Osaka is one of the most diversed itinerary I built for Japan! You can do almost everything — from theme parks to Deer Feeding & Team Labs. It’s definitely more laid back than Tokyo but still a very big tourist spot. This is the next beginner friendly Japan destination after you’ve gone thru Tokyo!
Photos are by Theo Paolo Amora Lim
Go to Osaka if you want to:
- Experience the nature side of Japan (Bamboo Forest, Deer Feeding)
- Go to Universal Studios Japan!
- Experience Team Labs at night
- Go to Pokemon & Kirby Cafe!
Top Unique Experiences in Osaka:
- Universal Studios Japan – Rides are more extreme compared to Disneyland/Disney Sea so I enjoyed this more! There are several characters that are super exciting to see also like Pokemon, Snoopy & Minions!!
- Nara & Kasuga Taisha – You can feed the deers & bow to them (and they will bow back!). I also got my Omikuji (Fortune) here
- Osaka Team Labs – Team Labs in Osaka is outdoors and only available at night 🙂 They light up the garden with lights making it a different experience compared to other Team Labs
How to get around?
- Get to Japan & fly in to Osaka Airport
- Both trains & buses are available in Osaka. Thanks to their good transport system, you can easily get around & enjoy!
Sample Itinerary:
Day 1: Explore Osaka!
| Time | What to Do | Kyle Notes |
| Morning | Arrive & Settle down | |
| Afternoon | Osaka Castle | Check tiktok for the best photo spots! |
| Evening | Dotonbori River | Check which stands have the good food. Not all of them are yummy (Learned it the hard way haha) |
Osaka Castle
They say that Osaka Castle is one of the most beautiful castles in Japan. It has a lake waterfront and the Castle is functioning (You can go inside). There’s also a museum incase you’re interested in learning about its history
Dotonbori Street & River
It’s a street full of Japanese Food Stalls! It can be very busy and usually no place to sit & eat so make sure to keep your belongings light and easy to bring. It was too crowded for me so I didn’t come back after haha. There’s also a boat tour in the Osaka River that will bring you around the area.
Day 2: Universal Studios!
The. Best. Theme. Park. Ever!! All my favorite characters are here like Mario Franchise, Snoopy, Minions & Pokemon!! I could never ask for more hehe. Rides are also a lot more intense compared to Disney — which is good for those like extreme rides (Like me!). My favorite ride was the flying dinosaur where you have to lie facing down and pretend to be an aerodactylus! All the food was very cute and affordable. Thankfully everything is reasonably priced 🙂
Kyle Tips:
- Interactive Activities: There are several interactive activities like Harry Potter Wand tricks & Mario course that requires for you to buy merch in order to join like Harry Potter Wands & Mario bands. I wasn’t willing to buy new ones just for this trip (because they are expensive!) so we just rented them & pre-booked before the actual trip. We were able to rent the Harry Potter Costume also.
- Cute Headbands: We got them second hand in Mercari (Not willing to pay full price again haha)
- Fast Pass: We got fast pass that allowed us to get into the Mario area but I realized later on that the rides attached to the fast pass weren’t worth it (Demon Slayer – not a big fan, Yoshi’s adventure – too boring). Might’ve been worth running to the Nintendo world to get a slot instead of paying for it
- Rides: Plan ahead! Go super early (Yes I know it’s early but you will thank me) and RUN to the rides you want to go to first. Lines will be be bearable until around 11am then you can use the rest of the afternoon for photo taking.
Day 3: Nara & Team Labs
| Time | What to Do | Kyle Notes |
| Morning | Nara & Feed the Deers! | Don’t feed the deers near the entrance (They’re already full). Walk farther & the deers will run after you! |
| Afternoon | Kasuga Taisha | Deer Temple where you can get an Omikuji. More notes below |
| Evening | Team Labs | Book your tickets early! |
Nara & Kasuga Taisha
What is Omikuji & How does it work?
- Omikuji is a fun fortune telling activity in Shintoism — you can get this in different temples both English & Japanese but this temple is so far my favorite. You can either get a good or bad fortune — here’s what I know so far (Might not be super accurate – I’m not Shinto)
- If you get a good fortune – Congratulations! They say that you need to keep this very close to you at all times so it will come true (I keep it in my phone). Once all the wishes came true – you can come back in the same temple and return it.
- If bad fortune – You can tie it and leave at the temple
- I got mine last year and I can say that they did come true. Maybe it’s just me romanticizing it but definitely something I will do again 🙂 Time to return it this year!
Team Labs
Osaka Team Labs is very unique because it’s only open in the evening & is open air. The exhibits are lit up & is in an open space.
Day 4: Kyoto
| Time | What to Do | Kyle Notes |
| Morning | Arashiyama Bamboo Forest | Best place to get dressed up! There are several stores offering full makeover (Different tiers) – I got the Kimono & Hair piece. |
| Afternoon to Evening | Kinkakuji Temple & Kiyomizu Dera | Kinkakuji Temple closes fairly early so better go there first before going around Kiyomizu Dera |
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
We got dressed up with the traditional Kimono! The package depends on what you get — you can get a better hair piece, get make up done & a more premium kimono. For me, I got the traditional kimono with hairpiece (since I already did my makeup). After this, you can walk around the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest & the nearby towns until you have to return your kimono. I recommend doing this in a colder season (Not summer!) since Kimono has several layers and can get hot.
Kinkakuji Temple & Kiyomizu Dera
After getting glammed up, you can go straight to the Kinkakuji Temple for some photos with the Golden Temple. Kiyomizu Dera is very near also – you can get coffee & dinner here. It can get crowded also so go on a lean day (Weekday & Non Holiday)
Day 5:
| Time | What to Do | Kyle Notes |
| Morning to Afternoon | Pokemon Cafe & Kirby Cafe | Book in advanced! |
| Afternoon to Evening | Shopping! |
Pokemon & Kirby Cafe
Still my favorite!! I’ll be honest, the food isn’t great buuut you’re there for the experience! You can’t pick out your seats but everyone will see pikachu dancing! For the Kirby cafe, you can pre-book in advanced but it’s only for takeaway. Still super cute tbh
Kyle Travels 