Nara: Buddhism is Huge

Established over 1,300 years ago, Nara was the first permanent capital of Japan. Heavily influenced by Buddhism, Nara features numerous temples and other structures of great historic interest.

Traveling to Nara from Osaka is relatively easy. Riding the Kintetsu Nara Line, starting from Namba Station, is perhaps the best way to make this trip, although JR and Hanshin also offer reasonable train routes to this destination. Fare on the Kintetsu Line will cost 540¥ and take 40 minutes of travel time.

The main attractions of Nara lie in an area known as Nara Park. This spacious area is home to the Daibutsu, a massive structure that claims to be the world's largest wooden building. Inside, lies another giant object, the Daibutsu-den, one of the world's largest statues of Buddha. There are several more statues throughout the complex, including fierce looking warriors that guard the entrance.

Around Nara Park you'll undoubtably come across many wild deer. These animals are tame around humans and can be fed with crackers that are sold throughout the area. But keep in mind, with a handful of crackers you'll quickly garner attention from these snack hungry animals!

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is a colossal sea life exhibit located near Osaka Bay. This state of the art aquarium is popular among tourists and locals and is easily accessible from downtown Umeda (where Hotel Kinki is located).

The quickest way to get to the aquarium is to ride the Midosuji Subway Line to Honmachi. From there, transfer to the Chuo Line and get off at Osakako Station. The aquarium is only a 5-minute walk from this station and signs should help you easily find its location. From Hotel Kinki, this trip can be made in about 30 minutes.

Although this giant aquarium is often absent from lists that rank the world’s largest aquariums, this is largely due to the exhibit’s design, which divides its collection of species into 15 separate tanks. However, the combined capacity of these tanks easily places this exhibit among the largest of its kind.

Osaka Aquarium is home to many exotic creatures, including a sunfish and a whale shark. There are also playful mammals such as dolphins, sea otters and seals. There is much to see here, so ensure to budget ample time to fully enjoy your visit to the aquarium.

Admission to the aquarium is 2000 yen. The facility is opened from 10 am to 8 pm and features a gift shop and various eateries.

Shop At Yodobashi Camera Umeda

Yodobashi Camera Umeda is probably the largest electronics store in Japan. It is housed in a giant building that stands across the road from the Hankyu and JR rail stations in downtown Osaka.

This massive shopping center features seven floors (2 in the basement) of cameras, computers, televisions and other electronic and household goods. Above these floors lies several more dedicated to restaurants and fashion. If you are visiting Osaka for the first time, it is an absolute must to check out Yodobashi Camera!

From the doorstep of Hotel Kinki you can walk to Yodobashi Camera in less than 15 minutes.

To get there, walk to Hankyu Umeda Station (across the road from the red Ferris wheel on top of the Hep 5 building) and walk straight thru the station to the other side (the far west side). Once you are standing outside again, you should easily see the giant shopping center across the road. There are only a handful of crosswalks to get to Yodobashi Camera, so you might have to walk for a few minutes in either direction to find one.

The best part about visiting Yodobashi Camera is that they have more products in-store that any other electronics or camera shop you’ve ever been to. You can get hands on with all the products you are interested in, including many domestic products that are released in Japan earlier than they are abroad.

Also in this shopping complex lies a Uniqlo and a clothing brand store called Comme Ca (spread across 5 floors). If you are a looking for cheap or mid-priced clothing, I recommend checking out these clothing shops when you’re there.

One last note of interest:

On New Year’s Day morning you’ll find hundreds (many thousands) of people lined up in the parking lot to enter Yodobashi Camera. Each person in line selects a ticket that is later exchanged for a mystery grab bag. The ticket holder chooses the category of product that they are interested in receiving and can pay hundreds of dollars depending on the product type.



As you can imagine, it is a bit of a gamble buying a ‘fukubukuro’ (mystery bag), but a large part of the appeal is receiving a great bargain for the risk. Those who line up first receive the best tickets and can expect the highest value mystery bags. But nothing’s guaranteed…

Season's Greetings From Hotel Kinki

Ho ho ho!

Santa has been good to us this year, as we’ve now scored a clean water dispenser and ice machine for guests to use at Hotel Kinki! We’re always looking for ways to improve services for our customers and we hope you’ll find this new addition a great convenience.

Now in late December, Japan is in full holiday mode! On Wednesday the 29th, many Japanese will begin their leave from work. This means that major transportation hubs and shopping centers can become quite crowded in the coming days – but when is Osaka not crowded and cramped? Welcome to the greatest city in Japan!

On New Years Eve and the following day you’ll find the whole of Japan virtually shutdown. It is tradition that families spend this day together in their homes. If you’re here for it, you’ll notice that large parts of the city can seem like a ghost town!

Whatever your plans are and wherever you find yourself during this holiday season, the staff at Hotel Kinki would like to wish you a Happy New Year!

Season’s greetings!