Korean Job Discussion Forums

[roadwork]

Going to Osaka in December to get my student visa. Looks like I'll be there for 1-2 nights. Can anyone recommend any decent hostels/hotels to stay in, around $35-$40? I thought about the capsule hotel, but I'd like to be cheap and sit in my room and watch TV while chain smoking and drinking beer.
I would prefer something that would be somewhere in the middle between the Korean Consulate and the airport and close to the train.
Cheers
roadwork

[reactionary]

i suggest looking around the shinsekai/dobutsuenmae (may have spelled that last one wrong) areas - basically the area around "spa world" and the closed down amusement park. the japanese consider it a "slum" (it isn't) and it's probably a 30-40 minute walk to the korean embassy. cheap places to stay and not capsule hotels.

i wouldn't know about any places closer to the airport. i doubt they would be cheap anyway. just stay in the city. you can easily get to the airport from namba station.

i love osaka.

[roadwork]

Thanks for the tip. Can you recommend any good eats whilst I'm there? I usually have to eat once at a McD's when I go to another country just to see what they have. Mos Burger rules for spicy chili cheese burgers, with extra jalapenos.

[reactionary]

plenty of restaurants at dotonbori (the river boardwalk).

kinryu ramen is good (there are 3 shops in the area, the facade is all red and there are a bunch of dragon pictures). you can try blowfish there at a place called zubroaya - there's an inflatable blowfish out front. there's also a decent all you can eat thai restaurant and even an all you can eat shakey's pizza.

wendy's is there if you miss it (and if you can find it, it's near namba but it's hard to find)

if you follow my tip and stay near shinsekai, the specialty is a dish called kushi-katsu - various meats and veggies battered and deep fried. there are at least two dozen restaurants serving that in the area.

oh yeah and for street food, tako yaki (fried octopus) is everywhere. not my cup of tea but it is osaka's signature dish along with okonomiyake.

[conbon78]

Just got back from Osaka - stayed at the Lemon Tree - stay away...it was horrid. However, my friend really recommends Hotel Chuo; she said great location, good price, and includes breakfast. You can find it online.

If you have time - head to Kyoto - it was way better than Osaka. We stayed there for most of our trip and were really glad we did. We stayed at the Bakpak Kyoto Hostel - awesome.

[summer33ny]

There's a free guesthouse in Kyoto. We heard about it from Couchsurfing. But they don't allow smoking. In Osaka we also spent a night at Villa Fontaine but it was $100 a nite, and while nice, it was just a box. I recommend Capsule though.. heard good things about it from a friend that stayed there.

[Xuanzang]

Toyoko Inns are a decently priced business hotel. Often nicely located as well.