Help with Osaka
 

Hi All,

I just got last minute tix to Osaka with that great fare on United. I have been to Tokyo and Kyoto, but know very little about Osaka, Nara etc. Any suggestions on places to stay, eat or "must sees" would be greatly appreciated.

Lastly, is it true that they won't let people (even foreigners) with tattoos in to Spa World?

Thanks for your help in advance.

THAT'S SO COOL that you are using that fare! I wish I could too.

What are your dates? MArch? If so maybe you would be interested in seeing the sumo tounament, and go to a ball game either at Osaka Dome or Koshien Stadium, where the Hanshin Tigers play (mrwunrfl has gone to that stadium). There is also a castle in Osaka. Namba area is good for shopping.

Dunno about SpaWorld.

Most people just go in and out of KIX but move on by train to other places. How long do you have?

oh, I see from your reply to other post that it is Feb 14 for 8 days. Too early for baseball or sumo.

> is it true that they won't let people (even foreigners) with tattoos in to Spa World?

I don't know specifically about Spa World but most bublic bath houses (sento's) today have the sign "No admittance to those with tatoos". That is indended for yakuza (mafia - Japanese gangsters) with tatoos, that may sometimes look articrtic or even beautiful (not a mickey mouse kind) but traditionally having tatoo means sign of being yakuza or criminals (criminals used to get tatoos, e.g. a simple line around your wrist, in samurai era as a part of punition.). But things may be changing. Today's fashion tatoos may be accepted if they are not too big. A tiny heart tatoo should be definitely not a problem but I'm not sure about a large or very visible ones.

Thanks for the info so far...My tattoo is not exactly small, probably about 6 x 12 my back. I wonder if it would help that I am a woman and not Japanese =) The listing in Frommers said very specifically that Spa World won't let in people with tattoos.

We arrive 2/14 and will stay until 2/21. My intent was to go back to see more of Kyoto since we spent most of our time there in Eastern Kyoto. I figured we out to give a few days to Osaka and maybe try to go somewhere for a day trip. I am a little lost and have a lot less time to plan. I think there may be somewhere near Osaka where you can stay with the buddhist monks. That's a thought.

Maybe I should focus more on really getting to know Kyoto. All suggestions are good ones, I promise.

Also, can you think of any fairly reasonable places to stay in Kyoto. We stayed at the Westin and a nice ryokan w/keiseiki last time, so I feel like we need not be quite as extravagant. I am all ears...

Silly question - What's the airfare to Osaka?

When we were in Osaka we enjoyed a day trip to the ISe pennisular. I would also consider a trip to Miyajama (sp?) if you haven't been there.

Just got back and was on that United flight. Osaka in Feb --- the castle and the aquarium are the main sights but we chose to go to Kyoto and plant ourselves there. Did shrines, shopping, and people watching every day. Stayed at the Holiday Inn and it was a good deal once we figured out how to use its transportation. I replied with more detail to a recent question about Kyoto and did a trip report last night. There's so much to see in Kyoto and we did the day trips for about $6.00 each way.

partyon, not a silly question at all. I am topping the post on United's air fare sale, about $400 RT to Osaka til end of March, w/extra bonus miles included. I think the title of the post is "United Sale $398 RT OSaka/Nagoya". Check that posting. It has a link to United's fare sale to Japan. Hurry if you are interested.

Thanks for more tips. I am thiking we may just stay in Osaka the first night since we don't get in until dinner time. See a few sights and then head to Kyoto and base out of there. Any additional accommodation suggestions (other that Westin...did that last time).

The airfare on United needs to be purchased by 1/26 and travel by 3/15. I believe you have to travel M-Th. We live on the east coast and the fare was mid-300's but there are a bunch of taxes making it like upper 400 to low 500 depending on the specific city/time/etc. It seemed like there was a decent amount of availability in mid-ish Feb, but the closer to March the more difficult, at least from here.

Other than Eastern Kyoto & Philosopher's Path what should we concentrate on. I will check the other threads, too...

End of February is plum blossom time, I think. I don't know where or when. May be a festival or two. I would check at jnto.go.jp

You can stay with the monks at Koya-san (Mt. Koya).

Here is the link for the United Airlines fare:
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,51093,00.html

You could take a day trip to Himeji.

There is a Kansai Area Pass available for travel on JR in the region and another pass for travel on other rail lines. One of these may be useful for your day trips, maybe to Koya-san. If you really wanted to go as far as Miyajima or Hiroshima then the Sanyo Area Pass from JR might a good option for you.

monkey, check here for other classes and workshops to do in Kyoto, if that interests you all.

http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/...ltural/crafts/

We stay at the Hilton in Osaka...right across from the station. From Kansai airport, take the limousine bus, not the train. Some buses go right to the Hilton, some go right next door to Herbis Osaka/Rizt Carlton. Either is fine. If you are on an Herbis bus, it's really just 2 minutes walk across the street.

At the Hilton, the executive floor is the place to be. The hotel's rooms are not special, but the exec lounge is. Breakfast there is not as extensive as the restaurant, but it's quiet and peaceful. They have free drinks and snacks all day into the night, including alcoholic drinks. Lounge staff is very helpful, too....ask and you will receive. Any question, problem, need...they really are nice there. Pool and fitness club priveleges are included whereas you would otherwise have to pay a lot extra for them unless you had Hilton Honors status. The location is excellent, directly across from the station...and if it's raining you can do the crossing completely underground and not get wet.

Thanks again. I think we will probably stay at the Hilton in Osaka, it seems to make sense. We have also scheduled another cooking class w/WAK Japan and we are going to see our guides from last time. We liked them so much, so we are very excited to see them again.

Has anyone stayed at the Okura or Granvia in Kyoto? What about any of the lesser expensive ryokans?

Also, what is the deal with Toji Flea? Our last day is the 21st so I think we will get to go. Thoughts?

I am staying at the Okura in April, so you will beat me there. It is by all accounts a very godd hotel, nice and w/great service. Check the tripadvisor.com comments, very good reviews. Great location IMO.

The Granvia has good comments on here. As you know, it is in the train station, so the location is very different than Okura which is in central Kyoto, close to Shijo-dori shopping area (that has the food market, etc.)and the dept stores - very lively area in the evening, and also pretty close to Gion. Good subway and bus access at both hotels. If you go w/the Okura, join their Okura Club (you'll see it on their website). Okura has hotels across the world and there is an English-speaking number to call for reservations and questions - I've used that a few tiems already.


Toji market is in my trip report of last year. One word - GO, GO, GO. Amazing fun experience - very colorfula nd great items and bargains. And it is on the grounds of Toji, a wonderful tample and the highest 5 story pagoda in Japan. We are going back in APril - timed out Kyoto portion to be there on the 21st, that is how much we enjoyed it.

I think Teramachi is the shopping area close to Okura where the Shijo-dori and covered food market are.

Hello,

I also bought a NW great fare to Osaka for arrival on Friday, March 31 and departure on Sunday, April 2. That's right. I am flying to Japan for the weekend and am looking on capitalizing on my minimal time available.

I am very interested in the baseball game. I looked up the Tigers website and they are in town that weekend, I think. EMD would you be so kind as to confirm that they are playing that weekend and perhaps tell me how hard it is to get walk up tickets at the stadium and how to get to the park. Taxi, bus etc. I am staying at the Hilton by the station.

How about shopping? Panasonic portable DVD player? Sony cameras?

Thank you,

Gwen

I'm no baseball expert, but I am a Hilton expert :) It's been our experience over the years that the staff there is very, very helpful. You should ask for their help anytime. If, by chance, you are on the exec floor (either upgraded because of status with Hilton Honors or paid for it), you will find that the staff will bend over backwards for you. They have helped us track missing luggage, find a sweater left on the airplane, held our winter clothes for 3 weeks while we were in Bali, given us directions over and over, jump started our car when the battery died in their parking garage...they are truly great. That, plus the free drinks and snacks make it worth the money.

Back to the baseball. I checked the Tigers page for you in Japanese. They are playing that weekend, but not in Osaka. They are playing somewhere called Jingu stadium in Tokyo.

Shopping...I wouldn't buy anything in Japan that you haven't researched well beforehand. Although there are some things available here that aren't available overseas, the instructions and the warranty are all in Japanese...most importantly, domestic market goods do not have an international warranty so should anything go wrong, you have to either get the thing back to Japan or pay for repair, if it can be repaired outside of Japan at all.

Duty free items for international market with international warranty tend to be very expensive. Sometimes you can get a deal, but not often. If you have your heart set on getting something, I'd get something duty free to get the warranty. Be sure you know how much it would cost if you were to buy it at home, check and double check the warranty and service information, be sure you get a manual in English, and believe it or not, try to get a discount. Ask what the best price is that they can give you...what they can include for free. Example...I bought my husband a digital camera for Christmas...the newest one with lots of bells and whistles and very small size. Not cheap, but in the end, I ended up with a 25% discount on the shop's price (which was already about 2/3 of the MSRP), a 500 mb memory rather than the included 16 mb, a "wear on your belt" camera bag, and 2 packages of photo print paper.

I am also taking advantage of the special $483 for me - March 25-March 31.

The Buffaloes are at home in Kobe on April 1 but game time is 1PM. There is a game in Nagoya but that starts at 6PM and it is something like 2.5 hours from Kansai Airport to Nagoya station. Add on an hour at KIX and in Nagoya getting to the stadium and you wouldn't get there until the 7th or 8th inning. The Hiroshima Carp are at Nagoya. Tigers in Tokyo as KimJapan said. I checked at japanesebaseball.com