With a population just shy of 3 million, Osaka is the third largest city in Japan (behind Yokohama and Tokyo, respectively). I had an opportunity to visit Osaka in mid-December, and I was dazzled by the Christmas-themed lights and decorations. I’ve written previously about food and transportation in Osaka. Prior to that post, I wrote about the Ritz Carlton Osaka and their Strawberry Buffet. This time I was fortunate to capture some video footage of Christmas in Osaka. Enjoy!
While there’s so much to do in Osaka, here are a few of the things you might not want to miss:
Take a stroll through Namba, Dotonburi, and Shinsaibashi.
Go to the top of the Umeda Sky Building.
Go to Tsutenkaku Tower. The tower itself is not spectacular, but I hope you’ll agree that its underbelly is stunning.
Eat Okonomiyaki (it’s in the video). And try Kushikatsu (pictured below).
If the cost of travel to Osaka is what’s keeping you from going, know this: my hotel was $55/night (the APA Osaka-Higobashi-Ekimae). (It may be easier for Americans to book it via Hotels.com). And food in Osaka is, in my experience, less than it costs to buy food in California. You can get egg-salad/pork-tonkatsu sandwiches at Family Mart (an omnipresent convenience store) that’ll blow your mind! (And they cost about $2.) Or you can get a bowl of udon, ramen, or soba for $5-7. If you want sushi, trust me: you’ll pay about 1/2 to 1/3 of what you pay in the USA.
And finally, if you get hung up on the flight, perhaps because of the price, or perhaps because of how taxing it can be to fly 12 hours in small, cramped, sub-optimal seats, consider flying Business Class or First Class on ANA. Each seat turns into a bed. If you play your cards right, you can fly on points. That’s what I did.
Pictured below is the ANA representative who met me when I deplaned from my LAX-HND (Tokyo Haneda Airport) flight.
This is the awaiting Lexus that whisked me away to the Domestic Terminal.
And the made-to-order wagyu that was served in the ANA First Class Lounge at Tokyo Haneda Airport was . . . delicious.
Traveling to Japan is a dream come true, a dream I try to realize 7-8 times per year. And while not all of my flights are free, I’m happy to help if you have any questions about how to fly for free. Just contact me, or post your question in the comments below.
Traveling Wherever 
Great information, thanks to the links! We are going Japan and will visit Osaka this June!
Love these photos. Any information you can provide will help. 🙂 Thank you!!
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Hi Amy! Thanks for your comment! June will be significantly warmer than December, but it should be wonderful. (I’ll actually be in Tokyo in June!) Where do you plan to stay in Osaka? And do you know about Suica Cards?
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Jason
Great videos and still shots as well! All images were really sharp and well done … great composition!
The young girl singing at Osaka station was really cool!
Uncle Ben
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Thanks Uncle Ben! Both singers at Osaka Station were amazing. I especially like the one who didn’t have a crowd around her, as she was still rockin’ out and giving it her all.
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Osaka looks so modern. I don’t remember those fancy buildings way back in 2004. I liked your pictures and video.
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Thanks Mom! Indeed, it can resemble a concrete jungle, but Osaka does a great job of injecting quite a lot of personality into the mix. They are building even more in anticipation of hosting the World Expo in 2025.
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They serve wagyu in the First Class Lounge?! I’m missing out! Osaka is such a nice city. I’ve only been there once, but would love to go again. Namba looks like so much fun at night.
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Haha. LaShawn, you’ve probably been to the ANA Business Class Lounge before, which is amazing. They have made-to-order udon, ramen, and curry. However, this was my first time to the ANA First Class Lounge (or “Suites Lounge,” as they call it), and it did not disappoint. Indeed, they have a restaurant with proper tables, tablecloths, and servers. Their menu offers a plethora of opportunity. But when I saw the wagyu, well, yeah, I had to go for it. And it was so gooooood! 🙂 And you’re right about Namba. It is fun at night. It’s charming. But it’s also busy. And, this may sound weird, but it seems like there are so many more tourists in Namba than there are tourists in Shibuya or Shinjuku. It may just be because there are so many more Japanese in Tokyo that they water down the number of tourists. But the next time I go to Osaka, I’d like to spend more time discovering nightlife outside of Namba.
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I’ve never seen a busker in Japan before! Interesting video you’ve got there. Ahhhh the food the food the food in Japan… 🙂 7- 8x a year? Wow! I wouldn’t mind too! Oh if only it can be reached by train, I really just hate flying.
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Thanks for your comment! I too am not a fan of flying, if it means flying in Economy. But have you flown in lie-flat seats? They are a game-changer.
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Nope yet business on long haul. My husband once tried to bribe me with that but I told him I’d limit flying to 2x a year if I can hahah, that’s why I can never be a proper travel blogger 😦
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Ahh. I understand. I’m that way with long drives. It could be in a Prius or a Limo. Either way, I’m miserable. But long flights while watching movies and being served food and drinks in bed? That’s my happy place.
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Hey that’s really good for you. I wish I feel that way with flights hehe. I love road trips though. The pacific coast highway in California and all the roads in south New Zealand are my favourites hahaha
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I will concede in that regard. Driving on PCH (or riding a bike on PCH) is scenic. And I enjoyed driving through the South Island of NZ, but because of all the sheep or pollen in the air, I was sneezing a lot!!
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Nice post.
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Thank you!!
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