SpaWorld - Onsen From Around The World

Shi-Tennoji Temple

by mikegr

Shi-Tennoji Temple, a short walk from Tennoji is a large and impressive temple complex. Most of the time its really quiet and a great place to escape from it all. On the morning of the 21st of every month a flea market is held there and the character of the temple changes completely - the place is packed and its easy to pick up some excellent bargains, like kimonos complete with original lining etc. The temple is illuminated at night, another good time to visit if you happen to be passing.

Getting to and from Kansai airport

by SueWarwick

The easiest way of getting to and from the airport is by train.
All trains leave from the station a short walk from arrivals which is clearly signed in English.

There are a few options.
JR run the Haruka limited express to Tennoji (1,760 Yen about 30 minutes), Shin Osaka (2500 Yen, 45 min) and arriving at Kyoto (3000 Yen) about an hour and a quater later.
Trains run every half hour

The JR Rapid service also stops at Tennoji (slightly cheaper than the Haruka train) then on to Osaka station on the Osaka loop line.

You can use your JR pass on either of these lines (see other tip in general Japan section for JR Pass info)

Nankai is another rail company and they also offer two options of getting to and from the airport.
The rapi:t train runs to Namba in Osaka for about 1,500 Yen
The Rapid Service runs the same route but stops at more stations. It takes longer to reach Namba but costs less than 900 Yen

If you don't want to take the train, Airport Limosine bues leave from the 1st floor outside arrivals to various locations in Kansai. Some hotels even run their own bus service.
The cost is slightly higer than the train.

Unless you have someone elses credit card, dont even consider taking the taxi. A trip to Osaka will be at least 15,000 Yen (about £75)

Surprisingly Serene

by miketrudeau

The man at the hotel desk, before we had even checked in, had given us a brochure and told us to check out Osaka Castle, which is very near to where we stayed. It was like being given a mission, or homework. Anyways, we strolled up there in the early afternoon and, although there were plenty of Japanese and foreign tourists, I have to admit it was a pretty calm and relaxing place. The grounds are huge, and surrounded by (I think) two deep, steep moats. There are plenty of great views of the city and the citadel in the centre is beautiful and ornate. There were plenty of shady places to sit and take in the views, too, which made for a pleasant break from the city bustle. The size of the grounds presents pedestrians the only drawback, which is aching feet and slow going. It can take quite a while to walk your way all around the grounds.

Dave's Dotonbori Hangout Marathon Challenge

by nickinosaka

My friend Dave once suggested this as a neat thing to do: hang out on or immediately around the Dotonbori bridge for 24 straight hours, watching people and hanging out. You will catch a real cross-section of the people of Osaka, and will probably meet some really bizarre characters. I've seen a lot of interesting things there, and I'd love to hear from you if you do attempt this. I've been meaning to myself, but somehow never had a full 24 hours to dedicate to it.

Osaka in January

by santeria01

"My entry point to Japan!"

I took as much info of Osaka as possible from one of our staff where I work -- he is a native of Osaka anyways. He described the place as crowded, pretty much like Tokyo, where people are busy doing their own thing. He was worried for me because the temperatures in Osaka is too weirdly cold. And I admit I was a bit anxious coz I caught cough during my first night. So better be ready with your medications when traveling.

It's still a pleasant experience overall. I enjoyed the cool temperature (much tolerable than Hokkaido's) and I get to see a lot of stuff in USJ

"Hello Kitty country!"

My sister asked me to bring home hello kitty stuff, so I brought her a kitty pillow, a kitty wristwatch, and a picture of me with Hello Kitty! :-)