1. View from our hotel room at Osaka Tokyu Inn / 2. Osaka Castle in the early morning / 3. Bike riding around Osaka Castle / 4. Interesting architecture in Umeda / 5. Umeda Sky Building / 6. Dontonbori at sunset / 7. In front of famous Glica Running Man (turned off) on New Year's Day / 8. Beautiful foyer in Shinsaibashi / 9. Streets covered in fairy lights down Shinsaibashi / 10 + 11. Advertising billboards in Dontonbori
Every place we went to in Japan was a highlight though I especially enjoyed Osaka and could see it being the most livable city in the country. We spent five days in Osaka, which in hindsight was a good amount of time. We explored the department store food halls, the stores in near the train station, the streets of Umeda, Shinsaibashi and Dontonbori, back streets and Osaka Castle. The streets are spotless and temples and shrines can be found on nearly every corner. We hired bikes and rode to and around Osaka Castle (which is actually a replica of the real building that was destroyed twice by fire). The bikes were great for covering more land and taking in the sights with the wind blitzing through your hair. The department store food halls are also amazing and completely one of a kind! During the days before New Years the halls were jam-packed with people out shopping for their holiday spread. The Japanese have a little obsession with French food and it almost wouldn't surprise me if the Japanese make French food better than the French do! Think glorious fruit flans, complicated cakes and slices, crème brûlée and macrons. If you ever go, make sure you don't pass up the food halls!
