Osaka Japan Travel Guide π―π΅ Plus Food & Attractions for Family
Hello everyone. Follow us as we explore the vibrant city that never stops buzzing and is filled with all the mouthwatering goodness of Japanese food. Let’s go discover Osaka, Japan. We woke up bright and early and had a very hearty breakfast at Matsuya. Then we made our way to the city of Ika to visit no other than the Cup Noodle Museum. Here we can see the history of how instant noodles took over the world. It was so amazing to see how a simple idea is now a worldwide iconic instant noodles that we know. I think I was the most excited among us to come here because 10 years ago we were able to visit their branch at Yokohama City but I was not able to join the ramen making class because of the limited slots available. So this time around I told my husband that I was 100% sure that we were going to join the ramen making class no matter what happens. We were initially booked for an afternoon schedule, but when we were about to do the cup noodle decorating instead, a nice woman approached us and told us that there were three slots that just opened up. So, she quickly ushered us up to the second floor. We wore our aprons, washed our hands, and began a ramen noodle class. You start with mixing the ingredients, kneading the dough, and while the dough is given time to rest, we were able to decorate our plastic packaging. Look at the adorable chicken bandana. I’m going to do something. It might be for now. Don’t worry. You don’t really need to have any cooking background to join as they will be guiding you along the way what to do and all the ingredients are already well prepared. Plus, all the staffs are really nice and accommodating. Then it was time to finally roll out the dough and make the noodle strands. We were asked to measure each portion to exactly 100 g each. Season the noodles with some flavorings because who wants to eat bland noodles, right? Then hand it over to them for frying. Finally, they seal it for you to ensure freshness when you are ready to eat. After the class, we headed down to make our cup noodle decoration. You simply need to buy a cup in their vending machine and they will usher you to an available table with all the colored markers to decorate away. Then you bring the cup over to the next station and choose your soup base and three elements to it. There were so many choices to choose from. So for the soup base, we decided to get the curry flavor. And the toppings, we got some cute fishcakes, some pork cubes, and shrimps. Then you can witness how they heat seal the cup noodle before finally going to the last station to bring home. They give you an inflatable plastic and a rope for you to bring around. I kid you not, this is very secure. And we even made it home with no dents on the cup noodles despite being wedged in our very full suitcase. For the latter half of our day, we headed on Abeno Haruka 300 and appreciate the beautiful panoramic view of Osaka in their observation deck located at the 60th floor. It is called Haruka 300 because the building is 300 m tall and it used to be the tallest building in Japan. Then for dinner, we headed on our favorite ramen restaurant and is no other than Ichan to cap off our day with a hearty ramen bowl. The next day, we made our way to Nara Park, one of Japan’s well-known destination, and it’s not just because of the beautiful scenery, but also the home of hundreds, maybe thousands of free roaming deers. My son was initially scared of feeding the deer, which by the way, you can buy deer crackers in the vendors around the area, but eventually got the hang of it and even befriended some of the deers. Then beyond the deers, we also roamed around to see the surrounding museum, temples, and shrines in the city. The next day, we made our way to Himi City to visit their castle. We even got to witness the Himi Castle festival that day. It is often called the White Heron Castle. And unlike other castles that has been rebuilt to preserve them, Himeji Castle actually withstood wars, earthquakes, and time itself. And of course after the castle we visited the Kokoen garden to appreciate the landscape and greeneries. And then we decided to go to Kobe city and finally try the world famous Kobe Beef. We decided to eat at Kobe Beef Takura. They have authenticated Kobe Beef to make sure you are trying the real deal. The chef cooked the beef right in front of you as tanyaki. And that first bite was so good. It’s very juicy, flavorful, and just melts in your mouth. After filling our bellies, we decided to go to Kobe Herb Garden and Rope. It was very foggy that day and some areas like the mid garden was already closed, but we were able to make our way to the very top and went around and checked out their herbs. We didn’t get to see much of the view because during that day the fog was really thick, but the weather was actually quite nice up here. The next day was the main reason we went to Osaka and it is no other than going to Universal Studios. We booked the VIP experience tour as we wanted our son to have a special experience in his first time here. Well, it’s also a first for us. But first, we explored the wizarding world of Harry Potter and it was so magical. The rides were really enjoyable and they even have an interactive show. We explored the wands here at Ollivander’s wand shop and got ourselves our first wand. We treated ourselves with butterbeer to freshen up with the very hot weather. And don’t worry, they told us that it is alcohol-free, so kids can also try. Then there are several areas you can use your interactive wand to try out some spell. And here is my son successfully casting the levitation spell. Wow. And then it was time to go to Nintendo World. There were so many people going here and you can only enter on time cues. So do take note to do this as soon as you go inside the park. We went inside and at the end of the tunnel, we felt like we were instantly transported to the Super Mario World. It was insane. Everything was so beautifully made. My son used his power up band to collect coins or points around the area when you see this box. We were able to ride all the rides except the mind madness which unfortunately was on maintenance that day. We were so looking forward to this ride, but oh well, maybe next time instead. We had a burger lunch at Jurassic World, then went to see the minions. Then it was time to go to our VIP tour. We were greeted with the nicest staffs, and our tour guide, Lloydy, was honestly the best. He made our experience here at Universal Studio very fun and stressfree. We honestly enjoyed the rides at Universal Studios and I didn’t get to take a video of all the rides because I was so into the moment. But by the end of the day, we were already super tired and we were able to ride almost the rides we wanted to ride. Before we ended our day, we had to try the food at Kinopio’s Cafe. Since we were so tired from the day before, we decided to take it slow and explore Doonburi. But before we explored the city, we decided to have lunch at our favorite sushi chain restaurant. If you are looking to eat Osaka street food, then this lively street is for you. Takoyaki, okonomiyaki, grilled crab, you name it, they got it. And of course, we cannot miss a snap with the GO running man as this is Usaka’s most iconic sign. So don’t miss out to explore here at night as well. And for dinner, we had Mai Matsusaka, and it certainly did not disappoint. The beef was honestly topnotch and this restaurant is a must try when you come here in Osaka. For dessert, we went to Matcha House and ordered the tiramisu for something sweet to balance the umami flavor of the Wagyu beef. The next day we had a two and a half hour bus trip to go to Amanuhashidate and we rode their open chair lift to the scenic viewing spot. Once we reach the top to Kasamatsu Park, we had the most beautiful experience of sightseeing while cycling. Look at that stunning view. Amano Hashidare is known for its bridge to heaven view and you can see the strip of sandbar that looks like a soaring dragon flying across the water. There are also some family activities you can do around the area. This area is so picturesque and it’s such a great getaway from the busy city to appreciate nature. Going down the cable car was even better because we get this beautiful view. Right after going down the cable car, we went straight to Ina Fishing Village. We got to ride a boat around Ina Bay and even got to feed the seagulls. Ena is a very peaceful and less crowded town with its well-known boat houses. For our last day, we were so lucky to grab a slot to go in Pokemon Cafe located inside Daimaru Shinshai Bashi Store. Everything is so adorable and PokΓ©mon themed. And look at my son’s kids meal. So kawaii. I decided to get the Gengar shake. And yes, you can also purchase the cup exclusively available here in the cafe. The drink was actually grape flavored and it was very refreshing after a long walk. My husband had his latte which we had to buy the cup because it was also so cute. And of course the highlight of each visit is a meet and greet by no other than Pikachu itself. But after we visited the PokΓ©mon Center located just beside it and bought our son’s PokΓ©mon souvenirs, it is always so difficult not to bring home anything from this store. And with that, our trip to Osaka has finally come to an end. And I am definitely going to miss all the amazing food and experience I had. Thank you so much for watching. Bye.
[Watch in 4K]
Explore Osaka with us on our 9 day trip as a family, enjoy!
May 14-May 22, 2025
πFeatured Locations:
Universal Studio
Nintendo World
Amanohashidate
Ine Fishing Village
Kobe
Himeji Castle
Abeno Haruka 300
Cup Noodle Museum
Dotonburi
Pokemon Cafe
Sushiro
M by Matsusaka
Maccha House
Kobe Beef House
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Connect with me:
heyitsmichfang@gmail.com
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