If you have read my previous post on Kyoto (Read it here), you will know that I recently went on a trip to Japan with my whole family. It was super fun and I personally wouldn’t have it any other way. For many people, Kyoto and Osaka is usually enjoyed as a combined trip for many reasons. One being that they both have so much, yet different offerings in culture, tradition and lifestyle. Another reason is that both cities are very close to each other and very easy to get to. Keep reading to see my full Osaka travel diary.

 We travelled from Kyoto to Osaka by train and it was an easy and short one hour ride with the public transport. Even with all the suitcases we were carrying from Kyoto (a total of 8 suitcases), it was still very easy to navigate and most signs in the train station were in English as well. I would recommend checking the best route on google maps for the best transit trains to take at the cheapest price as well!If you’ve never been to Osaka, here’s a little background to the city: This cosmopolitan city is the second largest after Tokyo and located roughly in the centre of Japan. This commercial city is full of bustling shops, restaurants, street food and nightlife. We spent a total of 3 days in Osaka and this was more than sufficient to spend shopping and eating around Osaka.We stayed in an Airbnb located in Nipponbashi area so it was very central and only walking distance to many of the sites we wanted to visit. The first place we visited was the Kuromon market, this local market was filled with delicious street food, fresh produce and seafood. My favourite was the huge peaches, fatty salmon sushi and wagyu beef they sold for a fraction of the price if you got it in Hong Kong! Speaking of fish, the Osaka Aquarium has been something recommended on many guide books. I was personally very excited about this one because of the hype it got through social media and press coverage as well. However, it was packed with tourists when we got there was hardly any room to move when we entered. The main hype was around the Whale Shark, but the main fish tank was tiny consider how big these gentle giants where. To say the least, I was a bit disappointed to see that the tank wasn’t as big or nicely decorated as I have imagined. And I would recommend seeing the whale sharks in their natural habitat where they are free to swim around.

Although there are the main shopping districts such as Shinsaibashi and Den Den Town, I was on the lookout for something less commercial and a little off the beaten path. My sister and I were googling this one night and we were so glad to read up about Orange Street! This place was my personal favourite, as it was a 15 minute walk away from the bustling streets of Shinsaibashi and surprising quiet with a charm of it’s own. Along Orange Street, you will find various beautifully curated designer stores that can suit anyone’s needs. I’ve listed a couple of my favourites below:Biotop | A concept store with a café on one side and a beautifully curated shop selling designer beauty, fashion and homeware products. The whole store is decorated with plenty of plantation yet adding to the minimal and elegance interior.MW | A trendy surf shop filled with all things beachy and surf culture related, from throw pillows to mugs, and of course surfboards. You don’t have to be a surfer to find something to bring home with you!Reconter | This store is packed with intricate home décor to add to your livingroom or bedroom. I loved how everything was set up to compliment each display table, and let’s just say it was very hard not to buy everything on display… I hope you liked this little diary of my trip, when was the last time you had a memorable trip?

Photography by yours truly.