Japan Day 4 – Sometimes the Best Discoveries Aren’t on the Itinerary

After spending more than eight hours at Universal Studios Japan the day before, we slowed the pace a little. We still managed to walk 12.4 km, but with cooler weather, it was a much more comfortable day to explore Osaka.

Crab for Lunch at Kani Douraku

Our lunch destination was Kani Douraku, a restaurant we had specifically planned because Kid 2 loves crab, and Osaka is well known for its seafood.

It was our first time eating there, and I would absolutely recommend it if you’re looking for a memorable meal. We booked our table on their website the day before and ordered à la carte instead of choosing one of the set menus.

Everything was delicious, but the biggest surprise for me was the dessert. I wasn’t expecting much after such a satisfying meal, but it ended up being one of my favorite parts!

Another pleasant surprise was the price. A restaurant with this kind of atmosphere, service, and quality would probably cost noticeably more in Canada. For the overall experience, I thought it was excellent value.

An Unexpected Shopping Detour

After lunch, our plan was to head to Den Den Town.

Without even realizing it at first, we found ourselves wandering through Shinsaibashi-suji, Osaka’s famous covered shopping arcade. Since it’s sheltered, the weather wasn’t a problem, making it a very comfortable place to explore.

What we expected to be a quick walk became an afternoon of stopping every few minutes.

Kid 1 was drawn to the clothing stores, while Kid 2 couldn’t resist the Sanrio shops, kawaii stores, makeup, and hair accessories. Both of them ended up buying a few things before we had even reached our original destination.

By the time we finally arrived at Den Den Town, we had already spent much longer shopping than expected.

Den Den Town, Claw Machines and Gashapon

It was our first time visiting one of Japan’s famous anime and gaming districts. While we’re not huge anime collectors, we really enjoyed browsing the second-hand stores. They had some great finds, and it was fun just seeing the variety of merchandise.

Of course, the kids had to try the claw machines.

After a few attempts, though, they came to a conclusion that made me laugh.

“These are basically gambling.”

Instead, they happily moved on to the gashapon machines.

“At least with these, you always win something!”

That logic made perfect sense…

…until we realized just how quickly those little ¥200–400 capsules add up!

If you’re travelling with kids, or adults who love cute collectibles, I’d actually recommend setting a separate gashapon budget before your trip. The machines are everywhere, and it’s surprisingly easy to spend much more than you intended because “it’s only a few hundred yen.”

Looking back, I actually enjoyed wandering through Shinsaibashi-suji more than Den Den Town. Unless you’re a big anime, manga, gaming or character fan, the shopping arcade offers a much wider variety of stores.

A Completely Different Evening at teamLab Botanical Garden

In the evening, we headed to teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka, and I’m very glad we did.

After all the shops, gashapon machines and claw machines earlier in the day, and especially after spending more than eight hours at Universal Studios Japan the day before, it was a completely different kind of experience.

The garden comes alive at night with lights and colors, but what I really enjoyed was how calm everything felt. There were no rides or crowds rushing from one attraction to another. We could simply walk through the garden at our own pace and enjoy the different installations.

We spent more than an hour there, wandering around and seeing how the lights transformed the garden after dark. It was beautiful and peaceful, and a really nice way to end the day.

It was definitely worth the visit, and I would recommend adding it to an Osaka itinerary if you’re looking for something to do in the evening that feels completely different from the city’s busy shopping and entertainment areas.

Coming Next

It was time to say goodbye to Osaka and move on to Kyoto. What should have been a simple train ride became one of our biggest navigation challenges of the trip and reminded me why I never schedule sightseeing on travel days.