Now, back to Osaka, our next destination in Japan. We stayed there for almost a week and initially thought we’d have plenty of time, maybe even too much. But once we listed everything we wanted to do in and around Osaka, we quickly realized the opposite: not enough time. So we decided to split up occasionally so everyone could do the things they really wanted.
Our hotel was close to the Dotonbori area, so we wandered around the neighborhood on our first day. We came back again at night, because that’s when the place truly comes alive. The canal reflects dozens of giant neon signs, animated billboards flash above the streets, and the whole district feels like a glowing carnival of food and noise. I also finally experienced the famous Don Quijote store and spent… let’s just say way too much time inside. That place is like a maze designed to make you forget what time it is.
One day we visited the observatory at the Umeda Sky Building. The escalators that hang between the two towers are pretty cool, and the view is nice. That said, Osaka isn’t exactly packed with skyscrapers, so the skyline is a bit more relaxed than some other big cities. Then, we got lost a few times trying to find the Nintendo and Pokémon stores. When we finally made it, we discovered the floor was closed for renovations for five days (Nooooo!!!). The kids were disappointed, but at least we still had time later in the week or in Tokyo as a backup plan.
We ended up walking along the river through a beautiful park full of cherry blossoms. That walk eventually brought us to Osaka Castle, which was very cool to see. The day finished at an amazing playground for the kids. Well… I stayed there with them. Joey, on the other hand, went to a hardware store and bought more screwdrivers and a couple of saws. At this point he’s basically bringing home an entire construction toolbox in his suitcase.
On the next day we split up again. Joey really wanted to visit Himeji Castle, and honestly, with good reason. But Emma wasn’t feeling it and didn’t want to travel that far. So the boys went to the castle while the girls headed to Nara to see the temples and the famous wild deer wandering around the city. Nara is also known for its mochi, and there’s a famous shop where they pound the mochi dough at lightning speed. Unfortunately, I forgot to borrow cash from Joey before leaving. I only had about ten dollars, no debit card, and Japan still loves cash. So when we got to the famous mochi place… I couldn’t buy one as I ran out of money. Tragic, I know.
Still, we had an amazing day and were happy with our choices. One highlight: we all tried sakura ice cream, and it was absolutely delicious.
In fact, we have now fully embraced the Sakura lifestyle.
Sakura KitKats.
Sakura cookies (langue de chat).
Sakura mochi.
If it has Sakura in it, we’re eating it.
The following day brought rain, so the kids and I headed to the Osaka Aquarium while Joey went… knife shopping. It was a must-do for our kids and honestly, the aquarium was really impressive. There were whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, giant manta rays, and some unbelievably big (and honestly very ugly) fish. Watching them glide through the tanks made me imagine what it would be like swimming in the Pacific Ocean.
Afterward, we treated ourselves to ramune-flavored soft-serve ice cream and a gigantic hot dog, about 40 cm long, inspired by the slender shape of a garden eel (chin anago). It was pretty fun and surprisingly, it was very reasonably priced.
We left with great memories… and Joey successfully found the knife he was looking for.
Another great day in the books.
When the sun returned the next day, we explored some nearby neighborhoods. The kids, and Joey, really wanted to visit a dog café. The first one we looked at would have cost over $100 for less than an hour, with no food or drinks included. Hard pass. Eventually they found a more reasonable place and got to spend time with Shiba Inu dogs, which I have to admit are incredibly cute.
While they were busy with the dogs, I wandered around on my own, explored a fun temple, and did a little shopping.
I ended up waiting quite a while for lunch at a small ramen place… but it was so worth it. Easily the best ramen I’ve had in my life.
Later I reunited with the family and we walked around Surugaya, an area full of anime and hobby stores. We finished the day in the Sakaisuji neighborhood. The kids discovered their love for matcha lattes, and we all enjoyed the neon lights and the creative architecture on the buildings.
On our last day, Joey had booked tickets for the Nintendo Museum. He had actually reserved them more than a month earlier through a request lottery system. Thankfully, he ended up getting the tickets. While planning the day, however, I discovered something interesting: the museum isn’t actually in Osaka… or Kyoto… where Joey originally thought it was.
It’s in Uji.
As it turned out, that little change of plans worked out perfectly for me. Uji had already been on my list of places to visit. It’s a picturesque town famous for its green tea and its charming riverside district, which is said to be quite scenic. So honestly, this surprise destination ended up being a win.
But first things first: we returned to the Nintendo and Pokémon stores, the ones we had tried to visit earlier in the week when the entire floor was closed for renovations. This time, we were determined to make it inside… and victory was ours. Mission accomplished.
After that, we made our way to Uji. Our first stop was the beautiful Byōdō-in Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and easily one of the most stunning temples in Japan. From there, we wandered through the streets, browsing the many tea shops and doing our part to support the local economy by buying more matcha, because when you’re in the capital of matcha, it feels almost irresponsible not to. We even found sakura powder!
At this point, I’m starting to suspect our luggage might be mostly tea products by the time we leave Japan. Naturally, all of this will be put to good use. In addition to Vietnamese coffee, I have now officially added matcha, matcha latte, and sakura latte to the menu of my future coffee shop.
We also took the time to sit down and properly savor a matcha latte in one of the cafés. No rushing, no sightseeing checklist, just tea and a moment to enjoy it.
Soon enough though, it was time to catch the bus to the Nintendo Museum. When we arrived, we were greeted by two extremely serious security guards. No ticket, no entry, not even a little peek. Then came what I can only describe as passport control. They carefully checked that the names on our passports matched the names on the tickets. After that came the security check and a metal detector. I’m not even exaggerating when I say the security was tighter than at some airports we’ve passed through.
The museum itself was pretty cool. It focused heavily on Nintendo’s history, with displays of old consoles, games, and memorabilia. They also had an entire floor dedicated to gaming, where everyone could play. Unsurprisingly, the kids loved it. Joey quickly set his sights on a one-meter-square Nintendo 64 controller cushion. A one-meter cushion. There was absolutely no way I was letting that thing come home with us. I did, however, approve a compromise: some Nintendo soy sauce plates.
On the way back, it was already past 8 p.m., and the subway was completely jam-packed. Think sardines. Commuter-hour sardines. The kids, especially Teddy, were getting tired and increasingly unhappy about spending 45 minutes crushed between strangers. Fortunately, we discovered the existence of the “luxury” train cars for only five dollars more. It was the easiest decision of the day.
We stayed in a great Airbnb close to Namba Station, which made it easy to get anywhere in the city. Having a kitchen was also really nice. Even though we’re eating our way through countless amazing Japanese meals, the kids occasionally start craving home-cooked food.
So every now and then we cook something simple and everyone is happy again.
That said… I’m starting to worry we might run out of time before I run out of food I want to try. 😂
Oh, and the apartment has a massage chair, which is absolutely glorious after walking thousands of steps every day. Honestly, it might be the most important amenity of the whole trip.
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