35 Things to Do in Osaka Japan! 🇯🇵 Cheap Hotel, Kyoto, Nara, and How to Avoid the Crowds

#osaka #kyoto #japan
Hello everyone! It was time for us to make another trip abroad, and we managed to find a really good deal on flights and hotel to Osaka, Japan, so we decided to go there for 7 days to have a good time and to see our friends Chieko-san and Mieko-san that we met while travelling to Sapporo in January, 2023. In this video, we go over what we did and share some tips to avoid crowds while traveling to Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara.
🌐 Chieko-san’s Osaka Tour Through the Alleyways Near Osaka Castle:
www.viator.com/tours/Osaka/On...
🏨 Our Hotel: Sunplaza Rinkai
maps.app.goo.gl/AQdxW8X6HQGRV...
📍🦌 NARA LOCATIONS:
#2: Nara Park
maps.app.goo.gl/YNWPijsLdJJEo...
#3: Tōdai-ji Temple
maps.app.goo.gl/ZgW3w3sjPJGq3...
#4: Nara Omotenashi (Japanese Home Cooking)
maps.app.goo.gl/rvE4rWifE9YEb...
📍🏙️ OSAKA LOCATIONS:
#5: Dotonbori
maps.app.goo.gl/en4ZNzUdEKk2p...
#6: Shinsaibashi Shopping Street
maps.app.goo.gl/hRNsu7mdgXCyX...
#7: Takoyaki Wanaka Namba
maps.app.goo.gl/MEDrTWmSoiEHG...
#8: Umeda Underground Shopping Mall
maps.app.goo.gl/xUdW82kh2GZYX...
#9: Walking Through Random Neighbourhoods (Literally Everywhere)
#10: Tour Through the Alleyways with Chieko-san
www.viator.com/tours/Osaka/On...
#11: Osaka Castle
maps.app.goo.gl/DQUBF1gtWmnrY...
#12: Green Tea Taste Testing
maps.app.goo.gl/v2NvLHNz5Nrg5...
#13: Okonomiyaki Fusaya
maps.app.goo.gl/7ZQD3h5VdrowW...
#21: Edomae Kaitenzushi Kishu Yaichi (Sushi)
maps.app.goo.gl/z4cSEuNwQnGHp...
#22: Yodobashi Camera Umeda
maps.app.goo.gl/D6E8rnxtuMcq9...
#23: Uniqlo Links Umeda
maps.app.goo.gl/Y24vEbxh2mnLY...
#24: Wendy’s First Kitchen Umeda
maps.app.goo.gl/n4iw71jLt2jwy...
#25: Nipponbashi Denden Town
maps.app.goo.gl/qc8W9fuYUY4bd...
#26: Super Potato
maps.app.goo.gl/RKqckYXrGLAJp...
#27: Ramen Kikuhan
maps.app.goo.gl/hzoqZBJvU3X69...
#28: Deli Cafe Kitchen
maps.app.goo.gl/aowpFY5NmsMnc...
#29: Umeda Sky Building
maps.app.goo.gl/w3CYgCbHPmV6o...
#30: Yoshinoya Shibatacho Branch
maps.app.goo.gl/q53kRwiRuGptG...
#31: Umeda Outdoor/Indoor Alleyways
maps.app.goo.gl/raxLQLR4e4TyC...
#32: Komachi (Yakitori/Karaage Place)
maps.app.goo.gl/bN2xFN9yHBgx3...
#33: Rikuro’s Namba Main Branch
maps.app.goo.gl/1wPXbXGgu5fYG...
#34: Hozenji Yokocho
maps.app.goo.gl/jwsYTfuNAPZnU...
#35: Ichiran Ramen Dotonbori
maps.app.goo.gl/Dbd3MVbSL15P4...
#36: Kamukura Sennichimae (Light Ramen)
maps.app.goo.gl/WB1T44VF4yfFS...
📍🏯 KYOTO LOCATIONS
#14: Fushimi Inari Taisha
maps.app.goo.gl/8PEekZYwhk7Sr...
#15: Kiyomizu-dera
maps.app.goo.gl/TRyfwSuDo7LQP...
#16: Kinkaku-ji
maps.app.goo.gl/Ezpiq842i1Z2B...
#17: Kurama-dera Temple
maps.app.goo.gl/tATXCL6Jvj9Qj...
#18: Kifune Shrine
maps.app.goo.gl/iqgpU2LtNZHEv...
#19: Aburaya Shokudo
maps.app.goo.gl/xCe2uwYsBCzBA...
#20: Otani Cemetery
maps.app.goo.gl/ScLzJiN2Jcyfh...
Chapters:
00:00 Intro - Overtourism in Japan
00:44 Day 1 - Traveling from Seoul/Incheon to Osaka
04:09 Day 2 - Nara Day Trip
08:08 Day 3 - Alleyway Tour with Chieko-san and Mieko-san
11:15 Day 4 - Kyoto Day Trip
17:04 Day 5 - Shopping in Umeda/Denden Town
21:02 Day 6 - Umeda Sky Building and Alleyways
23:53 Day 7 - Back to Namba/Dotonbori Before Going Home
25:42 Outro - How Much We Spent
Osaka in the 1930s Video (OsakaDotCom KZbin Channel):
• Japan street scenes - ...
Patreon/Donations:
𝐏 Patreon: patreon.com/user?u=83742549
🅿️ Paypal: paypal.me/lostthenfound
🛒 Our Video Equipment:
www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/...

[@Mudskipper9876]

Chieko-san's site looks like a great walking tour. You showed us the upside to beating a crowd while addressing the negative of said crowd. Respect of the culture and environment when traveling is a must.

[@-oskco6117]

I’m waiting for you. Thank you. From Chieko.

[@lostthenfound]

@Mudskipper9876 Chieko-san is an amazing tour guide and really recommend her tour for other travelers! She has a really adventurous and caring spirit and really has a lot of knowledge that's interesting to hear!

[@lostthenfound]

@-oskco6117 thanks so much for showing us around Chieko-san! We had an amazing time, and hope that some new people will sign up for the tour soon! 🙏

[@melgordon2490]

What backpack is yours?

[@lostthenfound]

@melgordon2490 It's a portable travel backpack I got in Emart in Korea for quite cheap.

[@keninchicago]

A really nice video of your vist to Osaka. Thanks for sharing

[@lostthenfound]

@keninchicago thanks so much for watching! Much appreciated!

[@lordfesnor7300]

In 2018 I made the obvious Tokyo / Kyoto / Osaka trip. For some reason, I fell in in love with Osaka. Since then I’ve been back twice, and in January I’ll be back in Osaka for the 4th time. The reason I love that city so much are not Osaka castle, dotonbori of shinsekai, but its the neighbourhoods where all the tourist are gone and you can really get a slice of daily Japanese city life. It’s so refreshing to finally see someone who thinks the same! All the KZbinrs are doing the same stuff in Osaka but there is so much more! Cheers!

[@lostthenfound]

@lordfesnor7300 wow going back for your 4th time that's pretty amazing! Totally agree with you about the peaceful neighbourhoods all over the city, and the people of Osaka are a lot more open to talking to strangers than Tokyo which can also be a really good benefit!

[@hannesRSA]

I went to only Osaka in 2014.. did 1 day to Kyoto and didn't like it much. Guess I'll see whether it's really a must to see Tokyo when I go back to see both cities.

[@donnahollman4259]

Thank you for another great and informative video guys!!👍Loved the deer of Nara!! So sweet to see respectful humans and precious wildlife sharing space so close together!!💗

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much Mom! ❤️ Nara is a beautiful place to visit as we did a while back! So nice to see everyone getting along together too!

[@howardlee7189]

Great show. Not your average visitor stay in Osaka. Well done! Regards

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much Howard! Really appreciate the kind words, and hope you have a wonderful week!

[@misscaroline542]

Thank you for sharing your lovely trip with us! This is how I like to travel as well. 😊 I like getting up early in the morning and seeing the major tourist attractions before the crowds arrive. I also like to like to wander around and randomly explore neighborhoods and parks. The most memorable experiences always happens when I get off the beaten path. Take care and have a wonderful week! ⛩️🏯🎌🍣🍢

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much for watching and for all the kind words @misscaroline542! Exploring around randomly just seeing how things are done in another country is definitely an amazing way to learn about the world! Hope you have an amazing week, and thanks for all of your support! 😊

[@vereyafrequency]

Thanks for the fresh video chief! going back to Japan the third time this October myself! excited like the first time!! learned a lot from your video. Im a city guy through and through so a majority of my trip this time is in Tokyo. Packing really light this time, Just me a backpack and my camera bag, then plan to donate all my hard earned money to Japan economy. haha. Thanks again and take care!!

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much for watching @vereyafrequency! Hope you have an amazing trip to Tokyo! It'll be a blast!

[@paulettenguyen971]

Great information thank you!

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much @paulettenguyen971 hope it was helpful!

[@cmvyv]

Amazing vlog! Thank you for sharing especially Chieko-san's walking tour.

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much for watching and the kind words @cmvyv! If you get the chance, definitely give Chieko-san's walking tour a try! She's really an interesting character, and so knowledgeable about Osaka and Japan!

[@thish6201]

Thank you so much for this video. I will be going to Osaka next month and have been researching things to do there. This video is super helpful and will definitely check out some of your recommendations.

[@lostthenfound]

@thish6201 thanks so much for watching, and glad we could share some places to see and eat! Hope you have an amazing trip to Osaka!

[@jonathansakura]

Oh wow I lived in Korea both Seoul and jeju I took the ferry once from fukuoka to busan 😊 I went to Japan so much from korea as a tourist my wife and I are finally moving to tokyo in a few months

[@lostthenfound]

@jonathansakura you've lived in some great places, and you must be super excited to move to Tokyo! All the best with your move!

[@tleevee62]

Very thorough info, and great tips...great vid!!

[@lostthenfound]

@@tleevee62 thank you for the kind words and for watching!

[@New-o7s]

One of the very few osaka travel vlogs i watched til the end. Amazing vid! May i ask when you visited osaka?

[@lostthenfound]

@New-o7s made my day with this comment, thanks a lot for the kind words! We visited from June 11-17 last month (2024).

[@daleflows]

This might be the best to do in Japan vid I've seen

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much for watching @daleflows! Much appreciated!

[@philippkoch7775]

thank you for this really cool vlog. gonna fly to osaka in september. so glad I stumbled upon your video. those are great ideas, I haven't even seen so far in other related videos. keep it up! :)

[@lostthenfound]

@@philippkoch7775 thanks so much for the nice words and for watching our video! September will be perfect weather for a trip to Osaka. Hope you have an amazing trip there!

[@vadderkraft8563]

Hey - really nice Video. We will travel from Germany to Japan in August and hope to be able to use some of your tips and experience. Thanks for your effort! 😊

[@lostthenfound]

@@vadderkraft8563 thank you so much for watching and for the nice words! Hope you guys have an amazing trip to Japan! It's an amazing place to visit!

[@catnapMitsu]

Yujin is badass to go hiking in vans. my feet could never lol

[@lostthenfound]

Hahah have you tried the Comfycush ones? They aren't as good as running shoes, but definitely way better than regular Vans. Way less options though

[@1ZZFE]

Wow you took such great effort in composing such detailed videos on this Osaka trip. Im saving this one for my 1st visit. Btw this is my 1st video of yours. Thank you.😊

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much @1ZZFE! Hope you have an amazing trip to Osaka!

[@deaddrunkgamer7399]

One thing i couldnt agree more with is taking the bus from and to the airport, its so much more relaxing, and really give a different viewing experience, also for those who doesnt sleep on the plane on the way, its way easier to get some rest there compared to the trains/subs. Regarding monay = 7/11 atms is your friend, the 110/220 yen fee is flat, so taking out more money is cheaper as you dont need to take out so often. Also one of things i love to do is walking instead of using the subs, seen so many cool stuff between stations, sure, sometimes the distance are to long but jumping of even 1 station before your destination opens up a new world.

[@lostthenfound]

@deaddrunkgamer7399 the bus is the way to go for sure! Also very good tip about the 7/11 ATM!

[@BasicStealthcamping]

thanks for the video! we are hoping to come to Japan as a family either late next year or early the year after so I will definitely rewatch this before then! Thanks as always

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much @BasicStealthcamping! That's a great idea to visit Japan too! I don't know if you've been there before, but it's definitely our favourite spot to travel with the amazing food and places to check out!

[@BasicStealthcamping]

@@lostthenfound cheers! it will be my first time there, I was going to add a few days to Osaka/Kyoto on my Korea trip but just decided it wasnt enough time and would compromise Korea time too so decided against, good to do with the family anyway. Thanks!

[@mindset.of.stoics]

Osaka is definitely one of the most vibrant cities on earth. Amazing list btw👍

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much @mindset.of.stoics! Osaka is certainly an amazing city!

[@ONCEbittenTWICEshyshyshy]

That ramen! 🤤🤤😋

[@lostthenfound]

It was amazing @ONCEbittenTWICEshyshyshy! A lot of the customers in there said it was the best ramen they've ever had. For me my #1 is still Sapporo Ramen Haruka in Sapporo (maps.app.goo.gl/HXqgEJ6DLiHqGer58) but this place was amazing too!

[@Jopsksprdvakf]

Have you been to Nakanoshima Rose Garden? I love to stay near Tenmabashi because walking along that river is really beautiful. Yodoyabashi - Tenmabashi - Kyobashi areas are the best for me. I'm bored with Namba, Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi, Umeda but that's just me 🤣

[@lostthenfound]

@Jopsksprdvakf I've been around that area but haven't been to the rose garden. Will have to check it out next time! Also very good recommendations on places to stay! Will keep them in mind for next time!

[@vounovapor]

great video full of tips!!!. I only have one question... Wich month/week was this travel on?

[@lostthenfound]

@vounovapor thanks so much! This was June 11-17, 2024.

[@Blackriver48]

Which train ticket did you buy to go to all these places ? Iam planning a 7Day Japan Trip myself including Osaka, Kyoto and Tokio. Thank you so much for this informative video

[@lostthenfound]

@Blackriver48 thanks so much! We just used the regular Icoca Card to get around which you can buy or top up at any of the stations. I think there are some rail passes that might be cheaper too, but we preferred the flexibility of just using the regular card.

[@jhchooo]

Last two trips to Asia from the US, I relied on my roaming and had no issues. I was able to get voice, text and data, data being a bit slow, but it was all functional. I don't understand why there is such a market for SIM cards.

[@lostthenfound]

Ah that's interesting @jhchooo! My phone plan in Korea ($26 USD per month) is pretty expensive if I turn on roaming, but maybe a lot of plans from North America have it included? That would be nice for sure!

[@eliasorbon450]

If you come to Bangkok again, I hope you can make detailed videos on here. Bangkok is visited by a very large number of people from all over the world and you could potentially pay for your entire trip will a well-made video.

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much Elias! We will definitely have to return to Bangkok again now that we have dialed things in a bit (last time we were there we had no idea what we were doing haha). So excited to explore more of Thailand in the future!

[@youtubeuser5768]

진짜 개재밌다! 더많이 나오길

[@lostthenfound]

@youtubeuser5768 시청해주셔서 감사합니다! 행복하시고 건강을 챙기세요! ^^

[@Inchonseoul]

👌

[@lostthenfound]

@Inchonseoul 🫰

[@osakameetup]

#36. Join one of my meetup events. It’s a rare opportunity to meet and talk to locals in English.

[@lostthenfound]

@osakameetup sounds like a good time! 👍

[@wrv6927]

Hi, your video has been such a destiny gift. I am going to Osaka on july, it will be my first and maybe the only time, I live in Ecuador and the ticket was a gift. Would you please help me giving me an idea of at what time did you left yo Kyoto and had time to do so many things, the same about Nara. At what time did you begin your days? How difficult was to walk on the heat? Thank you so much,

[@lostthenfound]

@wrv6927 really glad to hear that! If you want to see lots of things in Kyoto then you should leave really early in the morning, as the main attractions are all pretty spread out. For Nara, you can see the things close to Nara Park in half a day, so you don't have to leave as early. Also for us it was quite hot to be honest, but it's not as bad if you keep stopping into cafes/restaurants to rest and cool off during the day. Hope you have an amazing trip there!

[@Geeraffe]

Very informative as usual but I need to see more Natcha Croiffle content please 🙏

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much @Geeraffe! Hahah there will definitely be more matcha croffles eaten in the future! 😁

[@Geeraffe]

@@lostthenfound or Matcha Bingsu / entire video on bingsu would be welcome 🙏

[@user-ey2ei5yv3f]

First

[@lostthenfound]

@user-ey2ei5yv3f beat me to it! 🤣

[@user-ey2ei5yv3f]

​@@lostthenfoundRooms are really 25 usd ? Osaka, I checked.

[@user-ey2ei5yv3f]

Did you fly out of Gimpo to Osaka?

[@lostthenfound]

@user-ey2ei5yv3f yeah we booked ours on Agoda for that price. There was a big discount, so it might be on certain days. I think we got pretty lucky to be honest!

[@lostthenfound]

@user-ey2ei5yv3f We flew out of Incheon Airport. Some flights fly out of Gimpo too I think though which is way more convenient.

[@alexm7582]

"things to do in osaka" go to korea

[@lostthenfound]

@alexm7582 hahah a lot of the people who watch our videos are interested in Korea so I thought it'd be good to point out that it's cheap/easy to fly between the two countries.

[@txbrn512]

A hotel for $25 a night??? Stayed in NY years ago and paid 90,000 yen a night, now price is probably higher

[@lostthenfound]

@@txbrn512 we were blown away by the deal we found too! It was definitely an older budget motel though. Japan is reasonable to travel to right now with the weak yen too.