Visiting Osaka With Kids: Why We Absolutely Loved it
Lila (๑>◡<๑)
Of all the places we visited in Japan, Osaka was one of those cities that completely won us over. We travelled with our teenage daughter and two-year-old son, and despite being at very different ages, they both loved it. In fact, I think Osaka is one of the easiest cities to enjoy as a family because there’s always something interesting happening around you.
We flew into Osaka to begin our holiday, and I’m so glad we did. The city is vibrant, colourful, wonderfully chaotic in places, and absolutely bursting with incredible food. There are shops everywhere, enormous illuminated signs and little discoveries around almost every corner.
What surprised me most was how much we enjoyed simply walking around. Osaka is a huge city, so you can’t walk everywhere, but areas like Namba and Dotonbori are brilliant for exploring on foot. We didn’t need every hour of our day planned because just being out in the streets felt like an experience in itself.
And the food! If there’s one thing Osaka knows how to do, it’s feed people. I could happily return just to eat my way around the city.
Where We Stayed: OMO7 Osaka by Hoshino Resorts
We stayed at OMO7 Osaka by Hoshino Resorts, and I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough, particularly for families.
It was a little bit of a splurge for us, but because we were arriving in Japan after a flight, I wanted somewhere comfortable where we could settle in and start our holiday properly. It turned out to be the perfect choice, and we loved absolutely everything about our stay.
One of the biggest things for us was the size of the room. Japanese hotel rooms can be notoriously compact, so finding accommodation spacious enough for our whole family felt like a luxury in itself. We weren’t all squeezed into a tiny space, which makes such a difference when travelling with children. We stayed in the IDOBATA Suite and it was well worth the cost.
The hotel is also beautifully designed, with a huge landscaped garden area known as Miya-green. Having that sense of space in the middle of a busy Japanese city is lovely, especially when you’re travelling with little ones.
Its location was another major advantage. OMO7 sits directly beside Shin-Imamiya Station, making it convenient for arriving from Kansai International Airport and exploring the city by train. You’re also within walking distance of the Shinsekai neighbourhood and its famous Tsutenkaku Tower.
If you’re planning to visit Universal Studios Japan, the hotel also offers a complimentary shuttle service for guests, although reservations are required. Honestly, having this organised for us was one less thing for us to think about and was a welcome addition.
For us, OMO7 was more than somewhere to sleep. It was a wonderful introduction to Japan and exactly what we needed at the beginning of our holiday.
Our recommendation: If you’re visiting Osaka with children and your budget allows a little extra for accommodation, OMO7 Osaka is absolutely worth considering. Be sure to check the different room categories, particularly the larger family-friendly options.
[Check OMO7 Osaka by Hoshino Resorts prices and availability]
5 Things to Do in Osaka That Are Actually Worth Your Time
You could spend weeks exploring Osaka, but I don’t think you need to fill your itinerary with dozens of attractions to enjoy it. These are the five places I’d recommend starting with, particularly if you’re visiting for the first time.
1. Experience the Madness of Dotonbori
If you’ve seen photographs of Osaka filled with enormous neon signs, giant moving crabs, bright lights and streets packed with people, chances are you’ve been looking at Dotonbori.
This is the Osaka everyone comes to see, and for good reason. It’s busy, loud, colourful and completely over the top in the best possible way.
The famous Glico Running Man sign overlooking the canal is one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks, and it’s almost impossible to visit without stopping for a photograph. Restaurants line the surrounding streets, with giant food displays hanging above their entrances.
And then there’s Don Quijote.
If you’ve never visited a Don Quijote store in Japan, you’re in for an experience. It’s an enormous discount shopping chain selling everything from Japanese snacks and beauty products to toys, souvenirs, electronics and things you didn’t even know existed.
My recommendation is to visit Dotonbori in the late afternoon and stay until the lights come on. Grab something to eat, explore the shops and just soak up the atmosphere. It gets extremely busy, so keep little ones close and consider bringing a compact stroller or carrier.
2. Eat Your Way Through Osaka
I genuinely believe eating is one of the best things to do in Osaka, and you don’t need to book fancy restaurants to have an incredible experience.
Osaka has a reputation as Japan’s kitchen, and there’s even a word associated with its food culture: kuidaore, loosely meaning to eat until you’ve spent all your money.
Start with takoyaki, those delicious little balls filled with octopus and topped with savoury sauce, mayonnaise and bonito flakes. Just be careful because they’re often served incredibly hot.
Then there’s okonomiyaki, a savoury pancake made with cabbage, batter and your choice of fillings. Osaka-style okonomiyaki is one of the city’s signature dishes, and watching it cook on a hotplate is part of the experience.
You’ll also find kushikatsu, crispy skewers of meat, seafood and vegetables, particularly around Shinsekai. Add ramen, gyoza, Japanese sweets and seemingly endless convenience-store discoveries, and you really could spend your entire visit eating.
If you’re looking for another place to explore, Kuromon Ichiba Market is a popular food market near Namba. It’s known for seafood, grilled snacks and produce, although it’s worth checking prices before ordering because some stalls cater heavily to tourists.
One of my favourite things about travelling in Japan is that food doesn’t always need to be an organised activity. Sometimes the best meal is simply whatever catches your attention while you’re walking down the street.
3. Visit Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — One of Japan’s Most Impressive Aquariums
If you’re visiting Osaka with children, Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is one attraction I would definitely put on your itinerary. It’s one of Japan’s most impressive aquariums, and with a teenager and a toddler in tow, it’s exactly the sort of experience that can appeal to everyone.
The aquarium is famous for its enormous central Pacific Ocean tank, home to magnificent whale sharks, rays and schools of fish. What’s particularly clever about the design is that you begin near the top of the building and gradually make your way down through different marine environments, seeing the underwater world from different perspectives along the way.
There are penguins, seals, jellyfish and all sorts of fascinating marine creatures to discover. I particularly love the idea of an attraction where you can slow down and let children explore at their own pace, rather than constantly rushing to the next thing. The enormous viewing windows are perfect for little ones, while there’s plenty to interest older children and adults too.
The aquarium is located in Osaka’s Tempozan Harbour Village, approximately five minutes’ walk from Osakako Station. You can easily spend two to three hours exploring, and there’s plenty more to do nearby, including the Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel and the Tempozan Marketplace for shopping and food.
My recommendation: Make this a half-day outing rather than trying to squeeze it between too many other attractions. Book your tickets ahead of time, particularly during weekends and school holidays, and give yourself enough time to enjoy the aquarium without rushing. It’s also a great option for a rainy day in Osaka..
4. Visit Osaka Castle and Its Beautiful Park
If you’re looking for something a little more traditional after all the bright lights and shopping, Osaka Castle is a beautiful place to visit.
The castle is one of the city’s most famous landmarks, surrounded by impressive stone walls, moats and extensive parklands. Although the current main tower is a reconstruction, it’s still an important part of Osaka’s history.
For families, I think the surrounding park is just as appealing as the castle itself. There’s room to walk around, enjoy the scenery and escape the intensity of the busier shopping districts.
It’s particularly beautiful during cherry blossom season, when the park becomes one of Osaka’s most popular places to admire the flowers.
You can visit the castle museum if you’re interested in history, but even if you don’t go inside, the grounds alone are worth seeing.
5. Spend a Day at Universal Studios Japan
If you’re travelling with children or teenagers, Universal Studios Japan is probably already on your radar.
The theme park is famous for its immersive attractions, including Super Nintendo World and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s an especially appealing option for families with older children, although there are experiences for younger visitors too.
I would allow a full day for Universal Studios rather than trying to squeeze it into an already busy sightseeing itinerary.
Tickets and some attraction access arrangements should be organised in advance, and the park can become extremely crowded, so prepare yourself for this by planning quieter days either side to recover from the over stimulation. A day trip to Nara is a perfect option. Book all your meal reservations for the day when you arrive at Universal Studios. This is the one area I found that Universal Studios lacks in, which is enough food options for the number of visitors. Everything else is excellent.
If you’re travelling with a toddler, check height restrictions before visiting and consider how you’ll manage queues, naps and breaks throughout the day.
Is Osaka a Good Place to Visit With Kids?
Absolutely. Travelling with a teenager and a toddler can sometimes feel like planning two completely different holidays, but Osaka has plenty to offer both.
Our daughter could enjoy the shopping, food and energy of the city, while our son was surrounded by interesting things to look at wherever we went. It was a city where we could spend time together without every activity needing to be specifically designed for children.
I also loved how easy it was to explore individual neighbourhoods on foot. Japan’s public transport system makes travelling between areas straightforward, and once you arrive somewhere like Namba, Dotonbori or Shinsekai, you can spend hours wandering around.
The one thing I would warn families about is the crowds. Dotonbori in particular can become overwhelmingly busy, especially in the evenings, so it’s worth planning your visit around your children’s energy levels. Osaka is truly for every type of traveller.
What Else Can You Visit From Osaka?
Another reason I love Osaka is its location. It’s an excellent base for exploring Japan’s Kansai region, with several wonderful destinations close enough for day trips.
Kyoto is an easy train journey away and offers a completely different atmosphere, with traditional streets, historic temples, beautiful gardens and famous shrines. If you’re visiting Japan for the first time, I would definitely try to include both Osaka and Kyoto.
Nara is another excellent day trip, especially with children. Its famous free-roaming deer were one of the highlights of our entire Japanese holiday when we visited with our son. My biggest tip is to keep walking beyond the busiest areas near the park entrance, where you may find quieter spaces and more relaxed deer.
Kobe is also within easy reach and is known for its harbour scenery, cosmopolitan atmosphere and, of course, Kobe beef. It’s an appealing option if you have an extra day and want to explore somewhere different.
You don’t necessarily need to change hotels every time you visit another city. Osaka’s rail connections make it easy to explore the surrounding region and return to the same accommodation in the evening.
How Many Days Should You Spend in Osaka?
For a first visit, I think three days in Osaka is a lovely starting point.
That gives you enough time to explore Dotonbori, eat plenty of incredible food, discover neighbourhoods like Shinsekai and visit Osaka Castle without feeling as though you’re rushing everywhere.
If you’re planning Universal Studios Japan, I’d add another day. And if Osaka will be your base for visiting Kyoto, Nara or Kobe, you could easily stay for five or six nights.
I personally wouldn’t try to see everything in one day. Part of Osaka’s appeal is simply being there, discovering little shops, stopping for food and enjoying the atmosphere.
Planning Your Osaka Holiday
If you’re still deciding which parts of Japan to include in your itinerary, our free Japan Our Way Stay Finder can help you find destinations that suit your travel style and interests.
You can also use our Japan Planner to help organise the practical details of your trip, from preparing for departure to getting everything ready for your Japanese adventure.
And if you’re travelling with children, don’t miss our guide to Visiting Nara Deer Park With Kids, which shares one of our favourite family experiences in Japan.
Our Final Thoughts on Osaka
Osaka was such a wonderful way to begin our Japanese adventure, and it’s somewhere I would happily return to.
We loved the food, the shopping, the atmosphere and the fact that there was always something happening around us. Staying at OMO7 Osaka made the experience even better, and having somewhere spacious and comfortable to return to each day was worth the extra money for our family.
What I loved most, though, was that Osaka didn’t feel like a destination where we needed to rush from one attraction to the next. Some of the best moments were simply spent wandering around, discovering new foods and taking everything in together.
If you’re planning your first trip to Japan, please don’t overlook Osaka in favour of Tokyo and Kyoto. It has its own personality, its own incredible food culture and so much to offer families.
And whatever you do, arrive hungry. You’re going to need the appetite.
