Things to do in Osaka and/or Wakayama Prefecture?

February 22, 2008 2:24 PM

Things to do in Osaka and/or Wakayama Prefecture?

I am planning to go on a trip to Kyoto at the end of April to attend a martial arts event. The event ends on Wednesday, April 30, and most of the martial arts group is either leaving on May 1 or taking another 2 weeks to vacation and explore Japan. I don't have enough vacation time to spend multiple weeks hanging around, but since I'll be out of work until May 1 anyway, I was considering taking Friday off from work and extending my stay until Saturday or Sunday.

My travel agent is recommending that I consider either hanging around Osaka for a couple of days (since I'll be flying into/out of Osaka airport) or traveling down the coast and taking a couple of days to tour the Wakayama Prefecture. Kyoto itself is not being considered because that week is "Golden Week," which means that many people in Japan will be vacationing in Kyoto and accommodations will be hard to come by at this point.

Is anyone familiar enough with Osaka or Wakayama Prefecture to recommend things to do to fill about 3 days? I don't speak any Japanese at all, and I prefer to have an planned itinerary over showing up in a place and playing things by ear. I have never visited Japan before, although it seems to me that Japan is very visitor-friendly.

posted by zompus to travel & transportation (6 comments total)

Osaka is only 30 min by train to Kyoto (Osaka station - Kyoto station). Even faster if you take the Shinkansen. So you can still stay in Osaka but visit Kyoto, which is much more interesting than Osaka.

Highlights in Osaka include Osaka castle and the kaiyukan aquarium, which is much better than it's crappy website. Still -- I recommend spending more time in Kyoto.

You might also want to consider daytrips to Kurashiki, Himeji Castle or Kobe. Personally, I don't like Nara, but for some reason that totally eludes me, many westerners just love it. I don't think there is much to see in Wakayama. Instead, I'd rather go a few miles further to Ise. I really loved the Grand Shrine of Ise, which can give you an inkling of what Japan looked like 1000 years ago.
posted by sour cream at 2:58 PM on February 22, 2008

It's cliche, but it depends what you're interested in. However, I do have a recommended Osaka itenary for you which comes from my love for Minami Osaka (Southern Osaka).

From Nankai Namba Station (Namba is one of THE area of Osaka) jump on a local (i.e. stops at every top) Hankai Line overland train and make your way to Suminoe Station (about 10－15 mins from Namba Station).

Behold, once you arrive in Suminoe you'll be in one of the most historical places in Japan. It was here where Budhism entered Japan. Where harakiri was witnessed by Westerners (French) for the first time, where Japanese envoys to the world use to depart, and home to the Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine which enshrines the three gods of the sea plus the Emperess Jingu. You'll be able to find the Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine by walking back the way you came for a few minutes. If you get lost just ask someone, "Sumiyoshi Taisha doko?" (where is Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine)

You'll be able to spend an hour at least wandering through Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine, and at least another hour wandering the streets around it.

Just across the road of the entrance to the Grand Shrine and around the streets to the north you'll find many small, quaint little restaurants (noodle shops, sushi, okonomiyaki etc). I recommend Okonomiyaki (a "pancake" made from cabage and egg, with whatever topping you like which is a specialty to this part of Osaka).

From Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine wander the streets north (towards Namba from where you came) and see some of the most upper-class houses of the most established families of Osaka.

You'll need to find the Hankai Tramway. The Hankai Tramway has two tramlines (the Hankai line and the Uemachi line) that for the most part run parrallel to each other but happen to cross paths at Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine. Get on the Hankai Line heading north (from where you came).

I always found this tram ride to be a sight for itself. Some very old, worn down neighbourhoods, and the occasional mansion. Anyway, ride this tram north for about 5-10 minutes until you get to Imafune Station.

From Imafume station work your way to the north-north-east (or up and to the left from where you get off). You're heading into Kamagasaki, the biggest slum in Japan. Don't fear though. For a "slum" it's very safe, but a complete contrast to some of the mansions that you would have seen 10 minutes earlier around Sumiyoshi Grandshrine. And although I say "slum", it's like nothing you've never seen before in your life. I promise.

If you dare, find Tobita - a red light district north of Kamagasaki set out in the traditional way, with Mama-san sitting in an open door on the street with her girl. It's interesting, but strictly no cameras allowed.

If you're not interested, then from Kamagasaki, keep walking north, semi-parrallel to the tram line you just disembarked from. If you want you can just catch the tram north again. Find Minamikasumicho Station. Once you get there you'll now be in Shin Sekai which means "New World", but a neighbourhood which has been lost in time. In Shin Sekai there's a big tower called Tsutenkaku which you'll be able to go up for about 1000 yen and see Osaka in all its glory. Around Shin Sekai there are many a restaurant, as well as Tennoji Park. Shin Sekai is facinating. The restaurants, the character you'll see, the buildings, the homeless, the old men playing Shogi (Japanese chess), the unusual restaurants (you must try "kushi katsu" - skewered pork), the gambling parlours. I could go on.

North of Shin Sekai is Den Den Town (Electronics Town). Osaka's Akihabara.

After Den Den Town you'll be back in Namba where you started.

There are so many amazing places around Minami Osaka that I couldn't begin to describe them all. But this little tour from Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine back towards Namba will give you so much.

Here are some links for more information:

The Hankai Tramway
Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine
Sumiyoshi and Suminoe neighbourhood
Japan biggest slum
Traditional Japanese style red light district
Shin Sekai (new (but actually very old) world)
posted by Jase_B at 3:41 PM on February 22, 2008 [5 favorites]

Oh, the aquarium is incredible. Trust me, if you're thinking "what, a bunch of fish?" then you're in for a pleasant surprise.

Osaka is visitor-friendly, yes. Don't worry too much about not speaking the language – Osaka's the sort of place where an English-speaker isn't too far away, and it's amazing how much you can communicate without a common language.

I seem to remember Amerika-mura being a pleasant place to be, with music shops and cafes and bars with live music – mind you, what I was looking for in Osaka might be different from you, as I was looking for respite from time spent in the sticks, rather than, say, a taste of traditional Japan. But it might be worth a relaxing evening.
posted by liquidindian at 4:09 PM on February 22, 2008

3 Days in Kansai (or, how I Spent Last Thanksgiving)

Day 1: Osaka: big city, lots of really really good food
-Dotombori: restaurants, markets, night-life. Just fun and lively, very nice to look at.
-Osaka castle is nice-looking but you should know that it's a reconstruction, and the inside has been completely redone as a museum. If you want to go to a castle, check out Day 3, and go to Himeji.
-To me, this has always been a "wander-around city." Find somewhere interesting and go from there. If you really need a schedule for your visit, Osaka may be less the city for you. Alternatively, schedule your visit around meals.

Things to eat: takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu, doteyaki. For takoyaki, look for the longest lines in Dotombori, and wait your turn.

Day 2: Kobe: the biggish city that feels like a small town
Seriously, this is my favorite city in Japan so far. LOVE. It reminds me of Zurich, or Lisbon. Things to see in Kobe:
-old Western-style houses in Kitano: Japan's take - 100 years ago - on Europe. Great view of the city from the hill. DO NOT MISS the Kitano Meister Garden, with about 30 little shops selling locally made sweets. Go hungry, because almost every shop gives out lots of samples.
-Chinatown: colorful, bright, delicious, and unlike any Chinatown outside of Japan, it's really really clean.
-walk through the Herb and Flower park. Beautiful outdoor area, great views, nice walk.
-Tour of Sake breweries. All give free samples, though I understand the tour part itself isn't as interesting. Many of them are located near Uozaki station.
-beautiful harbor area, lots of shopping. A section of pier saved from the 1995 earthquake.

If you're into food and such, there are also breweries, cheeseries, wineries, and a Pretz/Pocky factory in der Nähe.
Things to eat: Kobe beef (expense account, right?), western-style sweets. I love the little waffles from Manneken, but you can get these all over Kansai area.

Day 3: Something Completely New and Different
Get out of the cities! As mentioned above, Himeji is one of the most impressive castles left in Japan. Alternatively, consider going to some of the islands nearby. From Awaji Island, for example, you can get a boat to see the whirlpools formed where two large currents meet. This is cool. The island is also known for cycling/walking areas and, for some reason, onions. Also outside of Kobe there is an area known for hot springs called Arima. I haven't been yet, but next time.
posted by whatzit at 6:10 PM on February 22, 2008 [1 favorite]

Nara makes a good day trip from either Osaka or Kyoto.

If I were you I'd find some place to stay in Osaka, and spend one day each walking in Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara.
posted by tkolar at 9:47 PM on February 22, 2008

Good grief, I've lived in the middle of the country for the last 13 years and couldn't have come up with half the activities listed above! Hell, I'm printing this page out and catching a train west as soon as I can.

Maybe we'll cross paths while you're here!
posted by squasha at 1:16 AM on February 23, 2008