10 things to do in Osaka
Ranked by one question: if you had a single call here, what would you regret missing? Every entry carries the round-trip time from the berth.
Takoyaki on Dotonbori, standing
Invented in this city in 1935 — batter, a cube of octopus, turned in a cast-iron dimple plate with a pick. Molten inside; the burn is a rite of passage and everybody gets it once.
Subway ~25 minFull guide: Dotonbori →Dotonbori after dark
A canal walled with the loudest signage in Japan. The running man has advertised since 1935 and is now on his sixth version; the mechanical crab still moves its legs. It is unembarrassed and it is the city.
Subway to NambaFull guide: Dotonbori →Osaka Castle
Hideyoshi built it, the Tokugawa destroyed it in 1615 and rebuilt it, lightning burned the keep in 1665, and the current tower is 1931 concrete with a lift. The walls are the original thing — some stones weigh over a hundred tonnes.
Kuromon Ichiba, grazed
580 metres of what Osaka calls its kitchen. Buy sea urchin, scallop or wagyu at the stall, have it grilled in front of you, and eat it standing at the counter they put out for exactly that.
Subway to NippombashiFull guide: Kuromon Ichiba →
Kendo with a licensed instructor
The most-reviewed single experience at any port covered on this site. Armour, a shinai, and an instructor who will correct your grip rather than pose for photographs.
Kushikatsu in Shinsekai
Deep-fried skewers and one communal sauce pot per table. Dipping a second time is the single unforgivable act in this district, and every shop has a sign about it. Cabbage is free and is the tool for more sauce.
Kyoto, on a long call
About an hour each way from the ship to Kyoto Station, and 75 minutes to Fushimi Inari or Gion — 29 minutes of it the JR special rapid from Osaka Station. On a 12-hour call that leaves a real half-day. Pick one district and walk it properly.
JR ~30 minFull guide: Kyoto: Fushimi Inari →Okonomiyaki, mixed not layered
Osaka mixes cabbage into the batter; Hiroshima layers it over noodles. Both cities will tell you theirs is correct. Order it here and do not mention the other one.
DotonboriGoogle Maps →Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
Whale sharks in a nine-metre-deep central tank, and it is beside the cruise berth. The rare case where a short call has something genuinely good without any transfer at all.
At the pierFull guide: Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan →Depachika under Osaka Station
Department store basements the size of supermarkets, entirely prepared food, staffed by people who will hand you samples. The best-value food shopping in Japan and it packs for the ship.
SubwayGoogle Maps →
