Osaka trip in Mid-May!

[truewt]

Hi bros,

am revisiting my planning again..

I have not decided on the places of interest to cover in their respective spots.

But i have sort of decided on the route to take for my entire journey, can please advise?

touchdown -> Kyoto (5/6 nights) -> Nara (1 night) -> Kobe (2 nights) -> Osaka (3 nights) -> fly back

So Kobe to go to Arima onsen for one night, then might want to go ise-shima for a day trip (perhaps on the kyoto leg), and also himeiji.. any advice?

 

[anfield22]

Himeji Castle is still undergoing restoration now, if I am not wrong. Try checking out their website to find out the progress. Probably won't be complete till 2014...

it is, so if you go to himeji castle now, the attraction has been turned into a live display of the restoration work of the castle

 

[anfield22]

Hi bros,

am revisiting my planning again..

I have not decided on the places of interest to cover in their respective spots.

But i have sort of decided on the route to take for my entire journey, can please advise?

touchdown -> Kyoto (5/6 nights) -> Nara (1 night) -> Kobe (2 nights) -> Osaka (3 nights) -> fly back

So Kobe to go to Arima onsen for one night, then might want to go ise-shima for a day trip (perhaps on the kyoto leg), and also himeiji.. any advice?

kyoto and osaka are your biggest trips, the rest are pretty straight forward. kyoto is big, but because it's all more or less the same thing it's kinda straight forward. apart from the obvious, i think you should check out nishiki dori, it's a small market area near the teramachi shopping arcade.

for osaka, my picks are:

shinsekai/tsukenkaku tower area
Osaka Travel: Shinsekai

the south side of osaka is downright ghetto, although it has cleaned up tremendously over the past few years. that is, of course, part of the osaka charm. it also happens to be near one of the oldest (still active) red light districts in japan, which is actually a very historic and beautiful place. Tobitashinchi: Japan's Largest Red Light District is Hidden Behind a Facade of Restaurants with Architecture Preserved since World War II in Osaka - Japan Real Time - WSJ

namba/shinsaibashi/tennoji area

USJ is a trip by itself, i wouldnt put it together with osaka in terms of itinerary.

also check to see if your stay coincides with any local festivals, which have a lot of sentimental value to the local people.

 

[truewt]

kyoto and osaka are your biggest trips, the rest are pretty straight forward. kyoto is big, but because it's all more or less the same thing it's kinda straight forward. apart from the obvious, i think you should check out nishiki dori, it's a small market area near the teramachi shopping arcade.

for osaka, my picks are:

shinsekai/tsukenkaku tower area
Osaka Travel: Shinsekai

the south side of osaka is downright ghetto, although it has cleaned up tremendously over the past few years. that is, of course, part of the osaka charm. it also happens to be near one of the oldest (still active) red light districts in japan, which is actually a very historic and beautiful place. Tobitashinchi: Japan's Largest Red Light District is Hidden Behind a Facade of Restaurants with Architecture Preserved since World War II in Osaka - Japan Real Time - WSJ

namba/shinsaibashi/tennoji area

USJ is a trip by itself, i wouldnt put it together with osaka in terms of itinerary.

also check to see if your stay coincides with any local festivals, which have a lot of sentimental value to the local people.

hey bro, thanks!

So for USJ, I shouldn't lump it into Osaka side? I'm taking it more like going to USJ during the Osaka leg of my trip.

 

[samtcy]

Himeji Castle is still undergoing restoration now, if I am not wrong. Try checking out their website to find out the progress. Probably won't be complete till 2014...

I went Himeji castle last Sep and I was told by the staff there than restoration will only be complete around 2015.

Don't advise you to go Himeji at this point in time, since there's not much to see.

For Osaka, if you like trains, you might want to consider going to the Osaka Modern Transportation Museum located next to Bentencho station in Osaka.

There's also Nissin Cup Noodles museum on the outskirts of Osaka where you can try customizing your own cup noodle for 300yen.

 

[kodokido]

Woohoo! I am going to Osaka + Kyoto too in mid May! Might see you there!

 

[truewt]

Woohoo! I am going to Osaka + Kyoto too in mid May! Might see you there!

haha cool stuff.. alot of people going osaka!

 

[cutieboy86]

woohoo i going last wk of may to osaka, kyoto and kobe

 

[butterbarter]

Folks, I came back from Kyoto/Osaka/Nara just a few weeks ago ( went for the sakuras).

Here are my thoughts:

Osaka : stay for a few days ( 3 days is a good start ). Osaka is a major city, and there are lots to see :
Urban life : Namba, Umeda, Shinsaibashi.
Temples : There are a couple of major temples here (eg, Tennoji ), but you should probably save your temple visits for Kyoto and Nara, which has more impressive and culturally more significant temples
Touristy places : Aquarium (big and pretty impressive), Osaka Castle (which is really a museum), Tsūtenkaku.
Food: lots of restaurants. Try takoyaki (which originated from Osaka) and okonomiyaki.

Kyoto : this is a major destination in its own right, about 40-50 mins from Osaka (Shin-Osaka Station) by regular train. Don't just make a day trip here; it's far better to stay in Kyoto itself rather than commute daily to/from Osaka. Kyoto, IMHO, has more to see than Osaka if you are into historical/cultural sights, and you should plan at least 4 days (I stayed 5 days). Temples and cultural sights galore : Golden pavilion(Ginkokuji), Kiyomizu, Fushimi Inari, Ryoanji, Nijo Castle, Philisopher's path, Gion/Geishas, cool pedestrian malls at Sanjo/Shijo (3rd/4th street), Arashiyama, etc, etc.

If you have time, Amanohashidate ( the Bridge to Heaven, one of the top 3 scenic sights in Japan) is located about 2 hours north of Kyoto city. You can reach it by train for about 3700 yen each way.


Nara is the ancient capital of Japan, and is overflowing with history and culture. Todaiji and Kasuga Taisha are worth visiting. Nara is also famous for deers wondering the parks, and temple grounds. Definitely spend 2 days or more here.

 

[butterbarter]

does anybody know where I can book a Nara Day Tour? preferably english/chinese speaking tour

Nara is very small and compact. You don't need a guide.

there are 2 train stations : JR and Kintetsu. The Kintetsu train station is right in town, while the JR station is further away.

If you arrive at the Nara Kintetsu train station (about 50 mins from both Osaka/Kyoto), there is a tourist info center which has English speaking staff. They will provide you with a map and directions.

You can walk or take a bus to the highlights in Nara ( which will be the same ones covered by the tours). Nara is small and is easy to navigate on foot. In fact, I recommend walking as you will come across lots of parks, deer, and temples on your way to your destination. It's quite fun to see how the deers harass the tourist for food

Make sure you wear good shoes. Most major sights are within 1km walk from the Kintetsu station (the Kasuga Taisha is slightly further away, but still walkable via a big wooded park)

 

[butterbarter]

I was in Kansai last month, and the Himeji Castle was still under renovation.

So I went to Hikone instead ( about 1 hour north of Kyoto) to view the Hikone castle. Hikone castle is smaller than the Himeji one, and is of course less impressive. But it's a real castle, and is one of the 4 castles in Japan listed as a national treasure.

If you really must see a real Japanese castle, you can give Hikone Castle a try. If you don't mind seeing a fake one that looks quite realistic, you can try Osaka castle.

I went Himeji castle last Sep and I was told by the staff there than restoration will only be complete around 2015.

Don't advise you to go Himeji at this point in time, since there's not much to see.

For Osaka, if you like trains, you might want to consider going to the Osaka Modern Transportation Museum located next to Bentencho station in Osaka.

There's also Nissin Cup Noodles museum on the outskirts of Osaka where you can try customizing your own cup noodle for 300yen.

 

[DouBleB]

thanks evilerniex bro.. I haven't begin my thorough research yet because of schoolwork.. will be beginning soon now that FYP is over.. for grad trip

congrats on your grad! NTU student? Anyway ts which hotel/hostel are you staying in Osaka??

 

[truewt]

congrats on your grad! NTU student? Anyway ts which hotel/hostel are you staying in Osaka??

hey! NUS student here.

Anyway I'm staying in Kinki hotel (lol name) but it's relatively inexpensive! average around 3k yen per night only