One cannot overlook Dotonbori when considering the central areas of Osaka, Japan. Dotonbori stands out as a prominent commercial district in the Osaka region, bearing a resemblance to Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon. In Dotonbori, you’ll come across several large billboards, and among them, one particularly iconic symbol of Dotonbori is the ‘Glico Man’ sign from the Glico company. “The Glico Company’s Character, ...

The Dotonbori area is synonymous with Osaka and holds a special place as a symbol of the city. Dotonbori bears a striking resemblance to Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon and has developed into a commercial district around a small river flowing through the heart of Osaka. “Commercial Areas Around Dotonbori” The area around the Dotonbori River forms bustling commercial zones. Particularly, one can ...

One of Osaka’s representative tourist destinations is the Namba area. Currently, while Umeda can be considered the center in the north of Osaka, Namba, in the south, serves as a focal point. Namba, written in Chinese characters as “困難波” (meaning ‘difficult wave’), is pronounced as ‘Nanpa’ in our Hanja readings. However, in Japanese, this area is pronounced as ‘Namba’ (なんば). ...

The area around Osaka Namba Station is considered the heart of Osaka travel. If we were to list major tourist spots or busy districts in Osaka, Namba Station, Dotonbori, and the Umeda area, a bit further north, would top the list. Among them, for first-time visitors to Osaka, the most visited area is the Namba Station – Dotonbori area. “Diverse ...

After unpacking at “Sunplaza2 Annex” near Shin-Imamiya Station in Osaka, it was already evening. It was my first arrival in Osaka, and with the need for some rest looming soon, I decided to explore the nearby area lightly instead of immediately using the Japan Rail Pass. “Scenery from Osaka Namba Station to Shin-Imamiya Station” As I hadn’t had dinner yet, ...

For the first two nights of my 4-day, 5-night trip to the Kansai region of Japan, I decided to stay in Osaka, with the remaining two nights planned for Kyoto. The hotel I chose for my initial stay in Osaka was located slightly south of Osaka Namba, near Shin-Imamiya Station. “A Hotel boasting tremendous cost-effectiveness in Shin-Imamiya” The reason for ...

There are various ways to travel from Kansai International Airport, the gateway to the Kansai region in Japan, to the central area of Osaka. These include regular trains, buses, limousine buses, taxis, and express trains. Among them, the “Rapi:t Train” is the fastest means of transportation to Osaka Namba. “Fastest Transportation from Kansai Airport to Osaka Namba, Rapi:t (Rapid) Train” ...

I safely arrived at Kansai International Airport after departing from Incheon Airport. Immigration went smoothly, and I set foot in Japan for the first time. Firstly, after completing internet connectivity through the pocket Wi-Fi, the first place I headed to was the “convenience store.” “Lawson Convenience Store at Kansai International Airport Terminal 1” The terminal I used this time was ...

The flight departing from Incheon International Airport arrived at Kansai International Airport in Japan approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes later. Similar to Incheon Airport, Kansai International Airport is an artificial island airport built in the sea. “Airport on Osaka’s Artificial Island” Kansai International Airport is situated on an artificial island exclusive to Osaka, offering the advantage of a sea ...

The airline I chose for this trip to the Kansai region in Japan was “Air Seoul,” a low-cost carrier (LCC). Since the distance from Korea to Japan is relatively short, using a low-cost carrier didn’t cause much inconvenience, and I could visit Japan without significant issues. The proximity and the presence of multiple airlines operating on the same route make ...

In celebration of the upcoming Chuseok holiday, I planned to explore cities in the Kansai region of Japan, such as Osaka and Kyoto. Concerned about potential high airfare during the Chuseok holiday season, I was pleasantly surprised to find reasonably priced tickets, possibly influenced by the temporary closure of Osaka Kansai Airport due to Typhoon Jebi. Although the airfare was ...

One of the natural steps taken in preparation for overseas travel is the exchange of local currency. As I was planning a trip to Japan this time, the process of exchanging Korean Won for Japanese Yen naturally became necessary. For the yen exchange on this trip, there was a convenient method using the “Shinhan Bank Sol” app, allowing me to ...