Werbung/press trip
For another time I made my way back to my favorite city in the world – OSAKA! This time I had a special mission, I wanted to create a vegan food guide. As some of you might know already, Osaka is the food capital of Japan. Also, Osaka is a very vegan friendly city, offering all kind of foods in a vegan version. I´ve been eating like crazy for 5 days and was testing many restaurants to present you the most delicious food spots, along with great activities in Osaka..
During my stay in Osaka I was staying at a brand-new boutique hotel which just opened in April 2019. Hotel.it is located very central and close to my favorite area in Osaka, which is Namba. Featuring a bar, Hotel It Osaka Shinmachi is set in Osaka in the Osaka Prefecture region, 500 m from Tosa Inari Shrine and 600 m from Samuhara Shrine. Among the facilities of this property are a restaurant, a 24-hour front desk and luggage storage space, along with free WiFi. The hotel features family rooms. Popular points of interest near Hotel It Osaka Shinmachi include Ikasuri Shrine, Tsunami and Storm Surge Disaster Prevention Station and Wakoji Temple. Moreover, the hotel is featuring a vegan menu and I definitely recommend the vegan pizza. Me and my friend liked it so much, we even ordered it twice.
While I was staying in Osaka, I used the Osaka amazing pass for two days. One can safe so much money when purchasing the pass, as many facilities are available for free and the pass is also allowing one to ride the public transport in Osaka, including metro and busses. One of the spots that I visited was the Shitennoji Temple. I was even lucky to stumble into a huge flea market taking place at the location.
If one is interested in cars or simply looking for a cool photo spot, I definitely recommend visiting the Glion Museum. The usual entrance fee is 1000 yen so using the Osaka amazing pass is definitely saving money. It is a classic car museum where you can meet a variety of old classic cars from Japan and other countries. Red Brick Warehouse constructed in 1923 was renovated into a classic car museum to exhibit approximately 250 classic cars including Rolls-Royce Phantom II which had been popular between 1900 and 1950. Those cars can be also available for purchase.A showroom, steakhouse and cafe are located in the same area as well. Close to the museum one can also find the Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel, which is a 5-minute walk from the Osakako subway station, and steps away from the Kaiyukan aquarium, the Tempozan Ferris Wheel soars 112.5 meters into the air and has a diameter of 100 meters, making it one of the world's largest Ferris wheels. On sunny days, a ride is a roughly 15-minute-long journey through the sky, offering views of Mount Ikoma to the east, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge to the west, Kansai International Airport to the south, and the Rokko mountains to the north. Three of its 60 cabins are wheelchair accessible. Additionally, in-cabin announcements are made in both Japanese and English. Colorful light displays and weather forecasts for the following day are also popular features. The vibrant lights of Osaka Bay have undeniably become one of Osaka's defining tourist attractions. I´ve been visiting the Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel before and always come back.
Also included in the Osaka Amazing pass is the Osaka Museum of Natural History and the Nagai Botanical Garden. An 800-meter walk from the Nagai Station of the JR Hanwa Line or the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line. Nagai Botanical Garden takes up 24.2 hectares of the southeast corner of Nagai Park. Different flowers can be enjoyed every season, such as peony, daffodil and tulip during spring; water lily, silk flower and crape myrtle during summer; kenaf, cosmea and bush clover during autumn; and Japanese plum, sasanqua and Christmas rose in the winter. There are also approximately 1,000 species of trees where various wild birds gather. These tree species of Osaka are organized chronologically into forests of the times based on representative species: metasequoia, said to be a living fossil, and sequoia, known as giant trees (Tertiary plants); plants of Akashi when Stegodon aurorae (ancient elephants) were still living; old-growth forests of Osaka from 10,000 to 2 million years ago (glacial and interglacial periods); evergreen broadleaf forest; and second-growth forest. Within the garden is the Osaka Museum of Natural History, where communication with nature and relationship between human and plants are explained in an easy-to-understand manner. There are also explanation and observation tours of seasonal plants, guided by the curator of the plant lab.
Fully reconstructed skeletons of ancient animals, including dinosaurs and prehistoric mastodons; lifelike models, dioramas, photographs and panels showing the astonishing diversity of life on earth, and its even more astonishing evolution down through the ages; this is the Osaka Museum of Natural History. The museum is structured around the theme "the Relationship Between Humanity and Nature." Museum staff investigate and study different fields of natural history, and collect samples and reference books, presenting the results to a wide range of Osaka citizens through permanent and special exhibitions. In addition, the staff conduct a number of natural history educational programs both inside and outside the museum.
I´ve been purchasing the Osaka Amazing pass previously and have many recommendations. My top activities are the following:
Umeda Sky Building, which is one of the landmarks of Umeda, Osaka. On the top is the Floating Garden Observatory, where Osaka's cityscape can be viewed from a height of 170 meters. The observation platform of this observatory is a bridge connecting the two towers of the Umeda Sky Building, whose roof features a doughnut shape that provides an unobstructed 360-degree view. While enjoying the breathtaking sights you can also directly feel the wind―which at 170 meters off the ground can get quite strong. From this observatory you can not only see all of Osaka but as far away as Awaji Island. The basement of the building houses the Takimi-Koji gourmet street with old fashioned images of Osaka from the 1920s.
Of course, not to miss is the Osaka Castle, or “Osaka-jo” in Japanese, is certainly one of the most famous landmarks in Japan, and for good reason. This five-story castle is one of the most visually spectacular creations in the country, with a history that dates back almost 450 years! One can combine the visit with a Golden Wasen*, "Osaka Castle Gozabune*" which takes you around moats of the Osaka Castle is one of the best activities you can experience around Osaka castle area. It's a valuable opportunity to get a close look at the stone walls through the transition of seasons.
Don’t miss out on Tsutenkaku, also known as the Eiffel Tower of Osaka. On the 5th floor, there is an observatory with a view of Osaka, and statue of Biriken, a god that is said to bring good luck to those who stroke the bottom of its feet. If one likes ferris wheels I strongly recommend the HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel which is o ne of the landmarks of Umeda, Osaka. From the highest point of 106 meters above ground, passengers can see all the way out to the Akashi Strait. HEP Five, a shopping complex with specialty shops geared for young people, boasts Kita's most recognizable symbol: a bright red Ferris wheel on its roof. From an air conditioned gondola at the top of the wheel 106 meters above the ground, you can get a splendid view of downtown, of Osaka harbor, and all the way out to Mount Ikoma. Adjacent to HEP Five is HEP Navio, a fashionable shopping complex that also features a Cineplex and restaurants.
As I´m a crazy cat lady and love anything cat related, I definitely wanted to visit the Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum, as the entrance has a huge cat and definitely caught my interest. It is a museum for ukiyoe (Japanese woodblock prints) which mainly houses and displays a collection of popular Kabuki actor prints from the Bunka and Bunsei eras (late in the Edo period). Besides, this is the only museum in the world that features a permanent exhibition of Kamigata Ukiyoe, or Kamigata woodblock prints. Kamigata Ukiyoe were printed and sold in Kamigata―which is what the Osaka-Kyoto region was commonly called during the Edo Period (1603-1868). The Kamigata region, which in those days had a much longer tradition of art and culture behind it than did Edo area (present-day Tokyo), created woodblock prints which were quite different from those of the Edo area. They were much more realistic, tending to express the true personalities of their subjects, especially of the great Kabuki actors of the day. The Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum has some 50 works in its permanent exhibition.
More free facilities to visit with the Osaka amazing pass can be found HERE. Besides free admissions, there are also discounts available for other locations and other benefits.
Since I introduced you guys so well to all the sight seeing spots that I liked I want to focus on the vegan food offer in Osaka for this part of the article. My all-time favorite restaurant in Osaka is the Shizen Bar Paprika Shokudou Vegan, which is offering all kinds of food and even vegan soft ice. This is their philosophy: "Eat, eat, and become beautiful." We aim to provide new food and drink based on the ideas of vegans (complete vegetarians), macrobiotics (brown rice vegetarians), and raw foods (enzymatic nutrition). We serve delicious food without the use of meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, cheese and butter, processed foods, white sugar, pesticides, chemical seasonings and excess additives, and genetically modified foods. Location: 〒550-0013 Osaka, Nishi Ward, Shinmachi, 1
If one prefers Japanese cuisine, I recommend Gyozaoh Dotonbori. Especially their claim “no gyoza no life” makes it unforgettable as people just really living it over there. The restaurant is offering vegan gyoza and even vegan gyoza as dessert, filled with anko (red been paste). Prices are cheap and food is great. A big plus is the casual atmosphere and mingling with locals. Location: 2 Chome-4-14 Dotonbori, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0071, Japan
Base Island Kitchen definitely offers the best tapas in Osaka. It´s a small café but people love it. The focus is set on healthy food and local ingrdients. Daily specials are available, like cakes or soups. Moreover it is Osaka's first Jamaican-Japanese vegetarian-friendly restaurant and bar featuring dishes that are originally vegan or can be modified to vegan. I strongly recommend the nuggets. Location: 1 Chome-16-27 Kitahorie, Nishi Ward, Osaka, 550-0014, Japan
Natural kitchen Medaka offers a balanced natural menu in a relaxing atmosphere. The menu offers a way to enhance natural healing. Moreover, the restaurant has a second floor which offers a spa. Their philosophy is following: Medaka (we) are very small creatures, and medaka (our healthy mind) grows only in beautiful water (environment). natural kitchen Medaka was born in 1997 with the desire to create an environment in which Medaka (future children) can live with peace of mind together with customers. I really liked the vegan meat. Location: 〒530-0056 Osaka, 大阪市北 Kita Ward, Toganocho, 3−20 雁木ビル1F
My last recommendation is UPGRADE Plant based kitchen. The restaurant is located in the food court of a shopping center, offering vegan and vegetarian dishes. It just opened at the end of September 19 and understand vegan as following: Plant based food is a food or dish in
which animal ingredients such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products are replaced with vegetable ingredients. Our restaurant “Upgrade” uses nutrient-rich soybeans and offers a creative menu such as hamburgers, fried chicken, lasagna, desserts, etc., with the aim of becoming “eatable and delicious. You. Please enjoy a new sense of Plant based kitchen. Everything is from soy. "Soy" grows with little water and energy and survives in cold climates and subtropics. Soy, which has been loved since ancient times and has been eaten in various forms, is a desired ingredient that can fulfill such wishes, "I want to make people and the earth healthy." Location: 〒542-8501 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Shinsaibashisuji, 1 Chome−7−1 本館地下2階フードホール内 大丸心斎橋店
I really hope that you could enjoy my travel guide and got inspirations for you next Japan trip. While this post is already packed with loads of information, there is even more to do, to see, to explore, to eat and so on. I can also refer to my previously published articles:
- TRAVEL | ARRIVAL IN JAPAN, OSAKA AND MINOH
- TRAVEL | MY TRIP TO KANSAI PREFECTURE
- TRAVEL | MY VEGAN TRAVELS IN OSAKA
- TRAVEL | JAPAN FOLLOW ME AROUND
- TRAVEL | FOLLOW ME AROUND OSAKA