Discover Osaka in one day | A Local’s Recommended One-Day Tour of Osaka |4K JAPAN TRAVEL

Discover Osaka in one day | A Local’s Recommended One-Day Tour of Osaka |4K JAPAN TRAVEL

I was born and raised in Osaka. I’ve come up with a one-day sightseeing plan in Osaka that I can personally recommend. Let’s explore some of my favorite spots in Osaka together. We’ll start our journey from Namba Station. This shrine is said to have been enshrined since the 4th century. What draws so many people here is its unique “Shishiden” (Lion Hall). The “Shishiden” is a stage shaped like a giant lion’s head. You’ll be amazed by its size—12 meters tall, 7 meters wide, and 7 meters deep. It’s believed that the lion’s wide-open mouth calls for victory, and swallows away evil spirits. Near here is a popular bakery—perfect for breakfast. This bakery has been selected for the “Top 100 Bakeries” on Tabelog for five consecutive years. The vegetables grown in their own farm are wonderfully fresh. Their original blend, perfected through much trial and error, offers a rich acidity with a refreshing aroma. All three types of bread had a gentle sweetness from the wheat that came through beautifully. Thank you for a very good breakfast🙏 Osaka Castle Park covers about 105 hectares, roughly the size of 22 Tokyo Domes. Within the park, you’ll find the main keep, turrets, gates, and impressive stone walls that tell its long history. There are many entrances, but I recommend starting your visit from the Otemon Gate, the main entrance. Let’s go inside Osaka Castle through the Otemon Gate. One of the oldest turrets in Osaka Castle. This two-story corner turret played an important role in defending the Otemon Gate from the north. This is the main gate of Osaka Castle. One of the highlights here is the massive stones used in its construction. This was equipped with defensive features to attack enemies who managed to pass through the gate. Beyond the inner moat lies Sakuramon Gate, the main gate leading to the main keep. Passing through the gate, you’ll find the largest stone in the castle grounds. The giant stones in Osaka Castle’s stone walls were used to display power and authority. They’re transported by feudal lords from across the country, and moving massive stones was considered a sign of loyalty. More than for practical purposes, these stones held symbolic meaning to showcase the shogunate’s might. The current Osaka Castle main keep is the third generation. The original one was destroyed during the war of Osaka, and the second one was lost to lightning. This current one was rebuilt in 1931 with donations from Osaka citizens, becoming a proud symbol of the city. You can take beautiful photos of the main keep from the Japanese garden. Now, let’s go up to the top. The top floor is an observation deck. From the balcony 50 meters above ground, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Osaka City. Next, let’s head to the Toyotomi Stone Wall Museum. Here, you can see the stone walls built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, which had been buried underground. After defeating the Toyotomi clan, the Tokugawa filled the original castle with massive amounts of soil. In 2025, this museum was opened so visitors could see the buried stone walls. Next, let’s go for a ride on the Gozabune boat. This boat is a reconstruction based on Hideyoshi’s “Houou-maru.” It allows you to see the main keep and stone walls of Osaka Castle up close from angles you normally can’t. The cruise lasts about 20 minutes, circling the inner moat. The moat is filled with rainwater and is said to be 8 meters deep. From the water, the sheer height of the stone walls—Japan’s tallest—is truly overwhelming. It’s easy to understand why the castle was called impregnable. It’s hard to imagine trying to attack this place. The skill of the craftsmen who built these stone walls is truly impressive. Now, let’s head for lunch. We’ll eat at a restaurant on the 38th floor of the MID Tower in Twin 21. The restaurant offers a stunning view. The lunch menu is varied, and the prices are quite reasonable. The tonjiru (pork and vegetable miso soup) is packed with ingredients. Their specialty, taimeshi (sea bream rice), was freshly made and delicious. It paired perfectly with the seafood yukhoe we added on top. The set even came with coffee, making it great value for money. Thank you for a wonderful meal 🙏 Since we’re here, we definitely shouldn’t miss the Fujita Museum. The museum boasts a collection of around 2,000 works of East Asian art, including nine National Treasures. It is particularly strong in tea ceremony utensils, calligraphy, and Buddhist art. One highlight is the National Treasure “Yohen Tenmoku” tea bowl. This tea bowl is designated as a National Treasure. It features the deep blue spots known as “yohen,” often compared to the sparkle of stars in the universe. It is believed to have been made in the 12th–13th century at Jian kilns in southern China. This was passed down to the Fujita family after being acquired from Tokugawa Ieyasu, Shogun of the Edo period This is the stand on which the tea bowl is placed. The garden adjoining the museum is also beautiful. This tahoto (two-story pagoda) once stood in Mount Koya. The museum café is highly recommended. You can enjoy a set of matcha tea and dango (sweet rice dumplings). The matcha is whisked right in front of you. You can enjoy it while gazing at the garden. The freshly grilled dango are delicious. The savory soy sauce flavor is wonderful, too. It was a very relaxing experience. Thank you for the treat 🙏 Next, we’ll take the Osaka City Tour Bus. Osaka Station is within walking distance from Kitashinchi Station. It’s a double-decker bus with an open-air top deck. In just about 60 minutes, you can efficiently see the sights of Osaka. “Hankyu” is the busiest department store in Osaka. “Hanshin” is particularly famous for its food section. This is Osaka’s main street. Here is the flagship store of Daimaru Department Store. Nipponbashi, often called the “Akihabara of the West.” It used to be an electronics district, but now it’s known as an otaku street—Japanese geek culture. This was once the tallest building in Japan—
but unfortunately, that’s in the past. In 2023, it was surpassed in height by Azabudai Hills in Tokyo. Finally, the bus takes the expressway back to Osaka Station. The highway weaves between buildings, and the thrill is like an amusement ride—absolutely exhilarating! We’ll visit the Umeda Sky Building later. This newly developed area is home to state-of-the-art hotels and shopping facilities. After about an hour, we arrive back at Osaka Station. LUCUA Osaka is a shopping complex directly connected to JR Osaka Station. On the 10th floor restaurant area, you can enjoy all kinds of Osaka gourmet food. Today, I’m having kushikatsu—one of Osaka’s soul foods. Since it’s a hot day, even non-alcoholic beer tastes amazing! You order your favorite skewers using your smartphone. Super delicious!! Remember—no double-dipping in the sauce. The coating is crispy with a slight sweetness, and it’s delicious. The sauce has a unique flavor, making it even better. On a hot summer day, beer and kushikatsu are the perfect combination. That was incredibly tasty! Thank You!! Let’s head to the Umeda Sky Building to watch the sunset and enjoy the night view. This is one of Osaka’s top observation spots. It’s especially worth visiting during sunset and nighttime. To reach the 40th-floor observation area, take the elevator and escalator. The escalator suspended in the air is a thrilling ride in itself. The Floating Garden Observatory offers a perfect panoramic view. At twilight, why not take a moment to enjoy the sunset? Be sure to stay until nightfall—relax at a café if you like. Wow, the night view is like a studded jewel. How was the journey? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

I was born and raised in Osaka.
In this video, I’ve created a one-day sightseeing plan that I can confidently recommend to first-time visitors to the city—and then I actually followed the plan myself.
I hope it will be helpful for your own trip. I’ve also filmed it so that you can feel as if you’re really there, allowing you to enjoy the experience of traveling from the comfort of your own home.
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⏱️Video Timeline
🌎Locations
00:00 Opening
02:12 Namba Yasaka Shrine
05:37 Boulangerie & Cafe gout https://www.instagram.com/gout_officiel/?hl=ja
08:22 Osaka Castle https://www.instagram.com/osaka_castle_park/
15:41 Osaka Castle Gozabune
19:13 Lunch at Dynamic Kitchen & Bar SUN https://www.instagram.com/sun_dynac/
22:31 Fujita Museum https://www.instagram.com/fujitamuseum_official/
28:05 OSAKA SKY VISTA Bus Tour
35:06 Dinner at Ganso Kushikatsu Daruma https://www.instagram.com/kushikatsu_daruma_official/
38:23 Umeda Sky Building https://www.instagram.com/umeda_skybuilding/
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