Osaka🇯🇵

Osaka… A city full of smiles, takoyaki, and a little warmth in the heart Who would have thought that just one city could make us fall in love from the first step on the ground? Osaka is not as busy as Tokyo, nor as peaceful as Kyoto. But it has a very lovely and sincere “balance”. From the fragrant smell of takoyaki floating on the wind To the laughter of the people in the ramen shop when we dropped our chopsticks Everything seemed ordinary…but it was more memorable than we thought. 🍃 ⸻ Start of hunger: Kuromon Ichiba Market We started our trip by heading to Kuromon Market. It’s a market full of food! And everything looks so delicious! After walking a few steps, we found grilled scallops with butter. It was so fragrant that even the person next to us secretly swallowed their saliva. On the other side, there was a row of otoro sushi. The takoyaki was hot and big. When you bite into it, the filling bursts out without mercy on your tongue. 👅🔥 The cute thing is that many of the vendors couldn’t speak English at all. But everyone tried their best to communicate, smiled a lot, pointed out the menu, looked very sincere. It felt like eating at a relative's house. It was very heartwarming. 🧡 ⸻ Osaka Castle: The tranquility in the heart of the city After eating until our bellies were full, we walked to "Osaka Castle". Although it is a landmark that people like to take pictures of, there is much more to this place. Just walk across the wooden bridge over the moat, surrounded by a large park full of trees. Japanese people come to sit and read books, exercise, or walk their dogs. The castle looks very elegant, with white, gold, and green contrasting perfectly. The inside is a museum, but if you walk up to the top, you will see a 360-degree view of Osaka. 🌇 A cool breeze blows through, hair flutters gently, and hearts flutter as well. 💨 ⸻ Experience the underwater world at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan The next day, we stopped by Kaiyukan, a famous aquarium in Osaka. Those who love watching fish like us will definitely scream. Here, there is a "whale shark", a huge one, swimming through a giant glass tank. Looking at it makes you feel like you are very small. But it's very peaceful too. 🐋 There are also cute penguins walking around. Seals, sea otters, and glowing jellyfish, each one has its own unique charm. Walking around and smiling, I forgot the time. ⸻ Tempozan Ferris Wheel – The Ferris Wheel That Makes the Heart Float Next to Kaiyukan is “Tempozan”, a tall white Ferris Wheel. We went up in the evening, the soft sunlight was shining across the city and the sea. It felt like a Japanese romance movie. 💞 When the gondola reached the highest point, it was very quiet outside. I could only hear the sound of the wind and my heart beating. It was a short but beautiful moment that I wanted to stop there for a long time. 🫶 ⸻ Dotonbori: The City That Never Sleeps 🍜✨ At night, we rushed to Osaka's popular area, “Dotonbori”. The shop signs were all lit up at the same time, shining like we were in a game world. The Glico running sign is a signature. People flocked to take pictures everywhere. Around the area were ramen shops, takoyaki shops, crab shops, squid shops, sushi shops! Everything looked lively but not chaotic. 💡 We bought some melon bread from a street stall. It was warm and a little sweet. We ate it by the canal, watching the lights reflect on the water surface… It was like the whole world was smiling at us. 😊 ⸻ Shinsaibashi & Cute Cafes – Heaven for the Sweetheart The next day we went to “Shinsaibashi”, a long shopping street. There were a lot of things for sale on both sides of the street, including clothes, bags, shoes, cosmetics. And what we liked the most was “a small cafe hidden in a quiet alley”. 🧸🧁 We found a shop decorated in cream, blue, and pastel tones. They served a bear-patterned latte in a glass cup, which was so heart-melting. There was soft jazz playing and the smell of baked bread wafting throughout the shop. We sat there for so long that we almost fell asleep. It was like staying at a friend’s house, which was the warmest. ⸻ Getting lost is destiny. One of the cutest things about Osaka is “getting lost”. Yes… we really got lost 😂 But on our way back to the hotel, we found a small second-hand bookstore. There was a cat sitting in front of the store, and a handwritten sign said “Open until 9pm”. We went in and bought two postcards, and wrote them to our future selves. 🐾📮 It was a simple night, but I couldn’t describe how fulfilling it was. ⸻ Osaka… A city that makes us fall in love without having to try. Finally… We realized that Osaka is not just a tourist city. But it is a city that “feels like home”. 🏡 There are so many delicious foods, There are kind people, cute cafes, parks that make you feel calm. And there are many things that may seem ordinary. But they are very special in our memories. For those who are hesitating whether to come to Osaka… Let me tell you: Come on, and you will fall in love like us. Because Osaka doesn’t need to be rushed. It’s just right there, waiting for us to come to it… That’s all. 💕 ⸻ #TravelAbroad #Osaka