Osaka🇯🇵

Osaka… A city that makes us love it without even trying There are some cities that we feel comfortable just by hearing their names. “Osaka” is one of them. It is not the biggest city, it does not have the tallest skyscrapers. But Osaka has something that makes us feel like we are home. Even if we have never been here before. This is a city full of delicious food, cute cafes, small alleys with cats playing in front of their houses. And people who smile a lot, are kind, and are ready to help even if they cannot speak English. 🍃🐾 ⸻ Start the trip with Kuromon Market… A world of food that is never boring. If you come to Osaka and do not go to “Kuromon Ichiba Market”, it is a big mistake. 😋 This is a heaven for food lovers! There is food from morning to night, from fresh seafood to smooth desserts. We ate hot takoyaki stuffed with squid, bouncy balls that made you want to cry when you chewed them. Followed by grilled scallops with butter that were bigger than your palm. I really cried when I ate it because it was so delicious. 🐙🧈 Most of the vendors were very kind. They all spoke Japanese and were very good at using body language. One of them even turned around and wrote “so delicious!” on a piece of paper and handed it to me. My heart melted. 💌 ⸻ Osaka Castle… Beautiful, gorgeous, and warm After leaving the market, we went to “Osaka Castle,” the symbol of the city. The castle itself stands out majestically, white with gold trim, and has a very large garden around it. There was an old lady drawing pictures, children running around, and people riding bicycles passing by me gently. 🍃 When we went up to the top floor of the castle, we could see a full view of Osaka. The bustling city turned into a beautiful, quiet picture like a postcard. And the gentle breeze blowing through our faces made us feel that “this is enough.” ⸻ Walking with penguins at Kaiyukan Kaiyukan is an incredibly cute aquarium. We were excited when we saw whale sharks swimming through the giant glass tank. 🐋 But what melted our hearts the most was the small sea otters lying on their backs playing in the water. Plankton everyone! And the penguins are just as cute, walking around without a care in the world. It's like they know they're the idols here. 💫 The light here is beautiful, the atmosphere is peaceful, walking around like you're resting your heart. We still remember the moment we stood still in front of the giant aquarium. At that moment, the whole world stopped there. 🐠 ⸻ Tempozan Ferris Wheel – Letting our hearts float up to the sky Next to Kaiyukan is Tempozan, a white Ferris wheel that almost touches the sky. We went up in the evening... the soft golden sunlight gently caressed the city's surface. The view we saw was the wide sea, the port, and the reflection of the lights that were starting to turn on. Everything was still, peaceful, and gentle, to the point that we couldn't help but smile. ☁️ Sometimes... happiness doesn't have to be something much. Just sitting and looking at the city from a high place, quietly with your own heart is enough ⸻ Dotonbori… A city that lives 24 hours a day When the sky gets dark… we enter another world called “Dotonbori” 🏮 This is the most vibrant food, light, and life district in Osaka. The Glico sign with its running people stands out as if it’s hugging the whole city. The surrounding area is full of magnificent shop signs, giant squid, giant crab, giant ramen. The sound of shouting to call customers, the laughter of tourists. The smell of takoyaki floats in the air. 🍜🔥 We secretly sit by the canal, watch the lights reflecting on the water, and think, “Osaka has its own life.” No rushing, no stopping, but happy every moment. 🎵 ⸻ Shinsaibashi… A district for people with happy hearts The next morning, we go back to walk around “Shinsaibashi”, a shopping district with cute clothes, sweet cafes, and knickknacks on both sides of the road. We stop by a sweets shop that sells pudding in glass bottles. Stop by a creamy white wooden cafe that serves latte in a bear-patterned cup Stop by to buy cat stickers from a small stationery shop with a smiling old lady behind the counter 🎀 Everything looks simple but so cute that it makes your heart flutter It seems like everything is arranged to make a “ordinary day” always become a “special day” ⸻ A small alley with a secret cafe that you want to stay in forever On the last day before going back… we wandered into a small alley and found a wooden cafe There were Japanese-patterned curtains fluttering in front of the shop and a little dog was sunbathing in front of the door 🐶 The old man who owns the shop wore a beige apron and walked over to take the order with a smile There were old wooden tables in the shop, warm sunlight, and the smell of freshly baked bread We ordered a cup of coffee and a piece of cake and sat quietly, looking at the clock that seemed to have stopped 🕰 There… there was no noise, no internet, no rush But there was a kind of peace that you can’t find in a big city ⸻ Osaka… a city that made us realize that happiness doesn’t have to be sought after This trip didn't make us feel excited in a flash But it gradually seeped into our hearts... without us knowing it Osaka taught us that Happiness doesn't always have to come from novelty Sometimes it's hidden in hot takoyaki In the soft laughter on the Ferris wheel Or in the wind when crossing the street Osaka isn't fancy But it's full of small feelings that merge into warm memories And we know that... we'll definitely come back 💕🍃 ⸻ #TravelAbroad #Osaka