Received a spare couple of days after exploring Osaka? Listed below are some memorable day journeys which you could take from Japan’s second metropolis.
Osaka is an ideal base for travellers passing by means of the Kansai area of Japan. It’s a full of life, bustling vacation spot full of fantastic issues to do and see, in addition to a transport hub situated within the centre of the area. It’s the right jumping-off level in your explorations of central Japan.
On this article, we’ll discover among the many and different day journeys you may take from Japan’s second metropolis. All of those locations are locations which you could cowl in a day, though a lot of them can even reward longer stays in case you have house in your itinerary.
It’s value nothing that we haven’t included Kyoto on this article. Whereas it’s simply accessible from Osaka, Japan’s historic capital is just too filled with unbelievable sights and experiences to do it justice in a day. We advocate spending just a few days in Kyoto and Osaka, then exploring one other aspect of Japan on a day journey or two.
With that in thoughts, let’s discover among the greatest day journeys you may take throughout your keep in Osaka.
Greatest Osaka Day Journeys
From historical past and nature to meals and tradition, the Kansai area has one thing for everybody. Listed below are among the greatest day journeys you may take from Osaka.
1. Nara
Nara was the primary everlasting capital of Japan and the centre of energy all through a lot of the 8th century. Crammed to bursting with magnificent temples and connections to the age of antiquity, Nara is one of the crucial standard day journeys from Osaka.
This historic capital is well accessible from Osaka by means of numerous practice strains. The Kintetsu Nara Line takes round 40 minutes from Osaka-Namba Station. In case you’re utilizing a JR Go, the JR Yamatoji Line specific strains can get you from Osaka Station to Nara inside 50 minutes.
Most of the metropolis’s most well-known sights are situated round Nara Park, which is a 5-minute stroll from Kintetsu-Nara Station or 20 minutes from Nara Station. A number of of essentially the most well-known shrines and temples are a part of Nara’s UNESCO World Heritage web site, and you may simply stroll between them throughout your day trip.
Todai-ji is actually and figuratively the most important attraction within the metropolis. First constructed in 752 CE, an estimated 2.6 million folks had been concerned in setting up the primary iteration of this Buddhist temple. After two reconstructions, the present temple is two-thirds the dimensions of the unique, but it surely’s nonetheless one of many largest wood buildings on this planet.
The temple constructing homes a colossal 15-meter-high Buddha statue, in addition to two 8.5m guardian statues. One of many pillars in the principle corridor has a gap within the base, which is claimed to be the identical measurement as one of many Buddha statue’s nostrils. Native legend says that anybody who can match by means of the opening shall be blessed with success; simply remember that it’s an especially tight squeeze for many adults.
Kofuku-ji is one other a part of the UNESCO World Heritage web site, and is famend for its octagonal halls and five-storied pagoda, which is the second-tallest pagoda in all of Japan.
Elsewhere within the park, you can even discover the Nara Nationwide Museum with its many nationwide treasures, the three,000 stone lanterns of Kasuga Taisha Shrine and the serene Kagami-ike Pond.
As you dip out and in of the temples, you’ll additionally meet Nara’s most well-known residents: the herds of deer that are synonymous with town. These tame deer reside all through town however are principally discovered round Nara Park, the place you may feed them with particular snacks known as ‘deer senbei’.
Most of the deer have discovered to mimic Japanese bows as a request for a snack, and it’s enjoyable to feed just a few of them in your approach to and from the sights. Simply control your senbei, because the deer can get a bit aggressive in the event that they see a possibility to seize some unguarded meals.
To take advantage of your journey, try our full Nara day journey itinerary for a strolling route and extra particulars of what to anticipate within the outdated metropolis.
2. Kobe
Kobe is the non secular residence of Japan’s well-known wagyu beef, however this metropolis’s points of interest stretch far past a plate of steak. Situated in Hyogo Prefecture, Kobe is simply half-hour from Osaka on quite a lot of totally different practice strains.
Kobe is a port metropolis and was one of many first cities to open to overseas ships, which have left a long-lasting affect on town’s tradition, meals and structure. One of the vital well-known examples of that is Nankinmachi, one of many three greatest Chinatowns in Japan.
Nankinmachi is without doubt one of the greatest locations in Kansai to attempt Chinese language delicacies and can be crammed with retailers and eating places. It’s significantly enjoyable to go to throughout Lunar New 12 months celebrations, when the realm performs host to a Lunar New 12 months Competition that options lion dances and conventional Chinese language performing arts.
Alongside the waterfront, you may discover Kobe Harborland for buying and leisure, in addition to Meriken Park, which gives splendid views of the Kobe skyline. This space can be residence to Kobe Port Tower, a 108m-tall commentary tower with panoramic views of each Kobe port and town.
After exploring Chinatown, ensure to go away room for Kobe’s well-known wagyu beef. This particular wagyu is required to move strict requirements round meat high quality, marbling and breeding, with meat from solely 3-5,000 Hyogo Prefecture cattle assembly these rules in a calendar 12 months.
Kobe beef programs can be found at a spread of eating places within the metropolis, that means there are many alternatives to do that world-famous dish for your self.
For a full strolling route and extra info on town, try our one-day Kobe itinerary.
3. Himeji
Himeji is residence to one of the crucial well-known castles in Japan. Situated west of Kobe, Himeji is simply over an hour from Osaka Station on the Tokaido-Sanyo Particular Fast or half-hour from Shin-Osaka Station on the Shinkansen.
The undisputed star of this present day journey is Himeji Fortress. Nicknamed the White Heron Fortress, this UNESCO World Heritage Website is one of many oldest castles in Japan. It’s additionally one of the crucial lovely, with its white-grey paintwork and chic design.
The citadel is situated inside an expansive park that’s crammed with cherry blossoms within the spring, making it a massively standard web site for photographers. Nevertheless it’s additionally value a go to exterior the sakura season. Head to the highest of the citadel for a panoramic view, discover the West Bailey or look into the Okiku Properly, which impressed The Ring sequence of horror movies.
It’s additionally value dropping by Kōko-en, a group of 9 Japanese stroll gardens subsequent to the citadel park. The park is residence to a serene Japanese tea home known as Soju-an, which is a superb place to loosen up with some tea and Japanese sweets.
Be sure that to take a look at our Himeji day journey itinerary to learn how to spend your day on this well-known citadel city.
4. Arima Onsen
In a single day or weekend journeys to onsen cities are a terrific addition to any Japan itinerary, however they are often laborious to squeeze into a visit in case you have restricted time. A day journey to an onsen city is a superb compromise, permitting you to expertise these distinctive locations with out committing your self to plenty of further journey.
Arima is a perfect scorching spring day journey should you’re based mostly in Osaka. One of many oldest scorching springs in Japan, this quaint onsen city is tucked away on the far aspect of the Rokko mountains in Hyogo Prefecture. From Osaka Umeda Station or Shin-Osaka Station, there are direct buses which can take you to Arima Onsen in about one hour.
Arima is crammed with conventional buildings, ryokans and eating places, however its the well-known gold and silver waters which actually draw travellers. The gold water, or kinsen, will get its brown coloration from a excessive focus of iron. The silver water, or ginsen, has excessive ranges of radium and carbon, and is presupposed to have quite a few well being advantages.
You possibly can expertise these scorching spring waters at two public bathhouses: Kin no Yu for the gold water and Gin no Yu for the silver. Many ryokan within the city additionally supply day passes, that are a good way to get entry to among the personal scorching spring baths.
When you’ve skilled each bathhouses, there’s additionally a shrine, waterfall park and a collection of small museums to discover. Learn our full information to Arima Onsen for extra info.
5. Wakayama
Wakayama Prefecture is greatest recognized for its lovely seaside cities, particularly the white sand seashores of Shirahama. Whereas many of those cities are just a bit too distant for a day journey, town of Wakayama gives a slice of Japanese-style small city life, only a 1.5-hour hop from Osaka Station.
Within the centre of town is Wakayama Fortress, a good looking historic citadel which nonetheless has its unique stone partitions. Town can be residence to the Museum of Trendy Artwork, Wakayama which homes a big selection of Japanese and European artwork.
45 minutes south of the citadel by bus, Kuroshio Market is a gourmand’s paradise crammed with recent seafood. The market hosts a tuna filleting present thrice a day, the place you may study slightly extra concerning the differing cuts of tuna and buy recent fillets reduce straight from the fish.
For a change of tempo, the close by Porto Europa is a theme park constructed to resemble Mediterranean harbour cities. The park has full-scale reproductions of European streets, performances and fairground rides for youngsters and adults.
For one thing a bit totally different, head 45 minutes south of Wakayama Metropolis on the practice to the city of Yuasa, also referred to as the residence of soy sauce. This lovely historic city is the birthplace of Japan’s favorite condiment and gives excursions of the soy sauce producers within the metropolis. It’s additionally a terrific place to choose up a singular memento out of your time in Japan.
6. Mount Koya
In case you’re trying to go away the world behind for a day, one among Japan’s holiest mountains is situated simply south of Osaka. Mount Koya is the headquarters for Shingon Buddhism and is clustered with greater than 100 temples, every of which is residence to monks finding out, praying and meditating within the crisp mountain air.
The mountain is most carefully related to Kobo Daishi, a massively vital spiritual determine who established Shingon Buddhism in Japan greater than 1,200 years in the past. Mount Koya can be his closing resting place, as Kobo Daishi is believed to be in everlasting meditation on the temple of Okunoin. In case you’re fortunate, you might even see the temple’s monks bringing him meals throughout your go to.
The strategy to Okunoin can be one among Japan’s largest graveyards. Over the centuries, tons of of individuals have chosen to be buried near Kobo Daishi to obtain salvation in demise. This huge viewers of tombstones amongst the timber creates a singular ambiance for anybody who chooses to make the pilgrimage.
Elsewhere on the town, the serene Kongobuji, Shingon Buddhism’s head temple, has deep connections to historic figures like Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and can be residence to the biggest rock backyard in Japan.
You probably have slightly extra time, the temples, pagodas and pure setting of Mount Koya additionally reward prolonged visits. Most of the temples within the space supply in a single day stays, which immerse you within the every day lives of the monks right here. This may embrace all the things from early morning meditations to attempting Japan’s vegetarian temple meals. We stayed in a single day in a Buddhist temple on Mount Koya and extremely advocate leaving the fabric world behind for a night.
Mount Koya may be reached from Namba Station by way of the Nankai line, a cable automobile and a bus. We advocate taking the Nankai Restricted Specific Koya to chop the journey time down from 2.5 hours to about 1 hour 45 minutes.
For extra recommendation on how you can spend your day on Mount Koya, try our checklist of issues to do throughout your journey to the holy mountain.
7. Mount Ikoma
On the border between Nara and Osaka Prefectures, Mount Ikoma gives a different day journey with a splash of tradition, nature and good old style enjoyable. It’s one of many Kansai space’s extra accessible mountain locations, as you may attain the summit in about an hour from Osaka-Namba Station by way of the Kintetsu Nara line and the Kintetsu Ikoma cable automobile.
Mt. Ikoma is residence to Hozan-ji, an historic temple first in-built 665 AD. It gained recognition in the course of the Edo interval after Japan’s first cable automobile was constructed right here.
Conventional buying streets join the temple with a close-by village in a throwback to Edo-period Japan. In case you’re trying to stretch your legs, there are additionally many lovely mountain paths across the temple to smaller, extra distant shrines.
For one thing slightly totally different, Mt. Ikoma can be residence to Ikoma Sanjo Amusement Park, with a collection of rides and points of interest for all of the household. This generally is a nice end to a protracted day trip or a enjoyable approach to entertain the youngsters after you’ve explored the mountaintop.
8. Hasedera Temple
Nicknamed the “temple of flowers”, Hasedera is without doubt one of the most lovely temples within the Kansai space. It’s situated south of Nara Metropolis and may be reached in about an hour from Osaka-Namba Station by way of the Kintetsu strains.
Situated on a mountainside, the roads main as much as the temple have a historic ambiance, with many retailers promoting conventional sweets, meals and souvenirs. The steps are lined with conventional stone lanterns and flowers.
The temple has a good looking primary corridor, a storied pagoda and a wood stage, just like Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera however with out the vacationers. It enshrines an eleven-faced Buddha statue, in addition to a statue of Binzuru which is claimed to have therapeutic properties; simply rub the corresponding a part of his physique to obtain slightly little bit of divine consideration in your aches and pains.
Nonetheless, the true attraction of the temple lies in its beautiful pure location. The temple is breathtaking in all seasons, forming a good looking backdrop for brilliant purple foliage in autumn, in addition to blooming peonies and cherry blossoms in spring. It’s a nice location for photographers and nature lovers to expertise Japan’s altering seasons.
9. Okayama and Kurashiki
JR Go holders get pleasure from limitless journeys on the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka, which opens up an excellent wider number of day journey choices. Head west on the bullet practice for about 50 minutes and also you’ll attain Okayama Prefecture, the house of some fascinating websites the place you may expertise life in small-town Japan.
Town of Okayama is the transport hub for the area and the disputed setting for one among Japan’s most well-known people tales, the peach boy Momotaro. Cease by to go to its black citadel, referred to as the Crow Fortress, and Korakuen, one of many three well-known gardens of Japan.
Korakuen has been a web site of pure magnificence in Okayama for greater than 400 years, functioning as a spot for entertaining the friends of a succession of daimyo, Japan’s feudal lords. Constructed round a brilliant, open garden and the Sawa-no-ike Pond, the backyard’s paths take you thru hills, over bridges and previous tea homes whereas the elegant curves of Okayama Fortress perch above the treeline.
Okayama Fortress can be value a short go to, with its putting black exterior and gilded roof tiles. Whereas it was closely bombed in the course of the Second World Battle, the citadel has been reconstructed and now sits inside a picturesque park, simply throughout the bridge from Korakuen.
One other standard day journey spot alongside this a part of the coast is Kurashiki, a former service provider city with a superbly preserved warehouse district. Whereas it was once one of many principal buying and selling hubs alongside the inland sea, the storehouses have now been reimagined as charming cafes and a collection of well-known denim retailers.
Kurashiki is especially lovely in the course of the cherry blossom season, when the timber scatter sakura petals throughout the cobblestones and canal bridges. It’s a good time to take a punt alongside the willow-lined canals by means of the guts of the historic quarter.
At any time of 12 months, Kurashiki is a superb place to buy, eat and discover an usually neglected a part of Japanese historical past. For a full itinerary, ensure to take a look at our article from our go to to town’s historic quarter.
10. Ise Grand Shrine
A day journey to Ise Grand Shrine will not be for the faint-hearted, but it surely has an enormous payoff. One of many oldest and holiest websites in Shinto, this big shrine advanced in Mie Prefecture may be visited from both Osaka or Nagoya.
You’ll want an early begin should you’re planning to go to Ise and again in a day. The journey entails two and a half hours on Kintetsu Restricted Specific trains to both Iseshi or Isuzugawa Stations, with a brief bus experience as much as the shrine gates when you arrive within the metropolis.
However all that travelling is value it: the bus will drop you within the coronary heart of one of the crucial vital and influential websites in not simply Japanese faith, however Japanese tradition as a complete. Ise Grand Shrine is without doubt one of the two most vital websites in Shinto, and is sure up within the tales of the solar goddess Amaterasu and the opposite gods of historic Japan.
The shrine has been an vital place of pilgrimage for Japanese folks down the centuries, and nonetheless exerts a strong maintain on travellers of every kind. It consists of two shrines, the outer Geku and internal Naiku, however most vacationers concentrate on crossing into the internal Naiku over the well-known Uji Bridge.
Naiku’s distinctive ambiance is weighted with historical past and fable. The shrine and the Uji Bridge are reconstructed each 20 years to a design that has been handed down the centuries in a steady cycle of renewal. The centre of the shrine is closed to the general public and is claimed to be the residence of the Sacred Mirror, cast by the gods as one of many key treasures of the Japanese Imperial Family.
All these pilgrims down the centuries have wanted locations to eat, drink and sleep, and all kinds of retailers and eating places have sprung up alongside the arcade to the shrine entrance. After shopping by means of the charming wood buildings, you can even go to Okage Yokocho, with its collection of stalls providing a spread of Japanese road meals and locations to relaxation your legs.
Whereas it’s not a straightforward day journey, Ise Grand Shrine is unquestionably value contemplating if you are interested in Japanese historical past, Shinto or historic Japanese tradition.
Conclusion – The Greatest Day Journeys from Osaka
Day journeys are a good way to expertise the total number of locations that Japan has to supply. With its central location and intensive transport hyperlinks, Osaka gives the right base for the form of versatile, light-weight journey round Japan. Enterprise off the Golden Route for the day and also you may simply uncover one thing sudden, from historic temples and historic websites to theme parks and onsen resorts.
However earlier than you slip in your day pack and head for the station, be sure you’ve skilled all the things Osaka has to supply! Check out our someday Osaka itinerary to make sure you go to the entire metropolis’s most well-known sights, or browse our information to the greatest inns in Osaka to search out a terrific residence away from residence for all budgets and journey types.