24 Hours in Osaka: Tokyo’s Cool Little Brother
Truth be told, I didn’t have too much interest at first in spending the night here. But when my husband mentioned visiting the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu there, I perked right up and added it as a last-minute stop during the trip. And of course, now I would absolutely recommend it as part of a first-timer’s itinerary!
Getting to Osaka from Tokyo (Green Car Style)
Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka! Like a long-lost Gilmore Girl, I will almost always stop for coffee. I very nearly gave up while looking at the most COMPLICATED COFFEE VENDING MACHINE IN THE WORLD on the platform but persisted. I was rewarded with live video of my coffee being made in the machine! 🤯 I flagged down my husband and insisted he get one too so I could watch it all happen again.
This magical train is like a hot knife through butter. So smooth, you guys! Because I get easily anxious on public transit (see my post about flying over here), I opted for the Green Car for a little more yen. It’s like domestic business class on an American jet. But I peeked at the regular cars and they also seem plenty comfortable, unlike economy class on the same American jet.
Grabbed some snackos at the station. These slightly sweet crackery-cookie things celebrating the Shinkansen trains hit the spot and off we went! I did follow the internet’s advice and sat on the right side of the train to catch a glimpse of Mt Fuji but the weather gods were not favoring us that day.
Where We Stayed: Marriott Autograph Collection
We cashed in 40k Marriott points for one night at the Autograph Osaka Station Hotel. My mini review: It’s one of the coolest hotels I’ve been to yet! The people that worked there? So warm and friendly!
Our room had a stellar view right above the station. Train nerds will dig it. The room itself was calm and peaceful with a beautiful box of treats, including biscuits, candy and soup with a complimentary bottle of sake.
Somehow, I ended up bonding with our charming bellman over our love of The Beatles! He was one of many Japanese locals I wanted to just pack up and take home with me. Alas, like most places, kidnapping is not looked up favorably.
Mate led us to the hotel’s “secret” bar. We never would have found it without his help. Behind a door labeled "Stationmaster’s Office” in a dimly lit hallway, was a sleek and stylish joint, peacefully above the busy Osaka Station region. It’s a must-do at this must-stay hotel.
The Sweetest Detour to the Greatest Store
Quick storytime: I got majorly lost looking for a certain store. I was walking along the complicated pathways between buildings, looking through several stories of shopping malls. After about a half an hour of realizing I was walking in circles, I got brave and asked a group of young girls if they spoke English (“A little?” – good enough) and could help me find the store.
They lit up. “We’re looking for it too! Let’s go together!” they said. My heart kinda burst. Once we got to the destination, I took this picture and they asked to have it Air Dropped to them. My heart burst AGAIN. It’s dangerous to be around such nice people.
THIS WAS THE STORE.
Snoopy Town Shop!! So much cuteness! So much unique merch! I was here foreeevvvverrr. I had been doing my best not to just grab “stuff” because it’s cute, trying to keep myself from overbuying. But this was my biggest Japan challenge yet. So damn excited.
Wanna know why I don’t have children? Because I *am* children.
Osaka at Night
I was awash in advice before Japan. But one thing that stuck with me was my friend’s insistence on checking out some of Osaka’s jazz bars. We grabbed an uber and headed to Dotonburi.
An explosion of lights! The giant octopus! There’s a quiet jazz bar on this street? If you say so…
Trusting the process and going upstairs…
Outside Top Rank Jazz Bar. There’s a lot going on, as you can see, but since I do “love supreme music” I ventured in and…
Ohhhh my god was it cool. Nothing but vibes and a dude spinning jazz records. That’s records, man. No CDs, no Spotify. The only drinks on hand? Whiskey and Rum. The music? Heavenly.
You are already cooler just being there.
See? Look at us. Way cooler than an hour before.
As it’s in a tourist heavy area, we were among mostly other people from far away. Or not far away…I met a dude who works in my little town in Los Angeles! We spent most of the evening chatting with some sweet gals from Australia on holiday.
These are small joints, so if Top Rank is full, amble directly upstairs to Bird/56 for a similar experience.
Don’t forget to force your travel companion to take a picture with the Glico Man billboard, even if it’s against their will.
AM at Osaka Castle
The next morning, we rolled over to Osaka Castle. Is Osaka Castle worth visiting? Depends on your interests, really. It’s gorgeous from the outside. Majestic as all hell!
From the inside? Eh, I didn’t need it, to be honest. It’s mostly a modern museum inside, but Japanese history buffs would probably dig it. If you’d like to check it out but see that there’s a big line at the ticket office, I got a quick tip: Grab your phone and log on to Klook.com. You can buy tickets on that site, skip the long line, and head right in. Or actually plan ahead, like we did NOT, and buy your tickets at any point on Klook.
Of Course I Stopped For This Dog. Duh.
As we headed back to the train station to make our way to Kyoto, we met Muji. Her dad said “She doesn’t like to walk”. Girl, I feel you. If I was this beautiful, I wouldn’t walk either.
As much as Osaka wasn’t on the original plan, I was SO glad we did it. But if you happen to be staying in Kyoto for your Japan trip, Osaka is also an easy day or evening trip. It had a unique personality from Tokyo, yet was its own lively brand of fun. If you are a traveler who gets into nightlife, it’s a MUST.
If you missed it, check out how we kicked off this trip in Tokyo. Coming soon…come with us to Kyoto!
Points n’ Stuff:
Marriott Autograph Osaka Station Hotel: 40,000 points through Marriott Bonvoy. Book with Bonvoy points or transfer points from Chase or American Express.
Use luggage transfer services: This was a revelation when going between cities in Japan. Inexpensive and worth every yen. Your hotel will walk you through the process.
More questions? Email me or drop in comments below!
