The rain had stopped when our plane landed in Osaka and the summertime warmth was just beginning to rise. Looking out of the window, I was reminded of my previous trip in 2010 when I spent two days on every extreme ride at Universal Studio Japan. Time flies.
Dotonbori is one of Osaka's oldest entertainment and shopping venues.
Upon returning to Japan's second-largest economic city in the western region, my travelling buddies and I decided to design our own walking tour and explore the bustling entertainment and commercial neighbourhood of Namba, where visitors can take in the colours of local life from day to night while observing how the old and new coexist in the age of pop culture.
After winding through the crowds and a maze of shopping streets, we reached the Tazaemonbashi Bridge Dock and boarded a huge yellow ferry for a relaxing 20-minute cruise along the Dotonbori canal. This allowed us to travel back to 1612 when a merchant named Yasui Doton invested his wealth in transforming the Umezu River into a new waterway that connected the local canal system with the Kizugawa River.
Due to the expansion of the city, this area was formerly home to a large number of traditional kabuki theatres and teahouses until being supplanted by stages for comedy acts, bars and restaurants, making it a long-established destination for dining and entertainment.
Visitors can take a boat trip to explore Dotonbori's bustling waterfront district.
A tour guide yelled out and waved his hands to greet pedestrians as we passed the iconic backdrops of the Tombori Riverwalk, the Don Quijote building with its enormous Ferris wheel on top, and the Glico Running Man billboard which rises above the Ebisubashi Bridge, bright with LED lights.
Back on the land, we strolled down a lengthy promenade and enjoyed a variety of street food like deep-fried skewered fish with vegetables, and takoyaki (grilled octopus dumpling topped with savoury garnishes and ponzu sauce), which throughout the day attracted a lot of customers to the popular Kushikatsu Daruma, Acchichi Honpo and Kukuru shops.
We made our way to Shinsaibashi-Suji Street, a bustling retail area established during the Edo period. More than 200 fashion boutiques, jewellery shops and accessory shops from local and international names have been added to the 600m roofed arcade, along with cafés and eateries that provide light meals during the day. As it was the summer sale season, it turned into shopping heaven for us.
When our bellies began to growl, it was time for dinner. We headed back to Dotonbori and waited in line at Mizuno, which has been included in the Bib Gourmand list of the Michelin Guide Japan from 2018 until present. It is one of the oldest okonomiyaki restaurants in Osaka and is currently in the hands of Yoshiko Morikawa, a third-generation owner.
Located in Dotonbori, Acchichi Honpo is famous for its authentic takoyaki.
Flour, egg, dashi, cabbage, Japanese yam and Japanese mayonnaise are the main ingredients for classic Japanese savoury pancakes. We sat in front of a burner as a chef demonstrated his techniques to cook mazeyaki with a batter made of a range of ingredients and bursting with a variety of pork and seafood, perfect for sharing.
After a long day of sightseeing, it took us 15 minutes from Dotonbori to check into Centara Grand Hotel Osaka, which welcomed its first group of guests just last month. It's a joint venture between Thailand's leading hotel chain, Centara, with Taisei and Kanden Realty to broaden its base to the Japanese market.
With a budget of 9 billion baht, this new 33-floor hotel offers 515 elegant modern rooms that perfectly blend Japanese design and Thai elements. To ensure a more pleasant stay, they vary in size from 27m² to 56m² and range in categories from Superior to Club Suite.
With its prime location, each room is masterfully designed with contemporary amenities and floor-to-ceiling windows so that guests can catch a glimpse of skyscrapers, the rail network and endless commercial areas.
I spent three nights in a 30m² Deluxe Premium Floor room, with a clean layout and modern aesthetics allowing customers to revel in urban life. Simple yet classy, it has a living area with a cosy sofa and a minibar corner with a Nespresso coffee maker and tea supplies.
Shinsaibashi-Suji Street is lined with more than 200 shops from well-known local and international brands.
From a comfy king-size bed, guests can link entertainment apps on their smartphones to a large smart TV. Hidden behind a wall, a spacious bathroom is complete with a vanity, a separate rain shower area and a bathtub, making it the ideal place to unwind after a walking tour.
In order to promote itself as a new dining destination, the hotel offers a high-altitude culinary journey with a diverse selection of world-class bars and restaurants on its 32nd and 33rd floors. Diners can take in panoramic rooftop views while indulging in the finest whiskeys and premium dry-aged steak at WhiskeyNova Steakhouse, or sampling mouthwatering smokehouse fare at Kunsei Kitchen.
Smoke & Spin offers lounge-style afternoon tea amid baseball memorabilia, while Crudo Deck serves up al fresco drinks and a mouthwatering Western buffet as resident DJs serenade patrons. Automata serves self-pour beer and speciality drinks in a secret retro-futuristic dream world with amazing views of the city.
To create a classic Thai setting, an iconic tuk-tuk is parked at the entrance of the Suan Bua restaurant where a wide range of authentic homestyle Thai cuisine is a highlight. For those looking for a place to uplift their spirits, Japan's first Spa Cenvaree provides a unique selection of relaxing treatments including traditional Thai massage, holistic therapies and therapeutic rituals.
With its prime location, Centara Grand Hotel Osaka is surrounded with tourist attractions and shopping venues, making it a new perfect choice for vacationers. Photos: Centara Grand Hotel Osaka
Late the next morning, we walked 1km from our hotel to Kuromon Ichiba Fish Market, which is located in Osaka's Chuo Ward. Established in 1902, this 580m roofed market is home to 150 shops selling fresh seafood, fruit and vegetables, meat, dried fish, pickles and confectionery as well as street food. It's convenient for visitors when to choose fish or other ingredients at reasonable prices as a majority of stalls demonstrate how they prepare, cook and serve meals immediately. Sashimi and grilled seafood like scallops, oysters, crab legs, sea urchins and eel are among the most popular dishes.
A short stroll from the fish market, Hozenji Temple provides pilgrims with a peaceful haven to take a break from the confusion of modern structures and shopping streets. This ancient sanctuary was built in 1637 to house a statue of Fudo Myo-O, a Buddhist spirit who stands for discipline and unwavering morality.
Local legend holds that Fudo's statue was covered in moss because of a woman who prayed by watering it and saw her desires come true. Worshippers have prayed to Fudo for achievement, wealth and health ever since.
To take in the vibrant evening views, we continued to meander along Hozenji Yokocho's twisting walkways. This popular dining area has more than 60 pubs, cafés and izakaya restaurants, as well as a collection of traditional Japanese buildings and old lanterns that evoke memories of a century ago. Dinner includes everything from teppanyaki grills to okonomiyaki savoury pancakes and kushiage kebabs, or katsudon pig cutlets on rice as you sip sake and a few special beverages.
The Kuromon Ichiba Fish Market offers a wide selection of seafood, fresh vegetables, meat and street food.
On the final day, we visited the Abeno Harukas Observatory and took in the panoramic views of the Osaka Plain from the top of Japan's highest edifice. Standing on the 58th to 60th floors, visitors can imagine themselves travelling back in time to the Showa period when a number of historical buildings such as Osaka Castle, Shitennoji Temple, old town districts and ancient burial mounds were built.
Looking from the east to the south, you can see Mount Yoshino and Mount Ikoma in classical poetry from the Nara and Heian periods, and in the west beyond Osaka Bay, Awaji Island and the Seto Inland Sea are also visible.
Back on the ground, we wove through a crowd of local families who were setting up picnic blankets in the sizable courtyard of Ten-shiba Area, where children were having fun at creative game booths and young athletes were showcasing their talents on an adjacent small football pitch.
After a 1km walk, we arrived at Shinsekai just in time for lunch, where we were delighted with a wide range of kushikatsu (deep-fried skewered meat and vegetables). Shinsekai was established in 1912 and its design took inspiration from New York and Paris to bring an exotic atmosphere to the town. Luna Park, an amusement park with mechanical rides, a concert theatre and a hot spring spa, was originally located in the middle of the neighbourhood and was a well-known entertainment destination in the early 20th century.
At Hozenji Temple, worshippers are allowed to pour water on a statue of Fudo Myo-O.
Despite the fact that the theme park was closed in 1925, several of the neighbouring eateries feature eye-catching billboards, huge sculptures and signs that evoke memories of a bygone fun fair for visitors both during the day and at night.
Our journey came to an end at the Namba Yasaka Shrine, famous for its gigantic lion-head-shaped building. As a result of the separation of Shintoism and Buddhism, the temple was abolished before being burned down in air raids in 1945. It was rebuilt in the years following the war.
The lion's open mouth is said to have the power to swallow evil spirits and grant success to those in business or taking academic exams.
In January, worshippers can witness the Tug-of-War Ritual, which was designated as Osaka City's first intangible folk cultural property in 2001. According to a Japanese folktale, Susano-No-Mikoto, the revered deity slew the large serpent god Yamata-no-orochi to release people from agony.
Abeno Harukas Observatory provides spectacular panoramic views of Osaka.
Shinsekai is reminiscent of New York and Paris in the early 20th century, home to many kushikatsu restaurants.
Namba Yasaka Shrine is famous for its gigantic lion-head-shaped building.
Located at the entrance of Tennoji Park, Ten-shiba Area is a popular picnic spot for families during the summer.