3 Budget Days: Osaka

Cascade Bakery ($2.64)

Start the day off at a Cascade Bakery in bustling Osaka Umeda station, where 410 yen will get you coffee plus breakfast. Options include a gooey croque monsieur, toast with a golden fried egg and slices of sausage or a plate of sandwiches on soft shokupan (milk bread). There’s also a wonderful variety of freshly baked bread. For the adventurous eaters, try a sesame chicken burdock root roll in an earthy bun that packs a protein-filled punch.

Nakazaki-cho (free)

Once happy and full, take a 15-minute stroll to Nakazaki-cho, a hip micro-neighborhood known for its artisanal shops. Though the main neighborhood entrance is marked by a 7-11, give the convenience store a miss. Instead, get lost in the winding, intricate alleyways and stumble upon free gems like Arabiq Book Café and Gallery or the iconic Salon de Amanto. This nearly 140-year-old Japanese house began as a café 20 years ago and has since expanded to showcase the work of 30+ artists.

Hilton Plaza West – Minsei ($9.64)

Having worked up an appetite from walking and window shopping, head to the Hilton Plaza West. I know what you’re thinking—Hilton? On a budget? But one of the great beauties of Japanese fine dining is the concept of the lunch set. In Osaka, many high-end establishments offer the same delicious dinner menu for lunch but at a fraction of the cost.

At Minsei, the Hiton’s upscale Cantonese restaurant, order the Super Lunch Set, which includes two mains, rice, soup, salad, pickles and a dessert, all for 1,500 yen (Dinner here usually comes to about 6,000-7,000 yen per person). Settle in among the burgundy upholstered curtains and dark oak furniture, and have a taste of luxury without breaking the bank!

Grand Green Osaka (free)

An 11-minute walk away is Grand Green Osaka, a green urban park stretching over 11 acres. Central to this urban oasis is Umekita Park, the perfect spot to relax, let children run wild on its playgrounds or wander along the footpaths.

Tennen Onsen Naniwa-no-yu ($5.47)

From Grand Green, head to Tennen Onsen Naniwa-no-yu. Bathing is a huge part of Japanese culture. On the more luxe end is the onsen ryokan, a Japanese inn with hot springs, public baths, ocean or mountain peak views and traditional multi-course meals.

The budget-friendly version? Sentos, a communal public bath that often takes on a much more regional flavor. The baths here are a bit smaller, and there’s no overnight lodging. Most sentos don’t use naturally occurring hot springs to fill the baths; instead, they opt to boil regular water. But Tennen Onsen Naniwa-no-yu is a rare exception right in the heart of Osaka, where you can experience all the health benefits of a geothermal spring for only 800 yen per person. If bathing isn’t your thing, they also offer massage or body scrubs.

Hankuu ($10-20)

After some bathing bliss, head to Hankuu for a Korean dinner. At Hankuu, you can’t go wrong with the traditional offerings, like a very reasonably priced samgyupsal set (grilled pork belly) or crispy kimchi jeon (kimchi savory pancake). But if you’re feeling adventurous, try the seafood jjigae ramen, a Japanese-Korean fusion of bouncy noodles submerged in a peppery, savory stew full of fresh clams and squid.

Day one total: $37.75

Today, prepare for an outing. But before heading out, you need breakfast. As the old Japanese saying goes: 腹が減ってわ戦ができぬ (You can’t go to battle with an empty stomach.)

Train platform soba ($3.41)

For breakfast, engage in the age-old tradition of salary men and commuters eating noodles on a train platform. Head for the Wakana Soba Hankyu Juso on the platform between the Kobe/Umeda and Takarazuka/Umeda lines. Buy a vending machine ticket and choose your flavor soba. I recommend the tamago-toji-udon (egg drop udon) for 530 yen.

Cup Noodle Museum (Free)

Once finished, take the Takarazuka Main line five stops (about 18 minutes) to Ikeda Station, spitting you out walking distance from the famous Cup Noodle Museum. Admission is free, and you can wander through the many interactive exhibits, learning about Momofuku Ando, the father of instant ramen, and the historical importance of a meal many might take for granted. At the end, make your own customized instant ramen for 500 yen—the perfect souvenir.

Toitchi Sushi($6.44)

For lunch, check out Totichi Sushi, a local mom-and-pop sushi spot. Grab a seat at the bar and order the 10-piece omakase, complete with miso soup and tempura. I can’t tell you what fish to expect because it changes with the season and whatever’s fresh, but I can tell you that at 1400 yen, it’s a steal.

Ikeda Castle Ruins Park (Free)

An 11-minute walk away is Ikeda Castle Ruins Park. Don’t be taken in by the name—this park is far from what you’d expect from a traditional ruin. Instead, discover a picturesque reconstruction of a 1334 castle built by the Ikeda clan, surrounded by impeccably manicured Japanese gardens and a tea house. Though the grounds are free to wander, you can pay 100 yen to buy fish food and feed the many voracious koi swimming in the garden ponds.

Dotonbori dinner ($16.82)

After experiencing some tranquil peace, settle into an hour-long train ride to experience an eating and walking tour of Dotonbori, one of Osaka’s most iconic streets. Though it is generally frowned upon to eat and walk in Japan (here’s looking at you, tourists who eat their conbini snacks immediately on the road), there are a few exceptions, including streets like Dotonbori, where tabe-aruki (eating while walking) is accepted and expected.

For dinner, you’ll make your way through four stops to try out a bevy of Osaka staples:

• First stop: Odori Dako for takoyaki, a savory ball of cooked dough that’s studded with octopus. The famous street food literally translates to “grilled octopus.”
• Second stop: 551 Horai, an Osaka institution dating back to 1945, known for its nikuman, a fluffy pork-filled bao and shumai, delicate dumplings filled with pork and shrimp.
• Third Stop: Osaka Ousho for gyoza. If you’re an old Japan hat, you might be familiar with the beloved national gyoza chain, Gyoza no Oushou. Osaka Ousho is the chain’s lesser-known counterpart. However, its pork and cabbage dumplings seared with a crispy bottom might just win compared to its rival.
• Fourth (and final) stop: Gesshouka, where 150 yen will buy you the perfect dessert, a freshly griddled cake full of sweet bean paste.

And if you feel that this four-course meal wasn’t enough to satiate your appetite, you can supplement as much as you like with more cheap and ready-to-eat options around Dotonbori.

Day two total: $26.67

Kohikan Tamatsukuriten ($3.22)

For your final day, start with breakfast at Kohikan Tamatsukuriten, a reliable and cheap chain that feels like an old-school kissaten (Japanese coffee shop). Hot and fluffy buttered toast, a hard-boiled egg and a strong cup of hand-drip coffee will run you a mere 500 yen. Sip slowly and join the strolling neighborhood aunties and uncles.

Osaka Castle (Free)

Luckily, Osaka Castle is just nearby. Osaka-jo was built in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a famed Japanese samurai and daimyo. Walk the grounds, passing historic architecture and beautifully manicured gardens. Explore the castle’s exterior for free or pay 1200 yen to enter the fully renovated inside. If you happen to visit during cherry blossom season (late March), Osaka Castle’s grounds are a popular spot for Hanami or picnicking alongside the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Osaka Prefectural Building Cafeteria ($4.51)

Since breakfast was light, head for an early lunch at the Osaka Prefectural Building Cafeteria. I know what you’re thinking---there’s no way a good meal exists inside this bureaucratic building. But one of my passions in budget Japan travel is finding government cafeterias that are open to the public.

The Osaka Prefectural Building Cafeteria is the real deal and is used by Osaka prefectural workers. The menu changes daily based on what’s available, but Katsu-omu-curry or freshly deep-fried pork cutlet served in a curry gravy over rice wrapped in a fluffy plain omelet, is the cafeteria’s most popular dish. It comes with miso soup and salad and only costs 700 yen. But bring cash as this cafeteria won’t accept credit cards.

Souvenir shopping at Tenjinbashi ($6.45)

Afterward, hop on a train and head to Tenjinbashi. At nearly 2 miles long, Tenjinbashi is Japan’s longest-covered shopping street. From stores that sell exclusively vintage band shirts to stalls with freshly made taiyaki (fish-shaped cakes filled with sweet bean paste), if you can buy it, you can find it here. I recommend giving yourself a budget of 1000 yen to buy the perfect souvenir. When you need a break from the hustle and bustle, head to Osaka Tenmangu Shrine and take a deep breath, enjoying a quiet moment before diving back into the lively stream of shoppers.

Osaka Museum of Housing and Living ($3.47)

Squeeze in one last stop before dinner at the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living. For 600 yen, explore recreations of Osaka during the Edo (1603-1867), Meiji (1868-1912), Taisho (1912-1926) and Showa (1926-1989) eras. With full-size replicas of houses you can actually wander through, this museum is a unique must-visit that lets visitors see Osaka throughout the ages. They also have a reasonably priced kimono rental service, where you can try on the traditional Japanese outfit for 1000 yen.

Tachinomi Shinbashi Heso ($20)

To end your memorable, budget-friendly trip to Osaka, head to Tachinomi Shinbashi Heso for a classic izakaya-style meal. Izakayas are like Japanese pubs, where people congregate after work for a drink while nibbling various delicious bites. But Tachinomi is a specific kind of izakaya with no seats, encouraging guests to stand at the bar while munching on crispy curry croquettes or downing a foamy, ice-cold beer.

At Shinbashi Heso, try kushi-katsu, an Osaka specialty of deep-fried food, on a stick. The beef and prawns are classics, but the real Osaka specialty is deep-fried pickled ginger. If you’re at a loss on what to order, just ask for the same thing as the guy next to you. You won’t regret it. ($20)

Whether you’re walking through iconic shopping streets, scarfing down some takoyaki or paying your respects at centuries-old shrines, Osaka has many satisfying options for the budget traveler. Famous for its big flavor and big attitude, we’re lucky we don’t need a big budget to enjoy this city to the fullest.

Day three total: $38.05