This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links. I promise I will only recommend products that I have personally used! Thank you for supporting our blog so we can continue creating free content each week! Learn more on our Privacy Policy page.
On our last full day in Osaka, we still wanted to maintain a lighter itinerary and a little less walking, so we planned another slower day. We left Fraser Residence Nankai Osaka and walked just a few minutes on foot to Namba Shrine.
A Historical Gem in Osaka
Nestled in the heart of Osaka, Namba Shrine is a tranquil oasis amidst the bustling urban landscape. This hidden gem offers visitors a unique blend of historical richness, cultural significance, and serene beauty.
Don’t want to miss a single blog post from us? Sign up for our email list and be notified every time we make a new post!
A Brief History of Namba Yasaka Shrine
Namba Yasaka Shrine boasts a history that stretches back over a millennium. It was initially established in the early 5th century, during the reign of Emperor Nintoku, making it one of the oldest shrines in Osaka. The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Nintoku and is believed to have been built to honor his spirit and contributions to the country.
The Shrine has undergone several reconstructions throughout the centuries, particularly during the Edo period when it was relocated and rebuilt. Despite these changes, the shrine has retained its historical significance and is a place of worship and cultural heritage. The present structure was rebuilt after the destruction caused by World War II, symbolizing resilience and renewal.
Fortunes decoded
Like many temples and shrines, for a small coin donation – you could choose your fortune. If it’s a good fortune, you keep it; if it’s a bad fortune, you tie it to the trees near the shrine and leave it behind. But what do you do when you don’t read Japanese? You use Google Lens and still struggle to understand it, haha!
Namba Shrine is more than just a historical site; it is a sanctuary of peace and spirituality amid Osaka’s dynamic urban life. We enjoyed checking it out early in the morning before significant crowds came.
Next, we hopped on a train to see one of Osaka’s most famous landmarks – Osaka Castle. After putting in over 25,000 steps the day before climbing to the top of Himeji Castle, we decided to admire this beautiful castle from the ground.
A Glimpse into Osaka Castle’s Rich History
Visiting Osaka Castle is like stepping back into the tumultuous period of Japan’s unification under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Initially constructed in 1583, Osaka Castle is a testament to Hideyoshi’s power and ambition. The castle played a pivotal role during the Siege of Osaka, which marked the end of the Warring States period and led to the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate.
Despite being destroyed and rebuilt multiple times due to war and natural disasters, the current structure, reconstructed in 1931, remains a symbol of resilience and historical significance. The central tower, adorned with golden Shachihoko (mythical tiger-headed fish) and intricate carvings, showcases the grandeur of Japanese feudal architecture. The castle houses a museum that offers a deep dive into its storied past, featuring artifacts, dioramas, and multimedia displays that bring history to life.
Since we were taking it easy, we admired this beauty from the rooftop bar next door!
The Landmark Roof Top Bar
After immersing yourself in the history and beauty of Osaka Castle, a visit to the nearby Landmark Rooftop Bar is a perfect way to unwind and enjoy the city’s panoramic views. Located just a short walk from the castle at the Landmark Square Hotel, this chic bar offers an unparalleled vantage point from which to appreciate Osaka’s skyline and the castle’s majestic presence from a new perspective.
As you sip on expertly crafted cocktails or savor a selection of fine wines and spirits, the rooftop bar’s ambiance provides a modern yet complementary contrast to the historical journey. Whether visiting during the day to catch a glimpse of the vibrant cityscape or in the evening when the castle is illuminated, the experience is nothing short of magical. And the drinks and music were top notch!
Osaka Castle Grounds
We walked the Castle grounds, where they had a small street market set up with snacks and drinks – one of our favorite Japanese snacks is the 10 yen coin, a pancake-like bread filled with melted mozzarella cheese. It’s both sweet and savory and hits the spot every time.
Plus, we got a little obsessed looking for different utility hole covers – so detailed and often represented the area you were in.
As we walked through Osaka Castle Park, we saw these signs with Cats and Dogs. We were pleasantly surprised once we translated it to see their stance on abandoning pets, which was great because, sadly, Japan does not have a good reputation for respecting animals – but that’s a different blog post.
Our recommendation, though, is DO NOT go to Japan and do ANY of the animal cafes or animal interactions – notice we chose NOT to go to Nara for this reason. Hopefully, their society will continue to grow in that area, but it’s our least favorite thing about Japan.
Returning to the train station, we decided to Google an area called Amerika-Mura and see how far away it was. Luckily, it wasn’t far and close to Dotonbori and our hotel, so we decided to check it out.
“There are so many more people in Tokyo than in New York, but it’s pristine. It’s so organized, and yet the address system is in complete chaos.” ―Nick Wooster
Transportation in Japan
I wanted to take a moment and share a little more detail about using the train systems in Japan. To get around, we used our pocket Wi-Fi to stay connected to high-speed internet at all times, and we used Google Maps and Google Translate every step of the way.
For this example, we were at Osaka Castle but wanted to travel to Amerika-Mura. We chose a landmark in that area that we were interested in finding, plugged that into Google Maps, and selected a route. The photos below show each step we took to get to the correct train.
How to use Google Maps in Japan
We had a 19-minute walk to the Morinomiya Station, looking for Exit 1. Once we found the station, we made sure to enter via 1. Once we were at the correct station, we started looking for the next step: finding the train line we needed – the Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line, which was also marked by the letter N and color lime green.
When traveling around in the stations, we always looked for various details to stay on the right track. We followed the color, number, name, and train letter because any of those items could be used on various signage. Not all that information would always be present, which could get very confusing. The other thing we always looked for was the station we were headed towards because sometimes that would be on the signage and not any of the other information listed. To make matters worse, almost every station was completely different regarding what markers they used, so we just kept looking for all those pieces of the puzzle.
As you can see from the photos, we followed the lime green N until we found the Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line for the Taisho platform. We also checked the direction that the train was traveling and ensured that in five stops, we would be able to exit at Shinsaibashi Station. We followed the signs for Exit 7, which led us right into the heart of our destination. Once we got the hang of watching for all of those little details, the train system worked like magic!
Exploring Amerika-Mura
Amerika–mura is an area just west of the Shinsaibashi shopping district that has been a well-known center of Japanese youth culture for over 40 years. Within this small area, over 2,000 stores sell local and imported fashions, and there are cafes, restaurants, bars, and clubs, many with Western influences.
The name Amerika-mura (literally “America Town”) or just Ame-mura for short, and its fame as a gathering spot for young people had spread beyond the Kansai region. By far, our favorite store was called Florida, and it literally had a NASCAR shirt hanging in the window next to everything Beachy you could think of – we cracked up! This area also led us to find our new favorite energy drink in Japan – thanks Coca Cola and your billions of vending machines lol!
The streets are filled with very trendy street art. The vibe is definitely for the young and young at heart. There were many second-hand stores and tattoo shops, which we hadn’t seen anywhere else on our trip. We loved this lively and gritty little area, which led us to stumble across one of my husband’s all-time favorite things—Pinball Machines.
Silver Ball Planet
The Silver Ball Planet has an array of 100+ new and vintage pinball machines, ranging from the 1970s to the present day, on the 3rd floor of America-Mura’s Iconic Shinsaibashi BIGSTEP. There is no entry fee and only 100 yen or less (65 cents) per game. It’s safe to say we spent some time here and used up many of the yen coins we had accumulated.
This place was so much fun. We were awestruck by how many obscure and rare pinball machines they had. They all looked pristine and were really fun to play. We highly recommend that any gamer at heart stop in for some childlike fun.
Cinnamon Roll Cafe
On this trip, we became obsessed with Cinnamon Roll, a Sanrio character (One of Hello Kitty’s friends), and we loved spotting him all over the country. Cinnamoroll is a cute little puppy with fluffy ears and a tail resembling a cinnamon roll! Though shy, he can spread happiness wherever he goes and make friends with everyone he meets.
There are many themed cafes all over Japan, and the Sanrio Characters are obviously huge there, so we couldn’t just walk past and not check it out. We stopped at the Cinnamon Roll Cafe takeaway window for a quick boost of caffeine and sweets. Hands down this was the best coffee Mark had on the trip until we got to Disney! Adorable!
We decided to walk through the famous Dotonbori area again during the day when it wasn’t raining. It was still just as busy, but this time, we spent more time looking around at the billboards, buildings, and shops as we walked back to the hotel.
It was about a 15-minute walk through Namba Station to Namba Parks, where we exited the station and ended up directly across from our hotel. On the corner of the station and our hotel was a food stand, Kyabetsu-yaki Namba, that had piqued our interest a few days earlier, but it was always raining.
Okonomiyaki
Kyabetsu-yaki Namba serves Okonomiyaki – Okonomiyaki is a Japanese teppanyaki, a savory pancake dish consisting of wheat flour batter and other ingredients cooked on a teppan. Common additions include cabbage, meat, and seafood, and toppings include okonomiyaki sauce, aonori, katsuobushi, Japanese mayonnaise, and pickled ginger.
In Japan, you don’t walk and eat simultaneously, so standing in the rain was obviously not something we wanted to do. However, we finally got to go for it and grabbed a couple before taking a few hours to relax in the room. It was so good!
Tenkaippin Ramen
After some downtime in the room, we headed out for dinner. We both decided our last meal in Osaka should be Ramen, and because there were so many incredible choices, we picked one solely because it was just across the street. After all, this was officially the halfway point of our trip, and we were saving some energy and time on our feet.
Tenkaippin Ramen is a self-order restaurant with seats that separate you from others, so it is definitely for introverts like us. Aside from not requiring any social interactions, it also serves an immense amount of food. We both ordered Ramen—Mark got a side of fried rice, and I got white rice and Gyoza—and it was fantastic, cheap, and so filling. It was the perfect way to end our last night in “The Kitchen of Japan” in Osaka.
We are officially halfway through sharing our trip, and believe it or not, our favorite part of the trip is up next, so stick with us!
Did you miss any of our Japan posts?
Join our Monthly email list and help us grow! We promise you will only receive beautiful photos, updates, and probably a cute cat photo or two in your inbox!
About Us
Are you new to our blog? Find out more About Us and How you can support our blog for FREE!
Those train stations would have me drowning in anxiety. It’s good to know that with a short amount of time you can learn the “system”.
It truly was a situation where we had to just slow down and figure it out, and at first it was a lot of anxiety but we gave ourselves grace and quickly got the hang of it!
So many great memories💞