Korean Job Discussion Forums

[zhanknight]

I've got to fly out to renew my tourist visa in late October. I was thinking Osaka cause I can get some relatively cheap flights and have never been there, or to Japan at all.

Ever been to Osaka? What's good there for a day or two long trip? Somewhere better to go in Japan during October?

[nukeday]

do a search on osaka in this forum, quite a few threads. in short, osaka's awesome and it's a 40 minute train ride to kyoto, a 30 minute train ride to kobe, and about an hour to nara.

if for some reason you don't like osaka, those cities will provide relief within an easy day trip (and in fact you should spend some time in kyoto anyway).

i know it's a short trip, but trust me, you'll want to stay longer.

good luck making your flight

[zhanknight]

Awesome, glad for the glowing review. I'll do a search!

[captain kirk]

I did an overnight in Osaka, drop off papers downtown K-consulate, return downtown the next day. The travel agent package arranged lodging was in a neighbourhood filled with apparently unemployed men. Still, it wasn't far from a main station and had a trad Jap bath with a room with a long bar and guys in their pajamas playing boardgames. The beer on tap was Ashashi, it was pretty fantastic. On the subway I ended up using the afternoon heading out to the aquarium. Incredible, some tanks are four feet thick (of acrylic), have to be, they hold so much water. There's some astounding statistic re; how much of the world acrylic production went into the Osaka aquarium. Central was the sunfish tank.
The sunfish is shaped like a coin on end eight feet in diameter. And there's a tank with a kind of king crab which stands waist high, alien looking things. And tons more. I've seen Busan and Vancouver aquarium and Osaka's was four times better, really. Just outstanding. Next to it is a huge double ferris wheel that runs at night and, way up, has an incredible view of the docks, sea, cityscape. And a shopping mall with lots of cool little shops. After that I got to the Osaka castle (1600) by the subway and that by 9pm, then back to the neighbourhood. Next day, downtown near K consulate, walking the plexiglass-roofed streetmalls I found a used goods shop that had a marble replica of a classical greek or roman statue of a nymph 15" high undoubtably made in Italy IMO. I lugged that around after seeing other high class rich Osakan cast-off junque. Bizarre things like carvings of wood of bears (ancient symbolism northern Japan bear cult) rearing on their hind legs like men.

[Gamecock]

A second thumbs-up for the aquarium. Definitely worth a visit!

[bluethree]

Osaka's great. Probably not as touristy as other major Japanese cities but you'll still find a lot to do. You'll probably want to stay more than a few days if you can help it, especially with a lot of other good cities nearby.

[ippy]

osaka is my number one favourite city in japan. Its no contest. I used to live in hamamastu so was much closer to tokyo, but went to osaka every chance i got. Theres nothing like just chilling in amimura with your mates doing a spot of window shopping then heading over to shinsaibashi for a spot of osaka stuffs before hitting a club then calling it a night. Theres no better city on earth Honestly, i've never had a boring night in osaka.

[ThingsComeAround]

Osaka was def. my highlight when I went to Japan- used the rail pass from Fukuoka to Tokyo, Hiroshima is way too depressing and Tokyo is over-the-top. Osaka had everything anyone could crave- history, party scene, food. And I crave all three

Edit: see Dotombori!

[JBomb]

Osaka Okonomyaki!

[shostahoosier]

I wasnt very impressed with Osaka but I seem to be in the minority.

The nightlife was ok and I LOVED the food. I think I was bummed out though because most of the places I went through in Osaka were filthy.

I ended up using a day I planned to spend in Osaka to go back to Kyoto because I just wasnt feeling the place.

[zhanknight]