Day 4- Osaka

6:15 PM

This is Part 4 of a 5 Part Series that describes in detail my family’s 6D/5N Trip to Osaka, Japan.

Having explored Nara and Kyoto on our second and third days in Japan, we decided to explore Osaka on our fourth day.

We woke up later than the usual. Since it was a Sunday, we decided to first attend Holy Mass at a cathedral in Osaka which happens to be near the Osaka Castle. The nearest station to the Cathedral is the Morinomiya Station at the JR Line. As usual, we boarded a subway train bound for Shin-Imamiya (150 JPY). At Shin-Imamiya, we transferred to a JR West Train which took us to Morinomiya (160 JPY).

At the Station, signs show the right direction to the Osaka Castle. However, we opted to go straight to the St. Mary’s Cathedral first in order to catch the 2PM English Mass. The cathedral was a bit hard to find. Thanks to Apple Maps, my dad and I were able to locate the cathedral while my mom and brothers rest at a nearby mall.

The Cathedral's Altar

Outside the Cathedral with my Mom

It felt like home. Most of the servers and even the priest who celebrated the 2PM English Mass were Filipinos.

After mass, we began to walk towards the castle, thanks to my ever-helpful Apple Maps. It was a sight to behold. The Osaka Castle was built with the intention for the same to become a center of a new, unified Japan. At the time it was built, it was considered as the largest castle.

The magnificent castle is beautiful from every angle that my family spent every minute trying to get our photo with it on the background. Aside from the castle, the park surrounding it was equally beautiful. However, I personally think that it would have been more beautiful had there been cherry blossoms. After all, the Osaka Castle Park is the most popular hanami spot during the cherry blossom season.

We did not enter the castle though. After all, reviews on Trip Advisor said that while the castle is stunning from the outside, it is a bit disappointing from the inside. Instead, we admired the castle from the outside, once again taking countless pictures. We tried local Japanese snacks from the food stalls that surround the castle, including the famous Matcha Ice Cream and Rice Cakes.

Matcha-rap!

We continued exploring the castle grounds as we walked towards the Morinomiya Station.

Resting for a bit before heading back to Namba

A different view of the Castle

From here, we boarded a train to Shinsaibashi where we intend to spend the rest of our evening. The train ride costs 240 JPY.

We arrived at a different portion of the Shinsaibashi Shopping District. Here, you have read that we spent the night shopping at Uniqlo in Shinsaibashi-Suji. This time, however, we ended up exploring the main street where luxury boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Cartier stand. As this street is lined with luxury boutiques, it is often described as the Champs-Elysees of the East.

Shinsaibashi

We entered one of the biggest department stores in the area, Daimaru. Apparently, Daimaru has long been a large retailer in the country which has been established during the eighteenth century. I marveled at the fourteen-story department store

We wandered off back to Shinsaibashi-Suji in search for an Authentic Japanese Restaurant. We ended up in one of its alleys, in a restaurant which offers Authentic Japanese Cuisine wherein you can get all of your favorites for only 250 JPY per plate. The restaurant utilizes a technologically advanced way of ordering which was very difficult to figure out as it was not in English. However, you may ask an English guide from the waiters to help you out in placing your orders.

As it was our second to the last night in Japan, we decided to make the most of our time by going around Dotonbori and exploring the banks of the Dotonbori River. We admired the city lights and the restaurants that surround the river. All of the restaurants in this part of Osaka serve their famous takoyaki.

The members of our family are very obsessed with pictures. In most of our trips, we spend a whole lot of time taking selfies. Of course, Dotonbori is an ideal spot for such photo sessions. However, Dotonbori is also famous for being the Gastronomical Capital of Japan. Be sure to eat in one of the restaurants in the area.