Shopping At Nishinomiya Gardens

Looking for a great shopping experience during your stay in Osaka?

As we head into winter, the dipping temperatures can sometimes make trekking outdoors a little uncomfortable on days when the weather isn’t working out as well as you’d like. If you’re looking for an indoor shopping adventure, you ought to check out Nishinomiya Gardens.

Located conveniently on the Hankyu Kobe Line, Nishinomiya Gardens – western Japan’s largest shopping complex – is only a 15-minute train ride from downtown Osaka. Simply walk to Hankyu Umeda Station and board a train headed to Sannomiya or Shinkaichi. All trains on this route stop at Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi. This is where you’ll want to get off and follow the signs leading to this giant shopping mall.

Inside the complex lies many clothing stores, restaurants and other shops suited for buying gifts or household items. And unlike many places in Kansai, Nishinomiya Gardens sports wide and spacious walkways, creating a relaxed and slower paced environment.

True to its Kansai roots, this center features a plethora of restaurants: The fourth floor is entirely dedicated to serving food, but you’ll also find a food court on the basement level along with several other eateries littered throughout the mall.

Situated halfway between Osaka and Kobe, the mall may lie between several of your travel destinations and is worth checking out if you're in the mood to shop.

Visit Minoh in November

Just north of Osaka city lies the township of Minoh (sometimes spelt as Minoo, or Minou). Minoh is one of the best places to visit during momiji-gari season – a time when Japanese people travel to the countryside to view the many colors of autumn.

Traveling to Minoh is easy: simply walk to Hankyu Station from Hotel Kinki and board a train headed to Takarazuka. Get off at Ishibashi Station and transfer to the Minou/Minoo Line. Take this train to the end of the line (3 stops) and you will have arrived at Minoh city.

Follow the signs to Meiji no Mori Mino Kokutei Koen. Here, you’ll begin your hike up the lower mountain slope and get a look at one of Japan’s oldest national parks.

At the end of the hiking path lies a beautiful waterfall. There, many people stop to admire the view and grab a bite to eat. You’ll find outdoor food vendors cooking up some delicious snacks at this rest stop.

Minoh park also has wild monkeys! Just remember that you’re not supposed to feed them.

Rinku Town Outlet Mall in Osaka

Rinku Town is Osaka’s premium outlet shopping center, located close to Kansai International Airport.

Many visitors to Japan like to stop at this destination to buy premium brand clothing at heavily discounted prices. Now that summer has finally given way to cooler weather, it may also be a good idea to stock up on some warm clothing.

Most trains bound for Kansai Airport will stop at Rinku Town Station, so getting there is pretty easy if your route starts from Umeda (where Hotel Kinki is located). You can take the Midosuji subway line or JR Osaka Loop line to Tennoji station, and then transfer to a train that’s headed to the airport.

Rinku Town has many, many outlet stores - checking them all out in one day may not even be possible! And unlike some shopping centers in Japan, you’ll find a plethora of stores specifically targeting men’s clothing.

The outlet mall closes at 8 pm. Afterwards, you can visit the nearby Seacle center to grab a bite to eat before returning home.

Autumn In Japan: Timing The Tree Leaves

The bulk of Japan’s landmass lies across four major islands. This territory spans from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south.

As the autumn season hits Japan, tree leaves begin to change color starting first in the north and descending gradually to the southern regions.

Osaka and Kyoto, which are situated relatively south on the main island of Honshu, typically see autumn colors beginning around late November.

Furthermore, tree leaves tend to change color earlier at higher elevations. This means the hillsides surrounding Osaka Bay will offer a spectacular color change a bit before the trees in the city and lower delta follow suit.

Traveling to Osaka and the Kansai area in November is an excellent time to view the autumn colors as they reach the pinnacle of their brilliance.