Osaka Travel Review: 5 Days 4 Nights

This city is so charming, you'll want to stay forever 🧸💖 Osaka... a city filled with the aroma of takoyaki, the smiles of its people, and laughter from Universal Studios. Just hearing the name makes your heart flutter, doesn't it? And once you visit, you'll fall in love even more, so much that you won't want to leave. This review will take you through all the warmth and charm Osaka left in my heart. ☁️🍵 ⸻ 🍡 Day 1 – Arriving in Osaka~ The charm begins the moment you touch down! After landing at Kansai Airport, we bought an ICOCA card and hopped on the Haruka Express to the city in a relaxed manner. The scenery along the way was delightful—small Japanese buildings, wooden houses with black roofs, and patches of red leaves that made my heart race without realizing it. 🍁 We stayed in the Namba area tonight because it's close to food spots, attractions, and super convenient for getting around. In the evening, after dropping off our bags, we headed straight to Dotonbori! The lights from the shop signs reflected softly on the canal, and as we walked, we heard cheerful voices, the sizzling sound of takoyaki being cooked, and the aroma wafting through the air. Unable to resist, we ordered some hot takoyaki and enjoyed it on the Ebisu-bashi Bridge while snapping a photo with the iconic Glico sign! 📸 After eating, we strolled to Shinsaibashi, a shopping street that feels like a collection of all things kawaii! Trendy clothing stores, cute cafes, and Don Quijote packed with toys—just the first day and my heart was already racing nonstop. 🩷 ⸻ 🐙 Day 2 – A day of eating, shopping, and irresistibly cute cafes! We started the morning with a meal of rice topped with fish roe and eel at Kuromon Ichiba Market. The freshness was incredible, and eating it felt like restoring my life energy in a video game. ✨ Next, we did some light shopping at Shinsaibashi-suji, which has many adorable stores, especially stationery shops and Japanese cosmetic stores with sweet and simple displays that make you go, "Oh, I can't stop buying!" 🛍️ In the afternoon, we visited a super cute cafe called Brooklyn Roasting Company near Namba Park. The cafe is Brooklyn-themed, with bar seating overlooking a rooftop garden. The coffee was aromatic, the cake delicious, and the Japanese patrons working there looked effortlessly cool. ☕ In the evening, we returned to Dotonbori for another round of food—authentic okonomiyaki cooked on a hot griddle. The fragrant sauce and dancing bonito flakes were pure bliss. Before I knew it, I was smiling all the way back to the hotel. 🌛 ⸻ 🎡 Day 3 – USJ, a day of fun and excitement! The highlight of Osaka is undoubtedly Universal Studios Japan! 🎢 We booked Express Passes in advance, so we didn't have to wait in long lines and got to enjoy everything. We started with the Harry Potter zone, which was as grand as the movies! The Hogwarts castle was stunning, and walking through Hogsmeade felt like being a young wizard. The chilled butterbeer and the woody scent in the wand shop were pure happiness. 🪄 Then, we headed to the most anticipated zone... Super Nintendo World!! 🍄🍌✨ The vibrant colors were beyond description! The music and Mario's "Yahoo!" echoed everywhere, making it feel like stepping into a game. The Mario Kart ride was incredibly fun, with AR glasses letting us shoot shells in the race! 🎮 In the afternoon, we thrilled ourselves with The Flying Dinosaur, which was intense but so enjoyable that we couldn't stop screaming! 😂 We ended the day with the Minion and Spiderman zones, filled with smiles. Before leaving, we bought souvenirs from the Harry Potter & Minion Shop—adorable plushies that I wanted to hug all the way back to Thailand. 🧸 ⸻ 🐱 Day 4 – A relaxing day with a castle stroll and a cozy cat cafe Today, I decided to take it easy. We started at Osaka Castle, a white and gold castle surrounded by a large park. The atmosphere was serene, walking under red leaves with cooing pigeons—it was so peaceful. 🍂✨ We took photos of the castle from afar and enjoyed a matcha soft serve in front of it, feeling like a princess in a Japanese movie. 🍦 Next, we visited Nakazakicho, an area filled with chic cafes and handmade craft shops. We chose a cat cafe called Neko no Jikan, where the cats were fluffy, bright-eyed, and came to sit on your lap on their own. They were so kind and affectionate, it felt like therapy after a tiring trip. 🐾💕 Before heading back to the hotel, we stopped by LOFT and Tokyu Hands in Umeda, which had a slightly different vibe from Shinsaibashi but was equally charming. I picked up cat-themed keychains, bags, and lots of cute knick-knacks. 🎁 ⸻ 🌤️ Day 5 – A farewell day I didn't want to say goodbye to... I woke up feeling a bit sad because today was the day to fly back. But the time wasn't over yet! We visited Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai, Japan's longest local market, where we found a delicious pork cutlet rice bowl shop and a cute ceramics store. I bought a small bowl to gift my mom. 🍚 Before heading to the airport, we stopped by a small riverside cafe, ordered a hot latte, and watched Japanese people pass by. I told myself, "I'll definitely come back to Osaka." ⸻ 💖 Final thoughts: Osaka is tangible warmth Osaka isn't just a tourist city; it's a place that's charming both visually and emotionally. The kind people, cozy cafes, and delicious food make every meal a smile-inducing experience. Osaka taught me to slow down, laugh more, and live life the way I love. If anyone asks, "Which city in Japan should I visit?" I'll answer, "Osaka, it's the cutest!" 🧸🍁✨ ⸻ またね、大阪！ See you again, Osaka~ Love you 💌 ⸻