A delightful travel plan to experience various activities and theme parks in Japan
from Osaka to Chugoku and Kyushu regions
*This article is based on the information as of November 2022 and the latest status may have changed.
Here’s an overview of this 8-day long itinerary:
Day 1：Osaka activities (Shinsekai → Tsutenkaku Tower → Nanba, Takoyaki Experience → Umeda Sky Building)
Day 2：Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (Maiko promenade) → NIJIGEN NO MORI in Awaji island → Himeji Castle
Day 3：Travel to Okayama (Kurashiki Bikan Direct → Onomichi Ramen → Senkoji)
Day 4：Cycling Experience at Shimanami Seaside Way → Okonomiyaki
Day 5：Exploring Hiroshima（Itsukushima Shrine and Anago rice) → Beppu, Kyushu for sand bath experience
Day 6：Jigokumushi, Beppu → Yufuin floral village → Ekiben and Local beer
Day 7：Nokonoshima Island Park → Mirai Itoshima and Glamping → Sakurai Futamigaura → Yatai Experience, Fukuoka
Day 8：Travel to Nagasaki (Dejima, Graver) → Return Osaka
This article will cover Days 1 and 2 of my exciting adventure! Osaka is a renowned city which serves as a starting point for my trip. On my first day, I spent some time exploring this gorgeous city. Then on Day 2, I am going off to NIJIGEN NO MORI theme park in Awaji Island.
Overall, I really enjoyed our 8-day trip from Osaka to the Chugoku region and Kyushu, and had such wonderful, memorable experiences.
Day 1: Enjoying nostalgic neon lights in Osaka’s old town
On the first day of my trip, I spent some time exploring Shinsekai, a popular landmark of Osaka. This place has vintage vibes that take us back several decades, surrounded by unique, retro signboards and colorful neon lights. Try local food stalls, enjoy the famous shish kebabs and discover many other things around Shinsekai.
While the world has changed rapidly over the past few decades, Shinsekai has managed to retain its retro vibes while also birthing new sights.
The 108m tall Tsutenkaku Tower is an iconic landmark of Osaka located in the heart of Shinsekai that has been designated as a Japan national tangible cultural property in 2007. In 2022, a new 60-meter-long slide opened to the public. Named the “Tower Slider”, this tubular slide makes one and a half turns around the perimeter of Tsutenkaku Tower. You can slide down 26.5 meters from top to bottom within 10 exhilarating seconds. This is a must-try activity for those of us who love heart-stopping activities, as it’s an absolute screamer!
After a good scream session, it’s a short walk from Tsutenkaku Tower to Namba, the busiest shopping center in Osaka. Namba is packed to the brim with department stores and shopping malls. Although it’s probably one of the most popular destinations in Osaka, I still enjoyed its many facets, such as small historical shops, public bathhouses and its tree-lined streets. The iconic superstar of Osaka, the Glico sign board is visible here too!
I am starting to feel a little peckish, so I went on the hunt for a meal enjoyed by Osaka locals. Take the Osaka Metro from Namba to Umeda, then head to Takono-Tetsu, a takoyaki restaurant where you can cook your own takoyaki! It might be a daunting experience to try to make it yourself but it’s worth the experience, and you get a meal out of it too.
After filling my belly, I went to the Umeda Sky Building to experience a night view of Osaka. There's an observation deck and sky garden that offers a fascinating view of Osaka city from a height of 140 meters. This is one of the most exciting and beautiful night views that I have ever seen!
Day 2: A travel destination for every anime fan - NIJIGEN NO MORI
Today, I woke up earlier than usual because I am excited for our date with Godzilla. Not literally, but close enough: I am going to NIJIGEN NO MORI located on Awaji Island! It is a new theme park, built based on the themes of anime, technology and nature. The theme park is located in the Awaji Island Park of Hyogo Prefecture.
Awaji Island itself is located in the Seto Inland Sea, between the Kansai and Shikoku regions. It’s conveniently accessed if you’re driving a rental car from Kansai.
The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is one of the world’s longest suspension bridges at 3,911 meters in length. I’ll need to cross this to reach Awaji Island from Kansai. Today's weather is a bit cloudy but my mood is as bright as sunshine, because we’re almost at NIJIGEN NO MORI!
NIJIGEN NO MORI has themed areas for NARUTO, Crayon Shin-chan, Dragon Quest, Demon Slayer Godzilla, and more, so you can play all day long! I was excited before we even entered!
If you are a big fan of anime, trust me, this is the place that you should go. Finally, I got to see them in real life, and it’s just like walking into the big screen. Everything is so real.
First, guests are gathered in the Godzilla area, and we watched a short video in the theater.
After that, we put on our battle gear. ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A BATTLE SOON? It’s actually a ziplining activity featuring a 360-degree camera, where all of us were sucked into Godzilla’s mouth with its powerful strength. Guess we lost the battle!
After the zipline ride, I moved over to the Naruto area, also one of my favorite parts. Ichiraku, Naruto’s favorite ramen was here and as a Naruto fan, I have been dreaming of eating Ichiraku ramen since childhood. There’s also a difficult maze that will challenge even the most experienced adventurers. Even though I didn’t end up completing it, nothing can change my happy mood as my dream of eating Ichiraku ramen has finally come true!
Finally, I visited the Dragon Quest area. I entered a faithfully recreated story town, and players were given missions to solve quests, then receive coins and weapons as rewards to battle the Great Demon King Zoma. Once we stepped inside the town, I was so excited that I accidentally screamed out loud! The park was so closely recreated from what I’ve seen in the game, with the theme song playing all around us. It felt like we had stepped into the game world.
After an hour's car ride from Awaji Island, we visited Himeji Castle in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. This castle was built during the early Edo period and several of its structures have been designated as National Treasures of Japan. One of the most beautiful and culturally significant castles in Japan, its white castle design has become an iconic landmark of Himeji. Himeji Castle is one of Japan’s first UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, and you should visit at least once if you are in the area.
Day 2 ends here. On Day 3, we are headed to Chugoku to discover the beauty of Okayama, Shimanami Kaido and Hiroshima.
