First trip to Osaka

Osaka (大阪) is the third largest city in Japan, the central metropolis of the Kansai region.

Osaka city is administratively divided into 24 wards (区), but in common usage the following divisions are more useful:

1. Kita (キタ, "north") — the newer center of the city, including the Kita ward (北区). Umeda (梅田) is the main terminal. Department stores, theatres and boutiques are clustered around JR Osaka Station and Umeda Station, which serves several city and private railways.

2. Minami (ミナミ, "south") — the traditional commercial and cultural centre, composed of the Chuo (中央区) and Naniwa (浪速区) wards. Namba (なんば, 難波) is the main railway station, and the surrounding area has the department store and showy shopping. Shinsaibashi (心斎橋) and Horie (堀江) is the fashion area. Dōtonbori (道頓堀) is the best place to go for a bite to eat.

3. Semba (船場) — straddles the line between Kita and Minami, and contains the business districts of Yodoyabashi (淀屋橋), Kitahama (北浜), Doujima (堂島) and Hommachi (本町).

4. Tennōji (天王寺) or Abeno ( 阿倍野) — generally means the area around JR Tennōji Station and Abeno Station of subway and Kintetsu lines. Tennōji Park and Zoo are in the area.

When you enter the restaurant, they will give you a credit card. After that you will found that there are a lot of hawker stalls inside the restaurant. It can be said as a restaurant complex as you can find souvenir shop, games shop, exhibition ship and others beside food in that place. There are total 5 floor in that building so you can slowly talk your time walk around there. When you want to leave, you need to pass through a counter. This is the place where they check how much you spend using the credit card and then only you pay them the amount.

Kani Doraku is one of the most famous crab restaurants in Osaka. The is a six and a half meter crab at the front of the restaurant is which its arms and eyestalks are mechanized to move. The foods inside is very delicious but this come with a good price too.

This is the sky tower in Osaka. You can see the whole city wiew from the top of the tower. It is beautiful especially during the night time when you can see the lighting in the city. Here is a dessert vending machine in Osaka, you rarely see it in other places

Me, Andy & Tsubasa at the Ramen Shop

We are now in Umeda Shopping Mall

I am checking the Osaka Travel Book

You cab find a lot of new fashion and clothing around the area in Osaka.

All the latest Japanese fashion is available here.

We are now in a Karaoke in Osaka. In Japan, their Karaoke usually have "Nomihodai" that means the drink buffet. So you can refill whatever the drink you like as long as you are still singing there.

We sing for around two hours and it cost us around 5oo yen per person.

This price is consider cheap already in Japan.

Here you can see how busy is the street in Osaka

Street in Osaka is always full with lighting and people

There are also plenty of night club in Osaka area. Usually it is open till early morning and then you can take the earliest train which is 5am to go back.

End of the day, we are now leaving. We are going to take a 30 minutes train

to back to Hirakatashi Eki.