Visiting Osaka with kids. Osaka like the rest of Japan, is unbelievably well connected via the rail system. We again, used the JR Railpass and even with a toddler and a pram managed to get around the city very easily. https://klook.tp.st/iborr0rJ Link for where we purchased the rail pass.
Again we chose to stay close to the main station, meaning the least amount of moving around with all our luggage and again, chose to stay in an apartment for the convenience of travelling with a toddler.
We spent our evenings in the the heart of Osaka nightlife, Dotombori. Obviously this was a lot different to exploring cities pre Teddy, yet it really reminded me of the craziness and fantastic atmosphere of Seoul. Of course it was totally different with a little one in tow but it was so much fun with plenty to see and do when visiting Osaka with kids. It was fantastic watching the boats go up and down the river and walking across the many bridges! So many amazing ice creams also, as well as the other totally crazy dessert options and the restaurants with the huge mechanical sea creatures on the walls.
The only probable downside is, as it was so busy, we felt like we had to keep Teddy in his pram especially at night when it became really crowded but its so visually entertaining for a little one that it really wasn’t too much of a problem.
As we are huge theme park fans one of our must do’s was Universal Studios. It was perfect for a family day out whilst visiting Osaka with kids. We booked our tickets through https://klook.tp.st/iborr0rJ
Upon entering the park we headed straight to Universal Wonderland. A really cute themed area for little ones featuring Sesame Street and Hello Kitty attractions. It was the main area for younger guests close to the entrance. We waited no longer than 20 mins for any ride and they have a reservation system in place where you can scan your park ticket and get a return time, with an hours window to return and ride it with a minimal queue. Pretty much how WDW used to work with the old paper fasspasses….. I really miss them! It worked brilliantly and so many of the rides were perfect for kids of all ages. There was also a very cute indoor section with loads of indoor soft play type things for little ones to do and a very cute mini Elmo log flume, Elmo’s Bubble Bubble.
Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan opened in 2021. It was still relatively new when we visited so we had to have an ‘area timed enter ticket’ this was bookable on the app when we arrived at Universal Studios. You can pre book on the app but as it’s only in Japanese we struggled, but found someone to help us out on the day.
As we entered the area it was immediately obvious why you had to have a timed ticket to get in as it’s a really, really small space and was absolutely heaving even in the late afternoon.
There are two attractions. The kid friendly ‘Yoshi’s Adventure’ and the stand out attraction ‘Mario Kart: Bowsers Challenge’ This is a 3D ride based on the Mario Kart video game. Now as Teddy was too little for this we used child swap, so I waited in a lovely little room watching the tv with him and rode second after Danny.
Unfortunately this meant I missed pretty much all the pre show by skipping the queue so I genuinely had absolutely no idea what I was supposed to be doing…. That plus the fact I have not played Mario Kart for probably 20 years… and even then it was extremely brief, I was more of a Crash Team Racing girl. The theming and graphics of the ride were brilliant and it was very enjoyable even though we had no idea what we’re supposed to be doing, I just remember a mushroom popping up over and over again!
Whilst in the land you can purchase ‘Power up bands’ where you interact in various mini games through the land. We did not bother purchasing these as we have literally no idea how Mario Kart works, but we did see others using them and it looked really cool and a good use of time when not actually on one of the attractions.
The ‘Wizarding World of Harry Potter’ at Universal Studios Japan is very similar to the Islands of Adventure version before the newer rides opened. The imposing castle housing Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and the smaller, kid friendly Flight of the Hippogriff. The layout of Hogsmeade was also very similar with the same shops, restaurants and shows. It did feel slightly less crowded compared to the Orlando version which was lovely.
As for the rest of the park it was nice to see some old favs (Jaws) some of the rides we didn’t get on as the queues were crazy and even the single rider lines were over an hour which is just a bit too much with a toddler. I waited 60 mins in the single rider queue for Hollywood Dream – The Ride so decided that was enough! It was a very impressive ride just to note.
There is a city walk style dining and shopping area outside Universal Studios so we finished our evening off with a meal at Hard Rock Cafe. The district was, again, very similar to the one in Florida and a perfect way to spend an evening after a full day in the park.
The following morning we did an activity that we wouldn’t have even considered doing without a child. Kids plaza, Osaka. We put some time aside for Teddy to visit this kids museum. It’s situated over 5 floors and has absolutely loads for kids to do.
From timing how fast you can run to making giant bubbles. It’s somewhat educational and a bit science based but also a lot of fun featuring a huge climbing space. It was worth half a day and we could have stayed longer, it was fantastic to let Teddy play with some other kids and give him a break from sightseeing. Your ticket entry also means you can leave and return at any point that day. Important to note…..Teddys running speed is between a pig and a tortoise! https://klook.tp.st/iborr0rJ
From here we headed to Osaka castle. This was high up on our list of things to do in Osaka and it was really worth a walk around. Surrounded by a moat (which was most exciting for a toddler) it was a really spectacular building from pretty much every angle we got of it. There is a great walk around the outside with a huge path for kids to run round.
There is a train that departs frequently around the castle and also a very nice looking boat so you can take a trip around the castle on the water!
We were also extremely fortunate to catch our first glimpse of the blossom trees which we weren’t expecting to at all with the time of year we were in Osaka. However, very fortunately, we stumbled across some in very early bloom to get a look of how amazing they truly are.
We finished our holiday in Osaka with a final visit to the Dotombori district. Best accessed from the Namba station, it’s a few minutes walk to the heart of the entertainment area. One thing to note is how many floors each building has. Being from the UK we are used to a place having one or maybe two floors but it’s really common in Japan for restaurants/cafes/bars to be on the 8th floor for example so you really have to keep your eyes open when walking around the city so you don’t miss any of the amazing sights.
I would highly recommend a visit to Osaka with kids. There really is so much to see and enjoy and there are just so many different child friendly activities. What makes it even better, are the areas of open space and gardens, like those surrounding Osaka Castle, that just give kids the freedom to run and explore when at other times they may have to be in a pram or carrier when navigating the busy city centre.
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