Japan 2013: Osaka Castle & Universal Studios

DAY 4 IN JAPAN

This entry will mostly be made up of photos as I spent the whole day walking, taking in the sights, experiencing some rides and snapping photos!

By this day, I was getting used to the weather and it has picked up a bit from our arrival. I was pretty comfortable with two layers of clothing. In order to make the most of our day, we spent the morning visiting Osaka Castle and in the afternoon proceeded to Universal Studios Japan.

OSAKA CASTLE

Osaka Castle is in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. It was a long walk from the station; but the destination was well worth it. So beautiful.

We decided to start at the roof top and go down to see the different exhibitions. At the top floor is a great view of the Osaka skyline from all angles. Too bad we weren’t there during cherry blossom season. Otherwise, we would have seen colorful blossoms all over.

Inside, there were certain floors that were off-limits to picture-taking. In a nutshell, the place had such a rich history and it impressed me at how well-preserved the relics, costumes and weapons were. I was still able to take pictures of some pretty cool stuff, though.

shogun costumes you could wear for a photo op

a really cool diorama/projected imagery which narrated the history of Osaka Castle

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN

We stopped by for lunch at a nearby convenience store and rode a taxi to Universal Studios. Needless to say, it was a lot of fun. I wasn’t able to ride all the attractions; but I still enjoyed the scenery and the shows.

The only downside is the HUGE language barrier. Everything is in Japanese. I can’t really blame them. We’re in Japan, after all. Ron Howard (Backdraft attraction) spoke Japanese. Sarah Connor (Terminator 3D) spoke Japanese. Spiderman (The Amazing Spiderman), Doc (Back to the Future The Ride)… They all speak Japanese! A bit of the experience was lessened because I had no idea what they were saying. I felt like such an alien, not understanding anything. With this alone, I prefer Universal Studios Singapore over Osaka.

Other than that little detail, it’s still an awesome theme park with a lot to offer; so it’s worth checking out especially if you have children. Elmo and Hello Kitty alone would make them go insane!