There were not many we could do on our last day in Osaka as my original itinerary to go to Nara and Kobe was cancelled by Hubby. Hubby said he was tired with my ambitious itinerary and only wanted to spend the last in Osaka doing window shopping. Actually I thought window shopping was also a lot of walking especially as Hubby actually only shopped very little 🙄

What is Osaka shopping scene like?

Osaka has several world class shopping districts and miles of shopping arcades, malls and streets. Osaka’s shopping combines upscale, brand name and designer goods with inexpensive thrift shops and discount chains.

The city’s two largest shopping districts are Umeda in the north and Namba in the south. The Umeda area (also known as Kita) is served by JR Osaka Station and Umeda Station, while the Namba area (also known as Minami) is served by Namba Station. Both areas have large concentrations of department stores, shopping arcades and some of Japan’s most extensive underground shopping malls.

In between Umeda and Namba is the covered shopping arcade Shinsaibashi-suji, one of Osaka’s oldest and busiest shopping destinations, which runs about 600 meters in length. Shinsaibashi-suji’s collection of brand name shops, chain stores, independent boutiques and variety of restaurants makes it popular with nearly every kind of shopper.

Some of the most unique shopping is found in Osaka’s specialized districts. Amerikamura is the city’s best known center of youth fashion and contains hundreds of small, inexpensive boutiques.

After Hubbie felt satisfied visiting all the shops he wanted to visit several hours later, we finally made our way to Tennoji Park.

Tennoji Park

Tennoji Park is a large park in Osaka with spacious lawns and recreation facilities, a traditional landscape garden, and a zoo. Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts is also located inside this park.

Tenshiba is the area of the park closest to Tennoji Station and consists of a large open lawn of grass which is a popular picnic and recreation space. Around the lawn are a variety of shops, restaurants, and cafes where you can buy meals, snacks, and ice creams. There is also a children’s playground and futsal court here. This area of the park was completely renewed in 2015 and is free to enter.

Tennoji Park is close to Spa World Osaka, Shinsekai and the Tsutenkaku Tower. The park is immediately accessible from Tennoji Station which serves the JR Osaka Loop Line, JR Hanwa Line, JR Yamatoji Line, the Midosuji Subway Line, and the Tanimachi Subway Line.

Shinsekai

In the evening we went to Shinsekai area, located in west of Tennoji Park. Shinsekai is a colourful area packed with cheap shops and eateries and best known for its iconic Tsutenkaku Tower.

Shinsekai was designed as an entertainment district in the early 20th century, and originally modelled after the cities of New York and Paris. Opened in 1912, “Shinsekai” literally means “New World” and because of its modern image the area quickly became a popular tourist attraction.

At the heart of this district was the Luna Park amusement park which was modelled on the original Luna Park in New York’s Coney Island. The park, which featured mechanical rides, an amusement arcade, a music hall, and a hot spring spa, was only open for 11 years. Nevertheless, these funfair origins have left a deep impression on the Shinsekai area which still has a somewhat run-down carnival atmosphere. Today rickshaw runners give tours of the area, a new Spa World hot spring theme park attracts tourists to the south, and around the Tustenkaku Tower the bright and gaudy signage of countless restaurants creates a lively scene.

There are many fugu (blowfish) restaurants in Shinsekai but the most famous is Zuboraya. This 24 hour restaurant serves signature local dishes kushikatsu (deep fried kebabs dipped into sauce), doteyaki beef tendon with miso sauce, and chanko nabe hot pots

This is where we say farewell to Japan as this is our last night. As this was our last night, Good bye and till I see you again 😚