Our time in Japan has come to an end and Osaka was very kind to us. Outside of a plan to spend a day at Universal Studios Japan, we didn’t schedule a lot ahead of time in the city, anticipating that we’d be tired and may want to remain flexible for the sake of morale. The city was quite captivating, we learned quickly that we’d never be far from something to capture our attention as we stayed rather close to Dontobori, a foodie’s paradise as well as evidence of the city’s investments ahead of Expo 2025. We could have stayed another week and not experienced everything within walking distance of our hotel. If you’re ever in the neighbourhood, I’d highly recommend Bushido burger. It’s a bit of a safe choice among the hundreds of food spots in the area but it’s still got enough of a Japanese spin to still feel like adventurous eating.
We did manage to explore other parts of the city, like the Umeda Sky Building, a true architectural wonder. We played tourist and left our heart-shaped padlock up on the observation deck with the rest of them, my partner especially enjoyed that little detail of our visit.
A personal favourite among all our activities had to be Super Nintendo World. I grew up with those characters alongside my siblings and still regularly enjoy Mario Party/Kart with friends to this day. Seeing all of it come to life was pretty special.
Other highlights include: Riding in the world’s first oval ferris wheel, a Capcom pop-up store, Pokémon Center Osaka, Osaka Castle, & some lengthy sessions of Dance Dance Revolution.
As difficult as it can be for a trip to live up to all expectations we place upon them, I feel safe in saying that this was everything we hoped it would be. I’m home now with fond memories of the people, the food, & the gorgeous views. Thanks for reading!