View from Kuchu Teien Observatory 空中庭園展望台 Osaka — **View from Kuchu Teien Observatory 空中庭園展望台**
Osaka

[Introduction]

On our 10th day now, which is the halfway point of our trip! Today we will be going to Osaka Castle, HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel, and Kuchu Teien Observatory.

[Trip Report]
Day 1: Explore around Nagano
Day 2: Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
Day 3: Matsumoto Castle, Nakamachi District, Matsumoto City Museum of Art and night exploring around Nagano
Day 4: Nagano Zenkoji Temple and Kanazawa Higashi Chaya District
Day 5: Shirakawago
Day 6: Hida-Takayama, Hida-Furukawa, and “Your Name” location spots
Day 7: Kanazawa Omicho Market, Kenrokuen Garden, and Kanazawa Castle Park
Day 8: Explore around Osaka
Day 9: Osaka Shinsekai, Tempozan Ferris Wheel, Glion Museum, and Cosmo Tower Observatory
Day 10: Osaka Castle, Gozabune Boat, HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel, and Kuchu Teien Observatory [current post]
Day 11: Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kinkakuji, and Yasaka Shrine
Day 12: Osaka Dotonbori, Kaiyukan, and Shinsekai
Day 13: Kyoto Fushimi Inari, Ginkakuji, and Arashiyama
Day 14: Okayama Korakuen, Okayama Castle, and Kojima Jeans Street
Day 15: Miyajima
Day 16: Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Park, Peace Memorial Museum
Day 17: Yufuin
Day 18: Hakata Ohori Park, Fukuoka Castle Ruins, and Fukuoka Tower
Day 19: Nanzoin Temple

[Travel Date]
2019-10-27 to 2019-11-14

Boulangerie Takagi Osaka — **Boulangerie Takagi**
Osaka

[Breakfast at Boulangerie Takagi]

We went to Boulangerie Takagi for takeaway breakfast, one of the main reasons is because it is located near our hotel in Higobashi area.

TLDR; decent bakery with lots of varieties too, but only recommend if you’re in that area.

Do click on the link for the detailed review and photos.

Taken at the Yodoyabashi [Higashi] bus stop Osaka — **Taken at the Yodoyabashi [Higashi] bus stop**
Osaka

We walked over from Higobashi area to this bus stop, so we could take the bus to Osaka Castle.

Osaka Prefectural Government Office 大阪府庁 Osaka — **Osaka Prefectural Government Office 大阪府庁**
Osaka

[Osaka Castle]

It was a nice relaxing walk from the bus stop to the Osaka Castle Park, plus great weather in the morning helps a lot!

Took some shots of the Osaka Castle’s exterior, we have more shots of it later on during the Gozabune Boat ride.

Osaka Castle Osaka — **Osaka Castle**
Osaka

Different tiers of the castle Osaka — **Different tiers of the castle**
Osaka

View from Osaka Castle Observation Deck Osaka — **View from Osaka Castle Observation Deck**
Osaka

[Osaka Castle Museum]

Did not take any photos of the interior museum itself, but mainly lots of historical items, diorama, and videos storytelling the history of Osaka Castle.

The top floor will be the Observation Deck of Osaka Castle, where we spent quite some time to take in the scenery and capturing photos of it.

In our opinion, the Osaka Castle Museum is very mainstream/commercialised, it is really a museum rather than the authentic castle. It even has lifts and modern stairs inside the castle and very tourist-friendly.

If you are looking for a Japan castle that still has an authentic feel, Matsumoto Castle is one of them which we visited on our 3rd day of this trip. Still preserve with authentic castle stairs, some with very narrow and steep angles.

The entrance fee to Osaka Castle Museum is covered by Osaka Amazing Pass.

Osaka-Jo Hall 大阪城ホール! Many musicians and rock bands performed at this arena before.

Took some photos of wife at the nearby park area while waiting for the Gozabune Boat ride.

[Gozabune Boat Ride]

Relaxing and calm boat ride, and you get a different perspective and angle of Osaka Castle.

Good photography opportunity and you get a relaxing ride too!

This boat ride is covered by Osaka Amazing Pass.

View from Gozabune Boat Osaka — **View from Gozabune Boat**
Osaka

Acidracines Osaka — **Acidracines**
Osaka

[Lunch at Acidracines]

Acirdacines is one of the highest rating cake shops in Osaka, and they are relatively near Osaka Castle, so why not! We walked over there to get a few slices of cakes after our visit to Osaka Castle.

TLDR; decent pâtisserie but disappointing for us.

Do click on the link for the detailed review and photos.

Yodobashi Umeda Osaka — **Yodobashi Umeda**
Osaka

We were actually rushing to our next location which is the HEP Five Ferris Wheel, but I saw the nice golden hour light shining on the Yodabashi building, I had to stop and take some shots of it.

Iconic huge red whale inside HEP FIVE Osaka — **Iconic huge red whale inside HEP FIVE**
Osaka

[HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel]

HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel was really a disappointing ride, not much of a view and the glass windows are very scratched.

Definitely not good for proper photography due to that, as it will soften the image by a lot.

The only consolation it is covered by Osaka Amazing Pass, so no extra cost other than your time.

Don Quijote Umeda Osaka — **Don Quijote Umeda**
Osaka

Umeda Sky Building Osaka — **Umeda Sky Building**
Osaka

[Kuchu Teien Observatory 空中庭園展望台]

Kuchu Teien Observatory is also one of my highlights for this trip, really love the view up here on the 40th floor where one is able to see the entire Osaka city and how the colours gradually changed from golden hour, sunset, blue hour, and then night time.

We will come back here again during our next trip; where I will bring more photography accessories (ie. circular polarizer, grad ND, etc) to aid in taking better cityscape shots, and wifey can also prepare an e-book to read and a cuppa at the cafe to relax and past time when I am taking my time to do photography which might take a few hours there.

The observatory is covered by Osaka Amazing Pass if you enter before 6pm.

[Dinner at Kiji (Main Store)]

We love Kiji (Main Store) so much, we ate here for the 2nd night in a row! Really can see and felt the chefs’ love and passion through cooking, you can see them in action from the photos in my detailed review.

Furthermore, it is just a short walk from Umeda Sky Building.

TLDR; one of the best Modanyaki and Osaka style Okonomiyaki plus at an affordable rate too!

Do click on the link for the detailed review and photos.

[Closing]

It was a fulfilling day learning the history of Osaka Castle, having wonderful weather for the entire day and seeing Osaka Castle plus viewing the entire Osaka city from Kuchu Teien Observatory.

This concludes Day 10 of our trip, tomorrow we will be exploring Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kinkakuji, and Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto.

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Japan 2019 Trip Day 10: Osaka Castle, Gozabune Boat, HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel, and Kuchu Teien Observatory

[Introduction]

[Breakfast at Boulangerie Takagi]

[Osaka Castle]

[Osaka Castle Museum]

[Gozabune Boat Ride]

[Lunch at Acidracines]

[HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel]

[Kuchu Teien Observatory 空中庭園展望台]

[Dinner at Kiji (Main Store)]

[Closing]

[Buy Me A Coffee]