Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho
Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho offers a wide variety of Osaka's representative dishes such as okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and kushikatsu (skewered pork cutlets).
This retro-style food street has a cool vibe, but the food is just okay. Prices are reasonable though.
Magome Inn
“Nakasendo” is one of the five highways that were constructed during the Edo period to connect Kyoto and Edo. Magome Inn is the 43rd post town on the Nakasendo. It is an inn town along a slope paved with stone pavement, and you can feel the atmosphere of the Edo period. Both sides of the road are lined with stores selling freshly baked gohei-mochi (rice cakes), oyaki (wheat cakes), etc., where you can enjoy eating and strolling.
I walked along the old Nakasendo trail from Tsumago to Magome. Met lots of foreign backpackers along the way—everyone was there for the same reason and super friendly.
Tower of Osaka Castle
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who unified the country during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600), began construction of the tower of Osaka Castle in 1583 and completed it in 1585. The castle was later destroyed during the Osaka Natsu no Jin（summer campaign of Osaka） in 1615, but was rebuilt by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1626. However, the castle keep was destroyed by lightning in 1665. In 1931, the castle tower of the Toyotomi period was reconstructed with donations from Osaka citizens.
The official name is Osaka Castle Park, and it really is just that—a park. The current Osaka Castle tower was rebuilt with donations from local citizens. Inside, there's accessible space and elevators, so it feels more like a history and culture museum.
Kamikochi
Kamikochi offers one of Japan's most spectacular mountain sceneries. Its magnificent landscape is designated as a Special Natural Monuments along with Special Places of Scenic Beauty. Walter Weston, a British Anglican missionary praised Kamikochi in his writing “Mountaineering and Exploration in the Japan Alps” in 1896 which made Kamikochi an internationally well-known mountain area.
It's a peaceful escape from the noisy city. You can really enjoy the beautiful natural environment gifted by the gods.
Yamato Museum (Kure Maritime Museum)
A museum introducing the Yamato, the world’s largest battleship during World War II. Visitors can also learn about Kure’s history and science and technology. The 1/10-scale battleship Yamato, the symbol of the Yamato Museum, has been recreated based on original blueprints, underwater survey footage, and crew testimony. It continues to share the importance of peace and the excellence of science and technology with future generations.
It's a rare opportunity to actually tour the inside of a submarine.
