I have been receiving many inquiries from tourists about recommended sightseeing spots and restaurants in Japan, so I would like to introduce my recommended travel places.
A map of the places I’ve been and marked.
Places and foods that are especially recommended are marked with ★ and marked in yellow.
- Things to do before coming to Japan
- How to get to Osaka from the time of arrival at Kansai Airport
- [common in Japan] Recommended Japanese inexpensive and tasty franchise restaurant (near Osaka/Kyoto)
- Osaka’s recommended sightseeing spots
- Osaka Recommended Restaurants
- 【Osaka】Reasonable and good hotel recommendation
- How to get to Kyoto from Osaka
- Kyoto recommended sightseeing spots
- 【Kyoto】Recommended Restaurants
- 【Kyoto】Reasonable and good hotel recommendation
- How to get from Kyoto Station to Nara
- Recommended souvenirs from Osaka/Kyoto
- How to return from Osaka/Kyoto to Kansai International Airport
Things to do before coming to Japan
Create a WISE card (no annual or maintenance fees) to exchange foreign currency between your home country and Japan at low fees.
Use the app to open a Japanese yen account and exchange currencies at lower rates than exchange stores.
You can convert currencies back and withdraw cash from ATMs in the country you’re in.
What is the WISE card?
・A card that allows you to easily exchange currencies from different countries with the lowest fees
・A reliable card created by the president of the Skype calling app
・Easy screening because it is a debit card
・Can be used in any major country in the world (MasterCard)
・Can also withdraw money from ATMs in foreign countries in local currency
・Can be used as a simple foreign account
・No annual fee. No account maintenance fee. (Only a card issuance fee)
How to get to Osaka from the time of arrival at Kansai Airport
Namba 難波” is the central station of Osaka City.
Kansai International Airport→Namba Station 関西国際空港→難波駅
Nankai Airport Line Express to Namba 970 yen (about 1 hour) 南海空港線急行 難波行き 970円（1時間程度）
[common in Japan] Recommended Japanese inexpensive and tasty franchise restaurant (near Osaka/Kyoto)
★★★Hama Sushi (most popular 100 yen conveyor-belt sushi)
はま寿司 玉出駅前店
★★★Marugame Seimen (Udon noodle shop. The best tempura in Japan. Kakiage Tempura is recommended (about 600 yen) 丸亀製麺
なんば店
Sukiya (Gyudon restaurant. (A good beef bowl is available at a low price, about 600 yen)
すき家 道頓堀一丁目店
Shabu-ya (All-you-can-eat Sukiyaki & Shabu-shabu in Japan. (Japanese all-you-can-eat sukiyaki & shabu-shabu, about 3,000 yen)
＊SUKIYAKI=Japanese-style beef with sugar and soy sauce, SYABU SYABU=Japanese-style boiled pork with sauce
しゃぶ葉 キュープラザ心斎橋店
Yakiniku Kingu (all-you-can-eat wagyu beef, about 4,000 yen)
焼肉きんぐ 京都桂店
Osaka’s recommended sightseeing spots
shopping
Dotonbori (In front of Namba station. A place with many food stalls, mainly for eating and strolling)
Nippombashi (where you can visit manga and anime otaku stores in Osaka)
Animate Osaka Nihonbashi store
The Daiso Namba Ebisubashi store ザ・ダイソーなんば戎橋店 (A shop where all prices are unified at 110 yen. You can buy many useful products)
building
Abeno Harukas (the second largest building in Japan, 300 meters high, with a panoramic view of Osaka City)
Osaka Castle (castle with ties to Korea and China)
amusement park
Universal Studios Japan (for those who like Hollywood, Marvel and Japanese games)
Osaka Recommended Restaurants
Takoyaki Doraku Wanaka (Namba and many other stores) わなか
Takoyaki Ohako Dotonbori たこ焼十八番道頓堀店
Okonomiyaki Ajinoie (Namba) (You have to line up from 10:30 before the restaurant opens, otherwise it will be crowded.)
【Osaka】Reasonable and good hotel recommendation
[Normal hotel]
Shinsaibashi Arty Inn 心斎橋アルティ・イン
Super Hotel Premier Osaka Honmachi Ekimae スーパーホテルPremier大阪本町駅前
SAKURA GARDEN HOTEL
The Royal Park Canvas Osaka Kitahama
Hotel Ribmax Umeda WEST ホテルリブマックス梅田WEST
[Cheap hotel]
Weekly Syou
Hotel Mikado
Capsule Hotel
First Cabin Midosuji Namba (Available for men and women. Capsule hotel with women-only floor) ファーストキャビン御堂筋難波（男女利用可能。女性専用フロアもあるカプセルホテル）
How to get to Kyoto from Osaka
From Namba Station, head for Osaka Station.
(1) Namba Station→5 min. walk→Namba Station→5 min. walk from Nishi-Umeda→JR Osaka Station
①難波駅→徒歩5分→なんば駅→西梅田から徒歩5分→JR大阪駅
(*Namba Station -> Note that it is a hiragana station)
(*JR Osaka Station -> Note that this is not Shin-Osaka Station)
Namba Station” near Namba なんば Station (Subway OsakaMetro Yotsubashi Line) to Nishi-Umeda, 240 yen
難波駅近くの「なんば駅」（地下鉄OsakaMetro四つ橋線）西梅田行き 240円
②JR大阪駅からJR京都駅へは電車で30分、580円程度で行けます。
(2) From JR Osaka Station to JR Kyoto Station takes 30 minutes by train and costs about 580 yen.
JR Kyoto Line Shinkansen bound for Omi Shiotsu
JR京都線新快速 近江塩津行き
Kyoto recommended sightseeing spots
・kiyomizu-dera kiyomizu-Temple 清水寺 (*But it is likely to be very crowded)
・kinkaku-ji kinkaku-Temple 金閣寺(*But it is likely to be very crowded)
Tenryuji Temple (there are many food stalls around Arashiyama)
Myoshinji Temple (Japanese Zen temple. Zazendo and Tatezoin are beautiful.)
★★★Fushimi Inari Taisha
(Headquarters of Japan’s fox shrines. You can also spend 3 hours climbing to the top of the mountain to visit the shrine)
【Kyoto】Recommended Restaurants
★★★Sushi Zammai Kyoto Kawaramachi Branch
(Popular sushi with its main restaurant in Tokyo. Kyoto flavor. Highly recommended: “Tokusen Sushi Zammai” and “Maguro Zammai” (3,000 yen).
★★Kyo Shunsai Arumi Hotel Million Kyoto Lunch Course（Reservations are assured.）
(You can have a full course of Kyoto cuisine for lunch only for about 1500-2700 yen, there is no cheaper place than here. Good value.)
【Kyoto】Reasonable and good hotel recommendation
★★★Hotel Hokke Club Kyoto
Conveniently located in front of Kyoto Station. Very clean and reasonably arranged hotel.
Kyoto Tower Hotel Annex（Conveniently located in front of Kyoto Station. Very clean and well-stocked hotel.）
How to get from Kyoto Station to Nara
You can also go to Nara (Kintetsu Nara Station).
The fare is about 1130 yen.
Nara has many old temples and world heritage sites.
・Toudai-ji 東大寺（A temple from about 1250 years ago and a huge Buddha）
・Nara Park 奈良公園（A park with lots of deer）
・法隆隆寺 houryu-ji（A temple built in 607 AD. The world’s oldest wooden building.）
Recommended souvenirs from Osaka/Kyoto
・Gion matcha 祇園抹茶
・AKAFUKU Mochi 赤福(Shelf life is about 3 days. Can be bought at terminals 1 and 2 of Kansai Airport.)
・Ito Kyuemon] Matcha Langdosha Leaf Goromo(Can be bought at terminals 1 and 2 of Kansai Airport.
How to return from Osaka/Kyoto to Kansai International Airport
Kyoto Station→Osaka Station(about 30 min.)
京都→大阪（約30分）
JR Kyoto Line Shinkansen bound for Himeji
JR京都線新快速 姫路行き
Osaka→Kansai International Airport (about 1 hour)
大阪→関西国際空港（約1時間ほど）
JR Kansai Airport Rapid bound for Kansai Airport
JR関空快速 関西空港行き
