I was recently in Osaka, my first time ever in Japan – and no surprise, I love it there! I love the food, the culture, the weather and the cleanliness. Now, Osaka isn't as crazy packed and happening as how Tokyo is (I'm sure, even though I've not gone there yet), but it has its own spirit and charm.

I have listed some stuff below that you need to prepare for any trip to Japan, things to do in Osaka, things I did there, and some personal recommendations. If you're heading to Osaka, this post is for you! Some of the other places I've traveled to around Osaka, will be linked here but in a separate post. There's just way too many things to cram into one post, honestly!



WHAT TO PREPARE FOR ANY TRIP TO JAPAN

Money. Cold, hard cash. Many places in Japan do not accept foreign credit cards, so just keep it primitive and simple.

Bring international adapters. Japanese electrical plugs are not the same as Malaysian ones, so bring an adapter lest your cameras and phones run out of juice.

Get a portable WiFi. Do not waste money on expensive roaming charges. Instead, rent a portable WiFi (for only 400JPY/MYR12 a day) that you can bring along with you for constant connection and connect up to 10 phones at once. I rented mine from this amazing site called Pupuru, feel free to check them out.

Comfortable shoes. Because everyone walks in Japan, and so would you; be ready for massively aching feet after a long day of walking about. Their public transportation system is pretty flawless but you still would definitely need to walk some distances. Which brings me to my next point.

Bring massage oil for sore feet. Trust me, it helps. Apply and massage the oil in before you sleep every night, and it would make you feel much better in the morning. I ignored my mom's advice the first night, and regretted it the next day.

Dress accordingly. If it's a much colder season, bring your warm things. Likewise for warmer seasons. As it is always hot here in Malaysia, I had to buy a few jackets and long sleeves for the Autumn season in Osaka. It wasn't too cold yet when I went, so what i had were good enough.



PLAN AHEAD FOR YOUR TRIP

Research and know your train lines. Being the main transportation means available, you need to know that Osaka has quite a number of different train lines, and it is good to know which are the stations and lines closer to your hotel. Take some time to study the routes and research a little. However, if in doubt, you can always ask the station master for help, or the staff in tourist centers.

Plan your destination(s). Know where you want to visit while in Japan. Then research on how to get there. For me, I used this site called HyperDia that allows you to search your travel route by keying in your point of departure (nearest station to your hotel) and your destination. It will calculate the fare(s) for you, as well as show you which train lines to use and how long the journey will take.

Never take a taxi from the airport – take the train or bus instead. Unless you're willing to fork out at least RM500 per trip. Most taxis in Osaka are quite expensive, and the drivers don't speak English at all, so you can't even negotiate or be sure if he understood where to go. Utilize the train, it's much cheaper and sometimes faster. There are train lines running to and fro in the Kansai International Airport (and most airports in Japan). It only cost us JPY920/MYR27, one way! You can learn more about train lines here. Alternatively, you can take the limousine bus (just a normal bus actually) if you arrive late at night and there're no trains running – details and timetables here.


These are some of the useful travel tips I've learnt while in Osaka. As I have too many photos to upload, you can view the entire post here on my blog.

No worries, glad to be of help!

Hello, I've actually just posted some stuff on Osaka & Nara on my blog, with a few good and practical travel tips. Kyoto post will be coming up next.

Links to:
Osaka
Nara
Universal Studios Japan

2. As for Yen I went to Bank Negara to change, because we needed to change a 5-figure sum. If it's a smaller sum, then Pyramid's money exchange rate is quite good.

3. No Visa needed, but you need the latest Malaysian passport with chip.

Hope this helps!

This post has been edited by raisedbywolves: Nov 12 2014, 03:09 PM

It's only slightly lower than the outside rate at the time, so not worth going there to change money unless you are changing a 5-figure sum like we did – then there's a slightly bigger difference. Rates fluctuate so you probably need to check the current rate as of now.