Activities & Landmarks

Osaka Castle & Osaka Castle Park

You couldn’t tell by looking at it, but the Osaka Castle was the scene of various conflicts and was burned down and rebuilt several times. Its latest rebuild occurred in 1931.

Today, the castle is adorned with beautiful gold and green trimmings and surrounded by a sprawling park. In fact, when we visited we saw many joggers and early birds getting their steps in on the outskirts of the park.

Near Osaka Castle’s entrance, you’ll find a variety of food vendors selling meat skewers, yakisoba, strawberry tanghulu, and so much more. Beyond the food, we spotted anime figurines from popular series like Demon Slayer, a mini horse activity for kids, and plenty of souvenirs.

Mugiwarasutoa

This was by far the most confusing place to get to in the Umeda area. Once you leave the Umeda station, you walk a little further and you’re already in the mall. Look for the elevators to get to Mugiwarasutoa on the 13th floor.

This floor is a haven for fans of One Piece, Nintendo, and Pokémon, offering officially licensed merchandise at every store. Don’t miss the stamp stations—each shop has one. We found the One Piece stamp near the cashier line exit.

Round 1

We stumbled upon this 24-hour amusement building during a detour to Don Quiote. Round 1 has 13 floors of entertainment, including games, claw machines, dartboards, pool tables, karaoke rooms, and even a bowling alley.

As natural explorers, we explored each floor thoroughly impressed with the themed karaoke rooms and fun games we had never seen before. My husband even got first place in a boxing game! If you don’t have coins handy, don’t worry there are coin converter machines on each floor.

Hep Five Ferris Wheel

Unfortunately, when we got there it was closed for maintenance. But we made the trip worth it by exploring the mall. Our favorites were the Jump Shop, the Marvel store, and a bunch of tax free stores. Visit their shop directory for more information.

Umeda Sky Building

After lunch at Onigiri Gomichan, we debated whether to walk or take public transit to the Umeda Sky Building. Since both options took the same amount of time, we decided to walk and enjoy the sights.

Before reaching the skywalk and observatory, an elevator whisks visitors up, often packed like sardines. Tickets can be purchased in advance or on-site at kiosks or the reservation desk.

At the top, the observatory features breathtaking views of Umeda, a restaurant, souvenir shops, and cafes. There’s also an area dedicated to the building’s architecture and history, complete with a short documentary. At night, the skywalk lights up with backlit pathways and ground artwork. Don’t miss the love lock wall, where couples can leave a lock with their names.

Dotonbori

This felt like the Vegas of Japan with its lively streets, food and lights. Dotonbori is packed with vendors, digital billboards and crowds of people. Near the bridge, we saw the iconic Glico Man sign and, of course, snapped a photo with it.

After a long day, this place felt overstimulating and was our last stop for the day.