This a very short trip to Osaka, Japan. We took the midnight flight (Wednesday 1am flight), reach local time 8:25am same day, and return on Friday morning flight 11am, reach KL 4:45pm. Overall, a tiring trip as i didn’t get a good sleep on plane to Osaka Kansai. Very short trip indeed, we only in Osaka on Wednesday and Thursday, whereas Friday is straight to airport to catch the plane

Google map i created on all places we visited or plan to to visit but not managed to:

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=201341234096199556521.0004f5312ee9439a1e4af&msa=0&dg=feature

Osaka Subway Map

Japanese yen prevailing during our trip: 100 yen for RM3.22

First we pick up WIFI gadget for 4G USB internet gadget, the dongle is good, but the battery could last only few hours. We are also able to get Osaka map in the airport although the person manning the counter refuse to give us one each, but only 1 map to be share for 2 person 🙁

Yokoso Japan which we bought in Japan travel agency in Amoda building (across from TimeSquare), not that much cheaper, but to save our limited time in Japan, converted to RM60 for one way express Nankai train from osaka kansai airport to Namba (where our hotel is) and a one day unlimited subway pass

Be sure to buy the returning Nankai express from city center to airport as it is not included in Yokoso

Our JR Nankai express Limited train, i think took around 40 minutes from airport to Nanba/Namba

Nankai Airport Express departs the airport station every 30 minutes, there are 2 types of Nankai airport express, one is without any stop which is about 1050 yen, the other type is with a few stops for about 900 yen

The seat are numbered so make sure to sit at the right place, else a pretty attendance will instruct you to do so

Walk just 5-10minutes from JR Namba station to our Hotel Hillarys (next to Den-Den town, nothing much there), the check in lobby in on 2nd floor of the hotel
Address: 3-4-10 Nipponbashi, OsakaNaniwa-ku, Osaka Prefecture 556-0005, Japan

Website: Hotel Hillarys

Our hotel room cost about RM250 for a twin sharing room per night

Free hot drink and soft drink available next to lobby in the hotel

soft drinks etc

hot drink, hot chocolate is not bad

our bathroom

dressing table

7-eleven situated below the hotel

so many types of food

more food

our first stop: lunch in Ippudo Ramen, it is very near to JR Namba station

Address: 3-1-17 Nanbanaka, OsakaNaniwa-ku, Osaka Prefecture 556-0011, Japan
Opening hour: 11am – 3am (after midnight)

There is a great lunch deal, pay just 100 yen or 150 yen more to enjoy dumpling + rice or chahan (fried rice) Their fried rice is superb with garlicy taste and substantial portion, must try

Their specialty ramen, add egg for only 80 yen (RM2.60)

toppings, can add additional noodle for only 120 yen (around RM4)

side dishes

free toppings available on each table

sauces

our shiromoru (tonkatsu pork bone soup base) with addition of eggs

look at that, so yummy

gyoza is so so, but it does come with rice. So we can easily order 1 ramen, add Y100 for gyoza and white rice, i find it so much cheaper to eat Ippudo in Japan than Malaysia considering their great lunch deal

Only 1970 yen (around RM64) for 4 of us to feel stuffed

next stop, we travel from Namba subway station to Umeda, there are like 5 Umedas (Hankyu Umeda,  Subway Umeda, Subway Higashi Umeda, Hanshin Umeda, Subway Nishi-Umeda) Although all of them of closed by and connected, but it is best to find out which subway station to go as it is easy to get lost underground, and some of the station are on ground level, whereas the subway ones are underground

From Subway Namba (it is different from JR Namba station), go to Platform 2 and take Midosuji Line Senrichuo to Subway Umeda station.

Morihan green tea latter in Hankyu Umeda supermarket middle B1F

only 200yen for super yummy cold green tea match latte

some good looking strawberry in the supermarket, quite expensive though

desserts in the supermarket

One great thing about Japan supermarket prepared food area(sushi, sashimi rice, fresh fish, bento etc), i think they closed at 8pm generally (the one i went to in JR Namba, near Takashimaya closed at 8pm), and they start offering 10 or 20% discount on 7pm, and around 40% discount on 7:30pm, and the deal is best on 7:45pm, where we could get sashimi rice originally 2000 yen at only 600 yen etc

Pablo cheese tart, a famous tart shop, looks very cloying though

In Umeda, if necessary, exit to ground level to find Hankyu Umeda so that won’t lost in subway, we managed to find Hankyu Umeda through interconnected underground walkway.

In Hankyu Umeda (station code: HK01, this station managed by another company thus we have to pay 260 yen) taking a 30 minutes train ride using Hankyu Takarazuka line to Ikeda station (station code: HK49 where The Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum is located)

Once reach Ikeda, after exiting the subway card-scan “barrier”, exit right, go down the stairs then take another right, around 10 minutes walk to the ramen museum.

The Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum

Hour: 9:30am-4pm

Address: 8-25, Masumicho, Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture 563-0041, Japan

Website: Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum

view outside the museum

opening hour

cool wall

pay around 300 yen to personalize your own instant noodle, we skip this

adding topping

Or you opt for a quick way to get some ramen, go to the “Tasting Room” and buy instant noodle from vending machine

more vending machine

cheese curry noodle etc

school children making ramen

Side note, we actually wanted to try Endo sushi(Open hours: 11AM-10PM) in Keihan city mall, but end up going to Keihan Shopping Mall. The 2 malls are nearby but not walking distance, at the end we skip it and go directly back to Umeda station, then walk to Umeda Sky Building to see the floating garden observatory instead

Address: 北区大淀中1−1−88, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 531-0076, Japan

Website: Osaka Floating Garden, Umeda Sky Building

Business hour: 10am to 10pm

admission, adult 700 yen, we got 10% off by showing subway 1 day pass

elevator to the top, ticket are sold at the top

open air area, very breezy, cold !

looking down to the elevator and street

another look

take train from Umeda subway station to Namba subway station (where our hotel is located), 2 crab legs for 700 yen, expensive and not worth it

Address: 1-6-18 Dotonbori (shop with big crab moving billboard)

Website: Douraku

Famous okonomiyaki restaurant: Mizuno

Address: 1-4-15 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka
Business hour: 11:00-22:00 (less busy time is between 3-5pm, no need wait)

Their top 5 Okonomiyaki

Set available

More set available

We ordered yam flour okonomiyaki with roast pork and scallops(Yamaimo-Yaki ￥1,620), around RM55

the pork is super yummy, almost melt in the mouth with that amount of fat

yam flour mixture

looking good

teriyaki sauce, and a small smothering of english mustard (good kick)

and mayo, done, soooooo gooood

Another pancake we ordered: topped with grilled onions, cheese and shrimp; Standard Mix(Maze-yaki, Miduno-yaki ￥1,405)

our 2nd pancake done

yakisoba, fried noodle (970 yen), not bad, fully of bacon and vege

3995 yen (around RM130) for a satisfying and yummy meal for 4, what a steal.

Website: Mizuno Osaka

Famous Macau Lord Stow Portuguese egg tart have a branch in Osaka

Address: 1-10-5 Dotonbori Chuo (only outlet in Japan)

Business hour: 10am-12 midnight

many different type of tart: original egg tart, apple tart etc

veeerrry delicious, best egg tart i tried

2nd day: Kuromon market, a 15 minutes walk from our hotel. Best to reach about 8:30am till 9am, not too early else some stalls are not yet open

Address:  2-4-1 Nipponbashi, OsakaChuo Ward, Osaka Prefecture 542-0073, Japan

We bought this, 450 yen for sweet and juicy strawberry yum~~~~

Reasonably price dried scallop snack can be bought in Kuromon market

one of the stall selling kobe beef

2000 yen for each tray, they will pan fry it for you

menu (2000 yen kobe beef cubes, 600 yen waygu sashimi, 1200 yen wagyu soft steak, 600 yen wagyu rump steak, 2500 yen wagyu sirloin steak etc)

8 pieces of kobe beef(2000 yen) shared among 4 of us, yum

grilled oyster, 3 for 500 yen

cheap sea urchin, can skip this, it get unappetisingly fishy towards the end as too much to be shared among 2 of us who eat it

grilled unagi, grilled salmon etc, the unagi looks good but not cheap though (2600 yen to 3300 yen; RM84-RM106) should have tried it though as it looks to be grilled from fresh and not those supermarket type which are doused in too much teriyaki sauce

We tried the grilled scallop, 3 pieces for 600 yen, delicious!

this stall selling soy product

we had the fresh soy milk, refreshing and not sweet

shop selling tuna

we tried the otoro (1st grade tuna) 2 pieces for 600 yen

Taste ok, i won’t crave for it though, maybe 1 piece is not enough for us to fully taste it 😛

cutting up tuna

closed up

one of the grocery-supermarket, cheapest strawberry seen in whole trip, 298 yen (RM9.60) not as big as the one we bought earlier.

best shop for otoro(fatty tuna): Shop name:Uomaru

Address: No. 17 No. 7 〒 542-0073, Chuo-ku, Osaka Nihonbashi 1-chome)

Hour: 6:00 to 17:00

This tray of tuna from the above store (i think it is chutoro, 2nd grade tuna, first grade is called otoro) only 780 yen (RM25) for super satisying cold sashimi pieces, very delicious

Lunch: Jiyuken

Address: 3-1-34 Nanba, OsakaChuo Ward, Osaka Prefecture 542-0076, Japan

Website: Jiyuken

Hour: 11:20 to 21:20 (go early at 11am till 11:20am to avoid lunch lunch crowd lineup)

Their famour curry rice with raw egg, pour some their special soy sauce and mix the whole thing up, not bad, can try

Their fried chicken/pork cutlet are not bad as well

Famous Glico sign in Dotonbori

View from the other side of the road, taken from Glico sign side

Gu, sister company of Uniqlo (a cheaper brand in comparison with Uniqlo)

Business hour: 11:00～21:00
Address: 2-1-17 Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka

One of the famous Takoyaki store: Koka Flow in Americamura

Address: 2-18-4 Nishishinsaibashi, OsakaChuo Ward, Osaka Prefecture 542-0086, Japan

Website: 甲賀流 Koka Flow

Business hour: 11am-10pm

“Negi-pon” takoyaki. The takoyaki has green onion on the top and put a ponzu sauce

Piping hot and very hot (unlike Malaysian which are of harder texture)

Not bad, can try

Kit Kat store in Shinsaibashi Street turn out to be just a normal snack store, we though they would sell all different flavours of kit kat

Their subway got Aged Bacon and Green Asparagus sandwich and Smoke Salmon and Avocado sandwich! I want…

Unplanned snack: Hop Chou a la creme, it is piping hot of of  oven they are selling

only 100 yen

Wish i know their secret, how they managed to put so much pastry cream inside a crunchy baguette like bread, so so good, i had 2 of these, not overly sweet and very delicious

Daimaru department store in Shinsaibashi to check out Burberry blue label which only available in Japan

元祿壽, famous kaiten belt sushi chan

Address: 1-6-9 Dōtonbori, Chūō-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu, Japan

Business hour: 11:00 till 10:30pm

Only 135 yen (RM4.4) each plate

all 135 yen each!

Taste ok, just going through the motion of wanting to try kaiten belt in Japan :P, their green tea are unique whereby you put some green tea powder into own cup and a tap in front out come hot water

roe from some fish, taste fishy, not good

mark this shop above, nearby dotonbori (somewhere walking distance between our hotel and dotonbori)…

because they sell the cheapest green tea kit kat i see in whole trip, only 228 yen (Tax included) for a pack of 12pcs of mini green tea kit kat

and mark this shop above, somewhere between our hotel and dotonbori as well

because they sell the cheapest 9 pcs packet green tea kit kat, only 198 yen (tax included)

Kit kat sold in Don Quijoute in Dotonbori(famous 24 hours shop which sells almost anything under the sun in a 6th level huge store)

More flavours of kit kat in Don-Quijote (also known as Donki locally)

flying back

my kit kat loot

All kit kat bought 🙂

Overall, we spent just under RM2000 each for this short trip, mission accomplished!

Breakdown of spending:

680 (air tix) + 110 (food on board, insurance etc) + 250 (twin sharing 2 nights) + 60 (yokoso train ticket) + 50 (WIFI usb dongle, 3 days sharing between 4 pax) = 1990

Some other restaurant we didn’t managed to try

1) Domus Dotonbori (the kimchi and spicy pork) established in 1980
Chuo-ku, Osaka Dotonbori 1-5-9 Hisayuki building B1F
542-0071大阪府大阪市中央区道頓堀1-5-9 久幸ビルB1F
it’s located in the basement down a set of stairs off the street
Business hour: 11: 30 – 10: 30pm

2)Muteppou ramen, near Subway: Daikokucho, 1 subway stop from our hotel-Namba station (main branch in Osaka, having branch as far as Australia)
Address: 1-5-21 Ebisuhonmachi, OsakaNaniwa-ku,
Hour: 11:00-15:00 & 18:00-23:00