Japan Through My Eyes Part One: Osaka and Nara in Spring Japan Trip Itinerary

My 15-day Spring Japan trip itinerary is quite eclectic, with tourist spots varying from the obligatory to the hidden and from the trending to the elusive.

An uneventful Saturday afternoon has compelled me to finally unseal my limited edition Kamiki Ryunosuke Photograph Collection and DVD set, Sincérité, shot in Europe. While browsing it, I realized I had accumulated several photos during my 15-day trip to Japan (April 7-21). Kamiki is my ultîmate favorite Japanese actor, and as normal-looking as he is, he inspired me to print my own photo book. One of my best buddies, Misha Pueblas, a great photographer, took most of the photos.

Like Kamiki, I am nothing but a typical face in the crowd, just another gaijin (foreigner) infiltrating and enjoying the incredible scenery of Japan. Except that Kamiki is widely popular in his country, and I’m not. But in a foreign land, we might be peas in a pod (him, for those who have no idea who he is on his Euro trip). Hence, I gained a bit of confidence in sharing this photo collection, my entire travel experience, and my Japan trip itinerary.

My 15-day Spring Japan trip itinerary is quite eclectic, with tourist spots varying from the obligatory to the hidden and from the trending to the elusive. We didn’t include a theme park that would take a whole day because we wanted to embrace each city’s unique offerings. I hope you follow some of the places we visited, as they’re all worth your time and money.

Our time in Japan was perfect for visiting, with ideal weather and cherry blossoms in full bloom. I checked the prices of everything we availed, including the hotels, and it was much cheaper now than when we booked them. If you plan to visit during the one to ten days of Sakura, book your tickets in advance. Our Japan visa was approved by March 24, and we wanted to visit during the immaculate blossoming of the Sakura trees, which gave us barely two weeks to prepare. Everything was quite costly (especially the airline tickets). However, be sure not to go there during the Golden Week (late April to early May, depending on the year) because that’s when all the locals travel around the country. Subways and Shinkansen are full or get sold out, and hotels and tourist spots are more expensive.

Japan Trip Itinerary Day 1: Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi, Osaka

We arrived at Kansai airport at around 8 AM, but it took us more than an hour to get to the JR Haruka Kansai Express from the airport to the Osaka Namba line, where we took the subway nearest to our hotel. It was quite a long transfer, but we finally made it to the Shinshaibashi station and took an 8-minute walk to Crystal Hotel III, arriving around 11 AM. We were four hours early before check-in time (3 PM), so we left our luggage and headed to Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori for sightseeing and shopping.

Home to Osaka’s most popular tourist spot, Dotonbori River, and the biggest shopping street (with countless host clubs), Shinsaibashi, both places were about a 10- to 15-minute walk from Crystal Hotel III, where my friend Misha and I stayed. Given the hotel’s check-in limitations, we declared April 7 a day without a set itinerary.

Shinsaibashi Shopping & Dotonbori Takoyaki

We shopped at GU, a sister company of Uniqlo, which had far cheaper clothing, shoes, and accessories. I bought a blouse for my mom, a gathered pocket bag I used every day on our trip, a black lace bra, a bandeau, one pair of ankle socks, and a pair of sheer knee-high socks. My whole order amounted to more than 5500 yen, so I got a 10% tax deduction. After GU, we bought discounted Kitkats from SunDrug, and Osaka and Japanese souvenirs from another shop. We then headed to Dotonbori for takoyaki, our first food in Japan.

Gyukatsu Motomura

A part of our Japan trip itinerary was to eat at the trending Gyukatsu Motomura, Dotonbori branch. It was our first official Japanese restaurant, and we loved the experience! In our opinion, the beef katsu tasted much better when cooked entirely, as you’d taste every inch of its juices. After that, we shared red bean taiyaki (fish-shaped cake) for dessert before officially checking into the hotel to sleep.

Doutonbori Crystal Hotel III

Crystal Hotel III was a fantastic and affordable hotel. The staff members were so lovely (we were able to catch a half-Japanese and half-Filipino cutie pie who did great at his job), and the amenities were superb (you get a free toothbrush, toothpaste, slippers, bath sponge, hair tie, hair brush, coffee, etc.). The room was small, given the price, but that’s nothing compared to its excellent washroom, bed, TV (finally, I was watching Japanese TV in Japan), and location. You’re also allowed to store your luggage before and after checking out. Its only downside isn’t geared towards Crystal Hotel III alone, but to Kansai and Chūbu region hotels, where check-in is at 3 PM and checkout is at 10 AM. In Tokyo, the check-out was at 11 AM. I find it quite unfair.

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Shinsaibashi Streets

Misha and I woke up at 10 PM, and as energetic and quite hungry as we were, we decided to head out. We walked the streets where the host clubs were situated to be amused by their sights. Then, a masked, tall figure passed by. I was busy strolling and enjoying the whole street, so when I saw his face, I didn’t pay much attention, but I remember uttering to myself that he looked like Wooseok of the K-pop boy band Pentagon. Two days later, he posted the image above, so I asked Misha if he had seen him, and he said he had noticed him pass by us. He would be one of my five celebrity sightings on our entire Japan trip.

We checked out independently run food vendors; mind you, their food offerings were quite expensive compared to restaurants in other areas of Osaka. Hence, we decided to go to Dotonbori to eat takoyaki again and try okonomiyaki. Our day ended at 1 AM.

Japan Trip Itinerary Day 2: Nara (Tōdai-ji Temple) and Mt. Yoshinoyama

The day was April 8, 2025, the best Sakura (cherry blossoms) sightseeing day in Nara and Mt. Yoshinoyama.

Tōdai-ji Temple and Deer Park

Another Japan trip itinerary item that everyone’s looking forward to is seeing deer; it was a pleasure interacting with them. We decided against feeding them because many people were already doing so, and it was fun interacting with them without bait to check if they would respond, and they did! Although they were in different shapes and forms, their attitude and how they looked at you reminded me of cats.

Tōdai-ji Temple (752 CE) is a significant architectural structure in Japan built during the Tang Dynasty. I participated in the temple’s free-for-all mini-tea ceremony and bought lucky charms and souvenirs.

Mt. Yoshinoyama

According to Japan Guide, Mt. Yoshinoyama is where the Sakura blooms best in Japan. Hence, Misha and I included it on our Japan trip itinerary. We noticed the spot wasn’t popular worldwide, as most tourists were Japanese locals from different parts of the country.

Touring Mt. Yoshinoyama isn’t for the weak of knees and feet because you’re (literally) climbing a mountain. Some people from our tour bus couldn’t handle all the hiking and gave up even before halfway. Climbing Mt. Yoshino was tiresome, but the sights were worth all that.

That afternoon in Mt. Yoshinoyama was where I got the best photos among all the pictures of my Japan trip, all thanks to my oh-so-talented BFF, Misha.

Minamihorie

We returned to Shinsaibashi at dusk and tried Kobe and Wagyu beef on skewers. Misha preferred the Wagyu, while I liked the Kobe beef better. It really depends on your taste, so I suggest you try both. We weren’t very exhausted after climbing Mt. Yoshino (we got a lot of rest during the one-hour and 30-minute bus ride), so we walked to Minamihorie for some thrift shopping.

Based on its shops, restaurants, and clubs, Minamihorie was Osaka’s hipster or rock street. We came across this rustic, eclectic-themed coffee shop, Tasogare, with indie rock gig posters on its windows. We weren’t in the mood for coffee, matcha, or tea, so we proceeded to Palstock.

We visited the Palstock consignment shop because I needed an extra jacket to match my attire for the rest of the trip. I found a second-hand beige coat for 1,100 yen or 425 pesos and a black long-sleeved top for just 500 yen or 191 pesos. After this, Misha got tired and booked a GO taxi to return to the hotel to rest and freshen up. It cost him about 850 yen or 328 pesos for a 2.2-km ride.

Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi (again) at Night

After resting briefly, we returned to Dotonbori for the Dotonbori River Cruise (it was fun but short), did some shopping at Daikoku Drug, and had a late dinner at 298 Unlimited Yakiniku. For just 1000 yen or roughly 390 pesos, we devoured unlimited beef and pork, including beef tongue (which I miss), for 60 minutes. Even though it was uncostly (it’s more affordable than unlimited yakiniku and samgyupsal here in Davao, and despite its time limit, it was still in Japan, where all the other goods and services are expensive), the quality of meat did not change with every refill. They also have free side dishes like rice, chicken karaage, salads, kimchi, sauces, etc. It definitely was worth more than your money.

Day 3: Osaka City Tour

It was part of our Japan Trip Itinerary for Misha and me to wake up early (averaging at 8 AM, although there were times when we woke up late), depending on the day’s tour and how tired we were. Our Day 3 itinerary was full, and we had to check out the hotel by 10 AM, so we started pretty early.

Osaka Castle

An Osaka tour on a Japan trip itinerary wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Osaka Castle. Thankfully, the tour was included in the Osaka Amazing Pass, worth 25 dollars or 1385 pesos for two days (this included the Dotonbori River Cruise we took the night before). We weren’t allowed to take photos on some of the floors, so I didn’t bother taking any, except for the view I had from the top floor.

We had to take a long walk from the nearest subway to the temple, passing by a beautiful park (Osaka Park Castle) and many stairs before finally arriving.

I’m not about to warn you about a trip to Japan, but I’m sure many of your friends and content creators did so. You’re gonna do a lot of walking!! However, travelers with a large budget for taxi rides (starting at 400-750 yen for the first 1-2km, and increasing by 800-100 yen for every 200-400 meters) are exempted. Nevertheless, there are some spots where taxis can’t go through, so you really have to expect some walking regardless.

It may not seem obvious, but my friend Misha and I love walking. At some point, our relentless walks in our city or Manila somehow prepared us for the 25-32,000 daily steps we took during our Japan trip.

After Osaka Castle, we crossed to the other side for the Okawa River Sakura Cruise. Along the bridge from the Osaka Castle river, we passed by a grade school, observing a few pupils going out and walking by a sweet potato vendor who knew what kamote was, so we bought the 500 yen worth imo (sweet potato in Nihonggo), and stopped to eat (eating while walking is frowned upon in Japan) while watching the beautiful swans gracefully swimming in the river.

Okawa River Sakura Cruise

The Okawa River Sakura Cruise was a 25-minute tour with less waiting time than the river cruise along Osaka Castle. However, it only operates during spring when the Sakura blooms, so we were pretty lucky to have tried it. I enjoyed the scenery a lot and got busy waving to the people across our boat (this is a huge thing in Japan), so I didn’t get to take a lot of photos.

Hep Five Ferris Wheel

After our Sakura Cruise, we went to the subway station to the Hep Five Mall, where the Ferris wheel was located. To be honest, I’m not recommending their Ferris wheel because it didn’t offer a great view of Osaka, and even prompted Misha to see Osaka’s city view in a negative light (this was before going to Umeda Sky). However, please don’t take my word for this because we took the ride at around 3 or 4 PM; it might look a lot better at night.

The Hep Five Mall was just a few kilometers away from our next stop, the Kuchu Teien Observatory, but it was too early to go there, so we did some shopping at the mall (particularly in 3COINS, where most of the goods cost 300 yen). After that, we walked outside the mall and passed by the Mocha Cat Cafe Umeda branch on the second floor of one building near Hep Five.

Mocha Cat Cafe Umeda

Stumbling upon the Mocha Cat Cafe was fated, as we hadn’t seen a single cat in the past three days of our Japan trip, and being the cat lover that I am, I was already grumbling about the fact. But I remember seeing on Japanese TV before that cats loitering around the country are automatically brought to shelters when they can be adopted or cared for. Hence, you should include a cat cafe in your Japan trip itinerary if you’re a cat lover.

I was so happy visiting Mocha Cat Cafe. Finally, I could see cats, even more so as my favorite Miss Izuki (a female British shorthair cat) reminded me of my cat, whom I left at home, and filled the void in my heart.

I blogged about my Mocha Cat Cafe Experience here: My Japan Cat Cafe Experience: Mocha Cat Cafe Umeda Store, Osaka

It was almost 6 PM when we left Mocha Cat Cafe, but Kuchu Teien Observatory of Umeda Sky Building was only 2km away, so we just walked.

Kuchu Teien Observatory

The Kuchu Teien Observatory is one of Osaka’s tourist spots, and it is always included in every Japan trip itinerary. When we arrived, many people were lining up to climb the observatory. We had to pay around 2000 yen for the viewing, as the Osaka Amazing Pass entry was limited to 3:30 PM only, but it didn’t matter because the night view was worth the extra payment.

The photos I took at the observatory were pretty decent and showed how amazing Osaka’s night landscape was. However, I couldn’t take pictures of the escalators heading up to the observatory (it was a fantastic spot by itself). Just Google it to see the view. I don’t recommend visiting the observatory for those scared of heights.

After our awesome sightseeing, we walked back near Hep Five Mall to have dinner, passing affordable restaurants before heading to Mocha Cat Cafe earlier. We passed by other big malls in Umeda (the one near the subway), and I saw a solo male artist filming a music video. I was too shy and respectful to photograph it, so I cannot give you a valid proof.

KFC Japan

We decided to eat at KFC, as people say KFC Japan is different. I thought that meant it was awesome, but to my dismay, it meant different bad. The main reason is that it didn’t come with the savory, unlimited gravy that KFC is known for in the Philippines. The chicken can also do some work, but who am I to judge it, as it’s catered to the Japanese taste, and not mine?

After dinner, we returned to Crystal Hotel III to pick up our luggage. We were heading to the Shinkansen for our next stop: Kyoto. Stay tuned for my next Blog post, Japan Through My Eyes Part Two: Kyoto and Gifu, and the impending ones, Japan Through My Eyes Part Three: Saitama and Japan Through My Eyes Part Four: Tokyo.

After Kyoto and Gifu, we returned to Osaka to witness the opening of World Expo Osaka 2025 before heading to Tokyo. I’ll detail my experience in a separate blog post.