Exploring Osaka, Japan – Photography + Travel Guide

INTRODUCTION

Like Tokyo, Osaka is a travel hub in Japan. Many international airlines have flights directly to Osaka. The city is very central to major destinations that most travellers will visit in Japan. It is very close to Kyoto & Nara, which can both be visited as day trips. Osaka is well known for its food scene, with many specialities to try out. You can visit the food halls at Osaka Station or try some of the street food around Dotonbori & Shinsekai. Osaka is also home to Universal Studios Japan. 

We didn’t allocate enough time to Osaka, as we used it as more of a base to do day trips to Himeji Castle, about a 30-min west of Osaka, and Nara, about a 50-min east of Osaka. Considering we visited Himeji Castle on our first day in Osaka, and we had already visited Hiroshima Castle, we did not visit Osaka Castle on this visit.

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PLANNING & GETTING AROUND

It’s easy to get to Osaka from the main cities in Japan such as Tokyo, Kyoto & Hiroshima using the very efficient rail network. Once in Osaka, we mostly walked but occasionally used our IC transport card to get around on local transport. To find out which IC card is best for you, click here to read our comparison post.

If you want to visit Himeji Castle, Nara, or Kyoto you will need a JR Pass, however, if you are basing yourself in Osaka and are not planning to visit Tokyo it may work out cheaper to purchase individual train tickets. We strongly suggest you check out the Japan Rail Pass Calculator to see if it’s worth buying the JR Pass. Due to the huge increase in the price of the JR Pass in 2023, it may not be worth purchasing anymore (see below). The subway is very efficient in Osaka, similar to Tokyo, and should get you pretty close to most places you want to visit. 

As mentioned above, we didn’t do a lot in Osaka on our first visit. We plan to revisit on another occasion and spend more time there and will update this post accordingly.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: In October 2023 the JR Pass increased in price significantly. In many cases, the pass will no longer be viable as the cost of individual tickets will be cheaper. We strongly suggest that you use the JR Pass Calculator to see whether the JR Pass will be worthwhile. For longer trips, the JR Pass is still a good option but for a 2-week visit, we don't think the JR Pass will be worthwhile anymore. For example - based on a 2-week visit to Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka - Hiroshima - Kanazawa - Nikko - Tokyo it would cost Y65,330 if buying the tickets individually, but a 2-week JR Pass will cost Y80,000.

ACCOMMODATION

As you can imagine there’s heaps of accommodation to choose from in Osaka. We stayed at APA Hotel Higashi Umeda Minami Morimachi Ekimae which was between the JR station and Dōtonbori. Like all the APA Hotels in Japan, they are pretty small (this one is 9.5 sq/m for a standard double room) but as we are only there to sleep it doesn’t bother us. As with most hotels in Japan there is Free Wi-fi.

CAMERA GEAR

Camera Bag

The Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L V1 or V2 (Read our Review) was exclusively used during our visit to Osaka. It is super comfortable to carry for the whole day and has enough space for everything we need. If you find this bag too small for your needs, consider the Peak Design Everyday Tote 15L V2 (Read our Review). Our camera backpack (we use the Vanguard Alta Rise 45 backpack), remained in the hotel room. 

Filters

No filters were used in Osaka. Other than our URTH UV filters, which remain on our lenses at all times (except for nighttime shots). The URTH CPL (polarizer) and NiSi ND Grads would have probably been useful if we had visited Osaka Castle during the day however, as mentioned above, we visited Himeji Castle instead.

LOCATION GUIDE

Dōtonbori

Probably the most visited night time location in Osaka. Dōtonbori is located along the Dōtonbori canal from Dōtonboribashi Bridge to Nipponbashi Bridge in the Namba district. Most visitors flock here to see the Glico Man, a billboard for confectionery company Glico displaying the image of a runner crossing a finishing line which was originally installed in 1935. The Glico Man is lit up nightly. To visit Dōtonbori catch the subway to Osaka-Namba then it’s just a short walk.

Umeda Sky Building

The Umeda Sky Building is not the tallest in Osaka, but is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. Two 40-story towers connect at their uppermost stories, with bridges and an escalator. Although there are magnificent views of Osaka at night we found it more entertaining taking photos while riding the 2 sets of escalators (see photo above and another above Camera Gear).

Umeda Sky Building is about a 10-minute walk from the JR Osaka Station. Entrance to the observation deck is 1500 yen however if you just want to ride the escalators up & down to get some arty shots then it’s free. We did both.

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Namba Parks

We visited Namba Parks (pictured above) as we had seen some great architecture shots online and thought it may be something different to photograph other than the usual landmarks. Now, while Namba Parks is just a shopping complex the architecture is quite amazing, so take your time walking around. There’s also a pretty cool rooftop garden area worth visiting. If you own an ultra-wide-angle or fisheye lens you will have a lot of fun here. Well worth the visit if you love architecture photography. To reach Namba Parks catch the subway to Osaka-Namba Station, it’s about a 10-min walk from there.

Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle is only about a 30-min train ride west of Osaka and is ideally located to visit as a day trip. 

The original Himeji Castle dates back to 1333 and is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture. Because of its brilliant white facade, the castle is frequently referred to as Hakuro-jō or Shirasagi-jō (“White Egret Castle” or “White Heron Castle”).

The castle gets extremely busy so we would recommend you try and get there very early. Also, we would highly recommend a visit to the nearby Koko-en Gardens (300 yen if not combined with Himeji Castle) where you can also enjoy a Tea Ceremony at “Souju-an” for an additional 500 yen.

Open from 9:00 to 17:00 (until 18:00 from late April through August). Entry is 1000 Yen for the castle only or 1040 Yen for both the castle and Koko-en Gardens. Admission ends one hour before closing.

To reach Himeji catch the JR Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka Station (keep in mind that you will need to get from Osaka Station to Shin-Osaka Station to catch the Shinkansen). The journey takes about 30 minutes. Otherwise, you could also take a Direct JR special rapid train from Osaka Station (one every 15 minutes) but this will take a little longer. Allow at least a 20-minute walk from Himeji Station to the castle or catch a bus or taxi. You can also check out the official Himeji Castle website here.

Nara

Anybody that visits Japan for any length of time usually visits Nara, especially for first-time visitors to the country. There is a lot to see here and as it will undoubtedly be very busy we suggest you get there on the first train out of Osaka or alternatively plan to stay in Nara overnight. It is easily accessible from both Osaka and Kyoto. The temples, shrines, and palaces of  Tōdai-ji, Saidai-ji, Kōfuku-ji, Kasuga Shrine, Gangō-ji, Yakushi-ji, Tōshōdai-ji, and the Heijō Palace, together with Kasugayama Primeval Forest, collectively form “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara“, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the Nara period, the city was the capital of Japan, and the Emperor lived there before moving the capital to nearby Kyoto.

There are other places in Japan where tame deer roam freely, Miyajima Island is one, however, nowhere in Japan are there as many as Nara. Tame sika deer (spotted deer or Japanese deer) roam through the town, especially in Nara Park. Snack vendors sell sika senbei (deer crackers) to visitors so they can feed the deer. Some deer have learned to bow to receive senbei from people.

While in Nara you may also want to try some Sake tasting. We hadn’t planned on doing this in Nara but the opportunity arose, so we did it. We visited the Harushika Sake Brewery and paid 500 yen per person to sample 5 different sake. In addition, you are presented with a small sake cup. We always use the cups at home, so it was 500 yen well spent.

JR Yamatoji rapid trains operate every hour between Osaka (JR Osaka Station) and Nara (JR Nara Station). The one-way trip takes 45 minutes and costs 800 yen. The JR Pass will cover the journey.

Once in Nara, you can purchase a 1-day “Nara Bus Pass” for 500 yen, providing unlimited use of Nara Kotsu buses around Nara. It covers central Nara and the Toshodaiji/Yakushiji area. You can also purchase a 1-Day Pass Wide for 1000 yen that will also cover the Horyuji area and a 2-Day Pass for 1500 yen that additionally covers the Asuka area. You can purchase the passes at the bus ticket offices inside the JR Nara Station.

With such limited time in Osaka, we have not explored this city to its full potential. Hopefully next time we will be able to spend some more time there. If you would like to read more of our Japan Guides please click the banners below.

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