osaka – The things I've seen. The places I've been.

We flew to Osaka from Kagoshima because we were picking up a bass guitar. That was all to it. I don’t really like Osaka and its crowds of tourists. And I definitely wanted to go back to Kumamoto once we landed in Itami Airport. But Osaka grew on me. With its chaotic and noisy streets, I found that the city was not anymore as loud as the first time I was there in 2024. I learned to go with it and found different escape routes. However, no matter how much we avoided it, we always end up in Dotonbori! I guess we just had to pass through it to reach our accommodation. But luckily, our hotel was tucked away behind Dotonburi in a quiet residential neighbourhood.

The first escape was a lovely breakfast place down the road. It was run by an older Japanese couple and it had such a retro vibe to it. It was nice and peaceful. And since, we were already in Osaka and it was the Cherry Blossom season, we also planned a day trip to Mt Yoshino in Nara and that was a perfect plan. We took the Limited Express Sakura Liner train from Abenobashi station to Yoshino and the adventure began! We climbed the mountain and saw the most beautiful thing. Waves and waves of different shades of pink and purple covered the mountain. I can’t believe my eyes. It was so beautiful and was surely worth every climb. We also got to taste different food and snacks along the way. It was tiring yet it was so fun!

Another escape was going to Sakai to get some kitchen knives. It was a beautiful and peaceful part of Osaka that visitors should not missed. The river was lined with Cherry Blossoms and pink Camellias. And of course, there was shopping, eating and more rummaging of old vinyl records at Shinsaibashi… Osaka was fun after all!

After 4 nights in Osaka, it was time to fly back to Seoul…

I figured out that Osaka has two faces and that really depends on what you choose to see. It was alright to go to Dotonbori, Shinsekai, Namba and Umeda. But I would really be disappointed if I didn’t get to visit Katsuo-ji Temple and most especially, Mino-o Park. For me, Mino-o Park was the highlight of the Osaka trip. It was a beautiful and easy 2 hours hike that should not be missed. Also don’t forget to try the crunchy Maple leaf “Momiji” tempura and some hot Taiyaki along the way.

Our last day in Osaka was spent at the Osaka Castle Park. There were many areas with beautiful Autumn foliage. It was also there that I found my second Cherry Blossom. The first one was at Kyoto Botanical Garden. Now, I believe that Sakura can also be found in Autumn! There was a chill in the air as the wind was constantly blowing. Leaves were falling in large quantities from the trees which made me wonder if the Autumn in Japan was coming to an end and how we have enjoyed every minute of it!

I’m thankful for the nature, great food and lovely people. Thankful for stationeries, convenience stores, safety and even clean toilets everywhere. Will I return to Japan again for the 6th time? I hope so for I conclude that again Japan didn’t fail me during this holiday. It was a wonderful holiday that was worth every minute and money spent! Please check out the Osaka reels here, here, here and here. You can find my travel journal here.

We took the Northern route back to Helsinki, being my second time to fly over the North Pole. My first time was from Seoul last year. Bye, Japan and see you again soon!