CUADERNO DE VIAJE JAPON - OSAKA DIA 1 - {TRAVEL NOTEBOOK - JAPAN - OSAKA DAY 1}
- 28th APRIL 2026
- We left Bilbao via Munich and then to Osaka. We arrived on a Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. and thanks to the early check in we had our room ready. From the airport to the center it took us more or less 30 minutes and let me tell you that the flight from Munich to Osaka lasted 11 hours plus the 2 hours and half from Bilbao to Munich.
- The truth is that I kept putting off this trip, but I must admit that now, back home I regret not having gone sooner. Japan couldn´t have offered me things I could possibly love more: its gardens, the Japanese maples (I already had several at my other house), its temples, it´s aesthetic from a simple table to the packaging of a simple present you buy. The cleanliness of everything, that combines efficiency, discipline and that mindfulness to keep everything spotless.... you don´t see a single piece of paper on the floor, not to speak about its meticulous organization at a train station...To make a long story short...everything.
- Osaka is Japan’s third-largest city, where the old and the new clearly coexist in perfect harmony. It’s noisy and wonderful, the kind of city that doesn’t need weeks to charm and captivate you. It’s full of canals and neon lights, and it even has a castle, panoramic views, and enough delicious street food to drive you crazy.
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That’s exactly what we did on the first day: first, we slept a bit because we were really worn out, and then, feeling much better, we left the hotel to walk along the noisy streets. At 6:00 p.m., we were joining a gastronomic tour because we thought it was the best way to try Japanese food and learn more about the country.
Through its food, it is possible to understand the country’s deep connection with nature, its history, the respect for ingredients, and the constant pursuit of perfection. Japan offers all that and much more.
- We are in Dotonbori, the funniest district in Osaka, full of restaurants and shops, game rooms and full of life. It´s wonderful.
We had dinner walking through the streets from restaurant to restaurant — five in total — tasting 15 different dishes, as if we were in San Sebastián eating pintxos from bar to bar. The food was gorgeous, and the group couldn’t have been more cosmopolitan.
The tour was, of course, in English, and there were some Americans, Canadians, a girl from Germany, and the two of us, so it was a great opportunity to practice our English. Believe me, almost nobody speaks English in Japan, and everything works just fine with Google Translate… Thank God for mobile phones in situations like these.
We ate chicken wings in soy sauce and mirin, kushikatsu, yamaimo — a very typical Japanese dish with small pieces of meat on skewers that was really good — ebi mayo, which are small crunchy prawns and absolutely gorgeous, and avocado karaage, delicious pan-fried pieces of avocado.
We also had noodles with tsuyu, a soup with a broth made from miso paste, and many other dishes that I’m definitely going to cook more than once back home. We tried eringi mushrooms, tonpeiyaki — a very typical Osaka recipe made with pork belly wrapped in an omelette, which was simply to die for — ehire, which is fried stingray and was very good too, and some fried gyozas that were gorgeous.
Of course, there were many more dishes, but I couldn’t remember all the names. We were really happy with the tour.
- The neighborhood where Tsutenkaku, Osaka’s famous tower, is located is called Shinsekai. This district, whose name literally means “New World,” is known for its retro atmosphere, neon signs, and for being the birthplace of kushikatsu.
Billiken is a lucky charm that has become one of Osaka’s most iconic symbols. Although it is now strongly associated with Japanese culture, the “God of Things as They Should Be” was originally created in the United States.
The charm can be seen everywhere in this district, near Tsutenkaku.










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