falls.. and lots of easy walking tracks. Its quite pretty and required visits from everyone so i managed to get there in Snow, Summer, Cherry Blossom Time and Leaf changing ...

Japan's Cradle
Jul 19, 2005 (8 photos)

... a full four days away from the rat race here, visiting the ancient capital of Kyoto, the even more ancient capital of Nara, and Osaka, Japan's second city. I'm glad to say the trip was well worth the pain of working extra days before and since, and I will ...

It's a blessing to be.......
Jul 20, 2005 (1 photos)

... . We had a brief stop off in Osaka train station and a funny thing happened while we were sitting there watching the Japanese world of Osaka train station go by. This Japanese guy walks by with a green t-shirt and the logo 'It's a blessing to be Irish' ...

Osaka city limits
May 11, 2006 (5 photos)

... no idea what is behind this intricate web of deception, but I imagine it is some sort of legal dodge. Had 'famous' Osaka Okonomiyaki today - it's sometimes referred to as a Japanese pizza, and involves a sort of pancake mixture, cabbage, nuts, bacon, ...

Happy HALLWEEN?
Oct 21, 2007 (78 photos)

... Exercise Meet), starting as young as Preschool and continuing until High School. These are highly ritualized events (like everything in Japan) in which each grade competes in different events such as running relays, tug of war, etc. There is marching in ...

Parking garages and orderly light shows
Dec 10, 2006 (4 photos)

... the boys with their designer jeans and rebellious raggedy hairdos.    There is a strange phenomenon in Japan called Pachinko.  Pachinko arcades are everywhere, recognisable by the enormous signs outside and the incredible noise inside.& ...

Almost Sayonara
Apr 4, 2006 (2 photos)

... unaware of how popular the sport was here until I arrived with only a stereotypical image of Sumo wrestling being Japan's main sporting entertainment. After a little more walking, and being stopped by a rather frantic women wanting me to translate a ...

I need your help!
Nov 12, 2007 (17 photos)

... is "to support rural Cambodian communities through greater educational opportunities and  increased access to education." Before coming to Japan, I wasn't familiar with any of the countries in South East Asia, but after living here for over a year I' ...

Halloween Shenanigans
Oct 31, 2003 (6 photos)

As a school teacher Halloween continued for a week, and involved much costuming.. and playing of games and eating lollies all week! There was also a loop line (Train line) crawl, drinking our way around the loop line, but guess what? Tracey and I ...

Why are you eating hamster food? - 3rd grdr to me
Oct 30, 2006 (48 photos)

... and upon recommendations from many fellow JETS, who said you have to go at least once while you live in Japan, we set off for the Osaka station. The strange looks and whispers began when Katherine and I boarded the subway on our way to the station where ...

Sayonara Japan
May 8, 2008 (28 photos)

... to impress (but not as daring as Tokyo fashion). The streets and building turn to flashing neon in every possible direction.   Japan was a bit of a whirlwind tour and we found we had very little spare or relaxation time and we're expecting Korea to ...

The dark side of Sumo
Apr 30, 2008 (43 photos)

... by a stable master, a retired wrestler who was a good wrestler in his prime. There are currently 54 stables throughout Japan. Referees, ushers, and hairdressers also live in the stables. The stable master is referred to as oyakata (boss), and his wife, ...

Shinkansen it up!
May 10, 2006 (1 photos)

... this was because Osaka men are a little too fond of a bit of grabass during the peak hour squash. When I finally arrived at Osaka (which was guesswork more than anything else thanks to lack of english signage) I found an exit and found a phone to call ...

Osaka sunny day tour
May 12, 2006 (18 photos)

... basically trampling a few kids because I couldn't see them and they were absolutely all over the place. That's right folks, the Osaka Zoo highlights involved a kangaroo and koala - who would have thunk it? I must also mention that out of all the animals ...

setting up a home base
Jul 4, 2007 (7 photos)

I ended up staying at a rather cheap place in Osaka (well, cheap for Japan) and stuck around for about six nights.  Because I had a rail pass I used Osaka as a home base and went to visit Kyoto and Nagoya on day trips via the shinkansen, or - as it is ...

Kyoto daytripper
May 14, 2006

Yesterday I did nothing. After all the walking from the day before my feet were killing me, not to mention that the shitty weather wasn't exactly inspiring. Keiko wasn't too disappointed not to be traping around in the wet, as she had a bit of work to do ...