Hello all,
I live in the RoK and must go to Japan to get a visa... again. This time I am making a holiday out of it. I went to Osaka last time, but only for three days, two nights. It was a quick trip. Next month I will go, with the boyfriend, and stay 5 nights.
I must get the visa in Osaka, and I dont mind at all. I loved it last time I was there. So I have a wed and thursday night in Osaka and Friday I will get my visa and I thought of going to Kyoto for the weekend. Then I will come back to Osaka Sunday night and leave to Korea Monday morning. This is flexiable, granted I have time to get my visa. :-)
I need tourist-y ideas. I dont generally do the tourist thing, but damn it! I want a holiday lol. So, help!
Are there any CANT MISS locations in Osaka? Is Osaka Castle any good? What about Kyoto? I will be staying in Osaka in the Namba/shinsaibashi area. And suggestions?
Thanks a million-
k
I don't know if there is anything that can be considered "can't miss" in Osaka, but if you're really keen on the city, there are some interesting places to visit. Osaka Castle is a concrete reconstruction complete with elevators, but it's attractive, and worth seeing if you don't have the time to visit any original castles, such as the one in Himeji (Osaka-jo is supposedly the most visited tourist site in all Japan). The Dotombori area is very interesting to walk about at night, although when I was there a few weeks ago, the canal area was undergoing some extensive construction work. The aquarium is one of the best in Japan, but get there early if you want to beat the crowds. And while it isn't "Japanese", there's always Universal Studios.
There's really too much to see in Kyoto. A weekend there would only scratch the surface, but if you want some specific suggestions, you could walk from Kiyomizu-dera temple to Maruyama-koen Park along some atmospheric old streets. Another good route is the Path of Philosophy (Tetsugaku-no-michi), starting at Ginkakuji-Temple and ending at Eikan-do Temple. Kinkaku-ji, Ninna-ji and Ryoan-ji are also popular with tourists. And if you'd like to catch a glimpse of a geisha, your best bet would probably be to stroll around the Ponto-cho area in the evening.
As #2 said, the aquarium is great, but heaps of kids are now taking school trips (and ALL will be out of school as of next week!) so if you want to avoid crowds at main tourist spots, hit them on a weekday and GO EARLY! Osaka is great for general hanging out and eating, and the nightlife is fun, too!
I would stay a few days in Kyoto to absorb the culture. There's a lot to see and do there!
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