Osaka Layover Tips For Flight Attendants | WOC
Osaka, Japan is a testimony that not all places with millions of residents is chaotic and lawless. This lively city is blessed with flabbergasted infrastructures, well-edited shops, stylish hotels and astonishingly spotless streets! Adding up to its allure are the utterly helpful and disciplined Japanese. Here’s a layover guide for flight attendants.
What to do in Osaka for 24h to 48h?
Places to Visit
Universal Studios Japan
As for the permanent attractions, favorites include The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Backdraft, Jurassic Park, and Spiderman themed rides. A 1-day pass to Universal Studios is JPY 7,600 for adults and JPY 5,100 for kids, but you can sometimes get a discount if you purchase advanced tickets on Klook.
Osaka Aquarium
Holding nearly 11,000 tons of water, Kaiyukan is one of the world’s largest aquariums. It’s so big in fact, that it’s main tank is 30 feet deep and home to two juvenile whale sharks (Rhincodon typus). Cetacean freedom advocates be warned though – they house dolphins here as well.
Umeda Sky Building
There’s no better place to get a bird’s eye view of Osaka than the Floating Garden Observatory. 173 meters above ground atop the ultramodern Umeda Sky Building, it gives viewers a 360° panoramic vista of the entire city. At its basement, gourmands will be pleased to find a food court designed as a Japanese street from the early Showa period. It’s home to Okonomiyaki Kiji, purveyors of arguably the best okonomiyaki in all of Osaka.
Grand Front Osaka
Home to the Knowledge Center and Umekita Dining Floor, Grand Front Osaka is a mall unlike any other. Remarkable for its “labs” and interactive exhibits, most of the stores here aren’t the type that you’d find in your typical shopping mall. It’s a fun place to spend a couple of hours. Be sure to enjoy a drink and some good chow at the ultratrendy Umekita food court as well.
Osaka Castle
It’s considered one of Japan’s most famous landmarks and is home to 600 cherry trees. If you’re going to Osaka in Spring, then it’s a great place to see the cherry blossoms.
Shinsaibashi & Dotonbori: Shop & Eat Your Way through the Heart (and Stomach) of Osaka
Shinsaibashi
If Shinsaibashi is the city’s premier shopping district, then Dotonbori is its kitchen. Visiting Osaka without making a stop here would be like going to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. Shinsaibashi Arcade is the premier shopping area in Osaka. Around 600 meters long, it’s filled with trendy boutiques, retail chains, and luxury department stores like Daimaru, UniQlo, H&M, Bulgari, and Zara. Surprisingly, you can find many bargains here.
Dotonbori
If Shinsaibashi is for shopping, then Dotonbori is for dining. Many people describe Osaka as the culinary capitol of the world. If that’s true, then Dotonbori is it’s city hall. This place is a glutton’s wet dream. On acid.
Built in 1960, another famous Dotonbori landmark is the Kani Doraku mechanized crab. Famous for serving all kinds of crab, Kani Doraku together with Zuboraya and Kinryu Ramen are among the most popular restaurants in Dotonbori. Like the shopping in Shinsaibashi, there are fantastic bargains to be had here on food. The street food is amazing, and cheap too!
Kuromon Ichiba Market
Nicknamed “Osaka’s Kitchen”, many of the city’s chefs purchase their ingredients here. It’s home to some of the best and freshest seafood that we’ve ever tasted. Delicacies like uni, diver scallops, otoro, oysters, octopus, and even Kobe beef can be enjoyed here as street food.
SIDE TRIPS FROM OSAKA
If you have enough time and want to do side trips from Osaka, then here are a few places to consider.
Kyoto
Every list of side trips from Osaka should begin with Kyoto. It’s beloved by the Japanese and has long been considered one of the country’s most innovative centers for arts and culture. So important is Kyoto to the Japanese experience that not many travelers visit Osaka without spending a few days here as well. It’s less than half an hour away and can even be visited on daily trips from Osaka.
Nara
Like Kyoto, many travelers visit Nara from Osaka. It’s second only to Kyoto in its wealth of temples, shrines, and traditional gardens in Japan. Apart from its cultural sites, Nara is best known for its parks with tame Sika deer. There are an estimated 1,200 Sika deer in Nara which visitors can feed with sika senbei or “deer crackers”. Nara is less than an hour from Osaka making it an ideal place for a day or overnight trip.
Kannabe Highlands
Many travelers want to experience skiing in winter and you can do so here at Kannabe Highlands. It’s about three hours from Osaka and is home to a few small ski resorts. There you can go skiing, snowboarding, even snowshoe hiking!
Amanohashidate
Amanohashidate is a long and slender sandbar that’s considered one of the three most scenic views in all of Japan. It’s just a little over two hours away by train so you can do it on a day trip from Osaka. People who prefer not to rush may want to stay the night though.
Flight Attendants Discounts in Japan
World Of Crew gets you a few awesome deals only for cabin crews in Japan. Have a look into these and let us know if you manage to visit them during your layover!
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Any Cool Experience to share in Osaka?
How was your layover in Osaka? Did you discover any new places? If so, please do share these useful tips with your fellow cabin crew, by commenting below!
Have a great layover !