The 10 Best Activities to do in Osaka Japan!

Osaka is what we would describe as a city that has the perfect mix of authentic and modern Japanese culture. From our 8 days spent in this charming city we have listed our top 10 must do activities for you to add to your Osaka Itinerary!

#1 Universal Studios

A trip to Osaka isn't complete without visiting one of the worlds most famous theme parks! With its immersive Nintendo, Harry Potter and Minion Worlds, it is guaranteed to be a fun time for all ages! My recommendation would be to spend 2 days at the park to get the most out of your experience or purchase the express pass to cut through those long queues!

#2 Day trip to Nara Park

Located just under an hour from Osaka is a park filled with wild deer's which have become the main tourist attraction in Nara. Here it is popular to bow before the deer's in hopes of them mirroring this behavior before feeding them a cracker which you can purchase from various stalls around the park. It's also a good opportunity to get close and take cute photos with them however don't get too close as from experience they do like to go for the nipple... anyway this park is for sure a must visit and is a perfect day trip to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

Extra activity: If you'd like a suggestion on something else you can do in Nara, there is a really famous Mochi place called Nakatanidou. The store rose to fame through their dramatic mochi pounding process which is truly quite an amazing talent to witness. Here's video to see them in action!

#3 Visit Osaka Castle

One of the icons of Osaka is their 5 story castle that dates back almost 450 years! It especially looks beautiful around cherry blossom time (March - April) and the area surrounding the castle is a great place to relax and enjoy a good book. You can also choose to go inside the castle, it is 600 yen for an adult and children under 15 years old are free.

#4 Team Labs Botanical Garden

Although in our opinion, this Team Labs experience isn't as impressive as the one in Tokyo, it is still very much a worthwhile experience. The whole digital display is outdoors therefore only available to visit at night through a valid ticket. With 7 different areas showcasing unique pieces of artwork or laser displays, it really does make you feel like you've been transported into the future. Depending how fast you go and how many photos you take, the whole display can be seen within an hour. It's an experience we would 100% recommend you try out and for more information, click here!

#5 Have Fun Street Go Karting

On your marks, get set, GO! Have you ever dreamed of being inside the world of Mario Kart? If the answer is yes (which obviously it is) then look no further then this experience in Osaka. Over our 6 month journey through Asia, this still has to be one of our favourite activities we have ever done! Not only do you get to drive a Go Kart through the streets of Osaka but you also get to dress up in a onesie of a popular character! Bree and I had a blast and feel 100% confident in saying that this activity is one you can not miss! We went through the company Akiba Kart Osaka and the staff were amazing and ensured we had the best time so we would highly recommend them. Here's the link for more information!

#6 Have a drink at the Bear Paw Café

In Osaka there is café where a "Bear Paw" appears through the hole in the wall to hand you your drink in a rather unique and fun way. Now this is definitely something a little weird but when you hear about the reason behind it, its actually quite cool. So the café was created to support people suffering from various mental health conditions by proving a low-stress work environment which is achieved through their design. It works by you the customer, ordering through a window where you can not see the staff and you then receiving the drink in the same manner. This eliminates the element of eye contact to help with parts of anxiety that may come from face to face interaction. We found this quite amazing and not only that, but the drinks they serve look beautiful and taste even better so we highly recommend checking out this café!

#7 Explore Dotonbori

One of the most iconic streets in Osaka, Dotonbori is filled with various street food stalls, towering neon signs and giant sculptures. It's a perfect place to grab many cool photos while also spending a night out either shopping, eating, drinking or partying. Therefore making it a must see when visiting Osaka!

#8 Go to a pig café

Japan is known for their animal related cafes, so having one where you can pet and play with pigs isn't hard to imagine. In Osaka there is a place called "Mipig Café" where you can hang out with baby and adult micro pigs who live together in a friendly and cozy environment. For more information and to book in your timeslot, click here!

#9 Eat the famous Uncle Rikuro Cheesecake

The combination of fluffiness, jiggliness and tastiness is what makes Uncle Rikuro's cheesecake so popular. You will find yourselves waiting in line up to an hour sometimes to get one for yourself and for me personally it was worth the wait. However, for Bree she wasn't a fan as it's literally a "cheese" cake and not like a "western" cheesecake. So if you're lactose intolerant perhaps keep that in mind when deciding whether or not to buy one :)

Click here to find out the exact location of the store!

#10 Sip on Cocktails and Play Retro Games at the Space Station Bar

I don't know about you but sipping on space themed cocktails while playing old Nintendo games is an absolute vibe. The Space Station in Osaka is a video game bar serving delicious cocktails and exciting games to play. Unlike at an arcade, playing games here is free and without a time limit. You can play from opening time (6pm) to close (2am) if you so please! The game selection ranges from old favorites like the original Donkey Kong and Mario Kart 64 as well as a 2 player puzzle game in which the bar owner created himself which was a lot of fun. If all that doesn't sound like a fun night out then I don't know what does!

Summary

We hope we have given you plenty of ideas on what to do for when you visit this amazing city! If there's something we missed that you would like us to cover or want more information on any of the activities, feel free to get in contact or leave a comment below :)