Osaka and Back Again! Part 1: "Sleep is for the Weak!"

Becky Cresswell
Oct 19, 2016
4 min read

To celebrate my birthday I planned to do what most people would; take a trip somewhere and binge on food and fun until I have to begrudgingly return to reality and work. So where better to go than Osaka?

Home of Universal Studios Japan (USJ), miles of shopping and more street food then you can shake a stick of yakitori at, Osaka was an easy choice for a 3 day trip of birthday antics! Unfortunately planning how to get there wasn't so easy...

Usually the best way to get to Osaka from anywhere in Japan is through a budget airline, 'Peach' for example, offers flights for as low as 1,999 yen in it's sales (that's about £15 people!) and is my go to choice. As it turns out, my birthday falls right next to a national holiday in Japan which meant the prices skyrocketed, so no flights or trains for poor us! Another option would be an overnight ferry (which also offers a discount for USJ tickets) but the last time I went on the ferry to Osaka I was badly travel sick, couldn't sleep, got heatstroke and had to be hospitalised... so yeah I wasn't going to do that again in a hurry! So running out of options, we decided to go for the tried and trusted cheapskate transport, that's right, a NIGHT BUS. What could be better then spending 9 hours trying to sleep on a cramped bus with no on-board toilet? Quite a lot I can tell you.

It wasn't the WORST thing ever, but being a bit of a comfort snob who can't sleep unless I can lay down with a proper pillow (and I'm a serial night time loo visitor) it was pretty miserable. The journey started with us going to the bus station where we had to check in at the so called 'bus lounge' (which was basically a bar) with a bunch of chairs for us passengers to awkwardly flop down in and try to relax. Then your bus number is called and you traipse out to the bus stop, check your name and seat with the driver and head on in. Yipee.

Each seat on our 'New Relax Series' bus (which wasn't new or very relaxing!) had an extendable chair, foot rest and crazy head visor, which was pretty cool, but they are definitely designed for smaller people as it was all pretty snug! There was also a cup holder in the middle of the arm rest which was so incredibly uncomfortable it was almost rage inducing. But hey, ho it got us to Osaka without breaking the bank or sacrificing our time there, so I can't fault that.

Stumbling off the night bus and into Osaka, tired but excited, we grabbed some breakfast and headed for our first bit of sightseeing at Osaka castle. Sat in the middle of a group of subway stations the castle grounds, outer park and near by museum are really easy to get to and totally worth the trip. I've seen my fair share of castles in both Europe and Japan and Osaka castle is still pretty impressive! Mostly because it's bloody humongous! The original castle was build in the 1500's but was unfortunately destroyed, then re-built... then burnt down, so while it's only a reconstruction it deserves to be admired. With walls built from massive stones you would think are more at home in a pyramid, sprawling grounds and the main castle itself all to see it is worth taking a couple hours to explore. Once you cross the moat and pass through the imposing walls the castle sits gleaming white in the sunshine, beckoning you in. Entry is cheap and worth it, if not for the museum inside, for the stunning panoramic views from the top where you can see most of Osaka and off into the mountains.

So after our morning dose of culture we decided to head over to the Namba/Dotonbori area (a.k.a tourist central). Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi are famous streets in the heart of Osaka, lined with shops, restaurants, street food vendors and just about everything else. If hundreds of shops arn't enough for you the area is also home to a wealth of nightlife and the famous Glico Running Man advert; which is most impressive as night descends and the sides of buildings light up with neon signs and giant models of crabs, dragons and more. This is the best place to find some of Osaka's specialities like takoyaki (small batter balls filled with octopus and covered in sauce and fish flakes) or the delicious okonomiyaki (a kind of layered omelette with seafood, meat, vegetables and much more in it). We shopped till we dropped then hit the popular Rooftop Bar 00 for drinks (and as it turned out watching football on a massive projection on the roof). Did I mention it also has a pool? Don't ask me why, but it does. Outside on the streets Osaka was really waking up, despite it being a Tuesday night, and was full of people with places to go, people to see and parties to... party I guess. I on the other hand had a double bed with my name on it!