Family of four trip report. Please see parts one and two in separate posts for Tokyo and Kyoto. This part contains Osaka and comments about hotels and transportation.
Osaka (and Nara) Food
Kitashinchi Kushikatsu Bon (with kids) – Located in Kitashinchi. We sat at the counter and were handed perfectly fried a la minute skewers of meat, fish, and vegetables one after another. High quality ingredients and nothing tasted greasy, or smelled of frying oil. It was just one tasty skewer of food after another until we almost burst. Great ones included wagyu kushikatsu topped with uni and caviar, baby corn coated in sesame seeds, and for dessert, fried mochi topped with kabocha squash and caramel. The service was warm and attentive. Reservations through Tablecheck.com. Tabelog score: 3.71
Sukiyaki Momoshiki (with kids) – Located in Nara. While in Osaka, we took a day trip to Nara and had lunch here, which was near the Kintetsu-Nara train station. Delicious sukiyaki- each person got their own cast iron pot filled with beef, veggies, mushrooms, and sukiyaki sauce. Kids shared a strawberry kakigori that was delicious. If you’re in the area, and in the mood for sukiyaki, it’s a great option. The restaurant was half empty when we got there at noon. By the time we left at around 1 pm, the restaurant was full and there were about 15 people waiting in the foyer area, so make sure to book or get there early! Tabelog Score: 3.52
Mojakare. (with kids) – Located inside Shin-Osaka station. We were craving curry and this place absolutely crushed it. It’s tiny – seven counter seats. People wait for a seat, order, eat quietly and leave. The curry was delicious – the sauce/roux was flavorful and piping hot, and the pork katsu was nice and crispy. And the portions were generous! There is the also the option of adding a raw egg to the sauce, along with various veggie toppings (green onion, spinach, eggplant). There are so many places in Osaka to eat that there would be no reason to go out of your way to eat here. But, if you are at the station (maybe waiting to take a bullet train), it’s a great option for a meal. Tabelog score: 3.66
Osaka Points of Interest
I don’t have much to say beyond what is already posted on many other threads regarding the various neighborhoods of Osaka. We walked around Dotombori and grazed on gyoza, takoyaki, and melon pan (fun, but one afternoon doing this was more than enough), had dinner and shopped in the Umeda area (buzzing with a lot of energy and young adults out and about having a good time), bought a knife in the Doguyasoji area after walking there from the Shinsekai area, and had a fun family night going crazy with the claw machines at Taito station in Namba. Osaka is a really fun city.
The one stand out experience during our three days in Osaka was a day trip to visit Himeji Castle. The castle itself is breathtakingly gorgeous and we had a wonderful volunteer guide. She explained the history of the castle, the surrounding grounds, and pointed out all the cool architectural features that served as defense mechanisms for possible invaders/enemies. My kids found the tour interesting because of all the little details that our guide pointed out. Highly recommended.
Notes about hotels and transportation
1) We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Tokyo in Nishi-Shinjuku for five nights on Hyatt points. It was a nice, clean hotel with very helpful staff. There were also two subway stops about 5 min walking from the hotel, and about a 15-20 min walk to the heart of Shinjuku. There’s nothing extraordinary about the hotel, but if you’re looking to use Hyatt points, it’s a good option.
2) For our one night in Hakone, we stayed at Yama No Chaya. Holey moley – what an amazing experience! Our room, which had a large private onsen, was gorgeous. The onsen had these big glass doors that opened onto a private terrace attached to the room. Relaxing in the hot onsen while feeling the cool night air was an unforgettable experience. The service was exceptional and the in-room kaiseki meal was quite good as well. We loved our stay here and it was perfect after five days of putting in 20K+ steps a day in Tokyo. Quite a splurge, but highly recommended.
3) Mimaru Kawarmachi Gojo in Kyoto – stayed for five nights. Overall, we were happy with this hotel. Pros: As a family of four, we booked the “two bedroom” room, which consisted of one bedroom, a common dining space, and two additional beds that could be screened off with some sliding wooden doors. It was quite spacious and there was a functional kitchenette with an induction cooktop, pots/pans, and dishes. The hotel also made available (free of charge) a shabu shabu pot and a rice cooker. We cooked dinner twice and it was a nice chance to stay in and load up on veggies (there is a Fresco mini-market next door to the hotel where we bought veggies, fruit, tofu, etc.) Cons: The location is neither in Kawarmachi (about a 15-20 min walk away) nor Gion (one subway stop away). So if you want to be in the center of a particular neighborhood, this may not your hotel.
4) Courtyard Marriott Shin-Osaka – stayed for three nights. I booked here on points and chose this location because I wanted a hotel that was close to a train station, and figured it would be a convenient departure point for our planned Shinkansen trips to Himeji and back to Tokyo. Typical Marriott room: clean, comfortable, nothing outstanding or terrible. I did enjoy having the train station right next door, which made getting coffee and breakfast in the morning very easy. If you’re looking to use Marriott points, it’s not a bad option. I didn’t mind being away from the heart of Osaka because the Midosuji line connected us to mostly everywhere we wanted in Osaka.
5) Transportation: Route was Tokyo-Hakone-Kyoto-Osaka (with day trips to Nara and Himeji) – Tokyo (to fly out of Narita). I plugged our itinerary into several online calculators and they all told me the 14-day JR pass (before the recent price jump) did not make financial sense. So I booked our Shinkansen tickets individually on the Smart-Ex app (overall quite easy to navigate), and we used our Welcome Suica cards (obtained from Haneda airport after we landed) for all other public transportation during our entire trip including busses.
That’s the end of my three-part trip report! If you’ve made it this far, I hope you found something helpful. Best of luck with your trip planning! We had an amazing two weeks and feel so lucky to have experienced the kindness, beauty, wonder, and deliciousness of Japan!