Day 430: January 5, 2023
Thursday – Daddy and Ella’s Date in Osaka
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| Hineno Station |
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| Our train is finally here. |
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| Mozu Station |
From Hineno Station, Ella and I rode the train to Mozu Station in Sakai City for the first leg of our father-and-daughter adventure.
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| Daisen Park Information Center |
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| Inside Daisen Park Information Center |
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| Some Sakai City souvenirs to buy |
Our first stop is the Daisen Park Information Center where we learned about the Mozu-Furuichi Tombs which are collectively recognized and registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Just a few meters away from the information center is the Restoration Model of Nintoku`s Mausoleum. It shows what the tomb looks like from an aerial view.
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| We met a very friendly local volunteer who talked about the history of Daisen Kofun and the Mozu tombs |
It is, however, prohibited to go near the tombs and visitors can only go to the area where visitors can see the torii gate and some sort of zen garden. Local guides were also in the area to explain the tombs.
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| Sakai City Peace Tower |
From there, we walked to the nearby Daisen Park and visited the beautiful Daisen Park Japanese Garden. There were a lot of people in the park but since the Japanese Garden requires an entry fee, there were only a handful of visitors. Regardless, the Daisen Park Japanese Garden is the most beautiful part of the park and should be included in your itinerary.
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| Daisen Park Japanese Garden |
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| Back to Mozu Station |
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| The train going to our next destination |
After admiring the beauty of Daisen Park Japanese Garden, Ella and I walked back to Mozu Station and then boarded the train to Tennoji Station for the next leg of our trip.
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| Subway in Tennoji Station |
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| Here's our lunch for today |
Before leaving the station, my daughter and I ate lunch at Subway as Ella wanted to try the food that was recommended by the YouTuber that she follows.
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| Tennoji Zoo |
After eating we headed to Tennoji Zoo. It was a large zoo at the heart of the city. There were lots of cute and scary animals in the zoo. Ella and I particularly enjoyed watching the seals being fed.
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| Time to leave Tennoji Zoo |
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| Next stop: Shinsekai |
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| Next destination: Tsutenkaku |
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| Inside Tsutenkaku |
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| The view from the observatory |
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| Tsutenkaku is one of the best places to view the sunset |
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| There is a Glicoman inside the tower. Naturally, we did the Glicoman pose and took photos. |
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| We left Tsutenkaku and Shinsekai at around 7:30 PM |
From there, we went to Shinsekai and explored this colorful district before going to Tsutenkaku, which is at its heart. This tower is a famed landmark of Osaka City. It was not enough to just see the famed tower so we went up to its observation deck to see Osaka City from a different vantage point.
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| Waiting for the train at Shin-Imamiya Station |
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| Osaka Station and Daimaru Umeda Store |
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| You can see the Doraemon Future Department Store on the 13th floor |
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| You can also see the Pokemon Center Osaka on the same floor |
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| The Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet starters; Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly |
For the last leg of our adventure, we walked to Shin-Imamiya Station and then took the train to Osaka Station. We went up to the 13th floor of the station to visit Pokemon Center Osaka. It was the highlight of our trip as I promised Ella that I would buy her the Osaka exclusive Pikachu as a Christmas and New Year gift and she was looking forward to it. However, we were saddened to see that it was out of stock.
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| Koraidon is the main Pokemon on display here |
In its stead, there was a special edition Bride and Groom Pikachu. I made Ella choose one and as expected she chose the Bride Pikachu.
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| We bought pasalubong in the Mister Donut inside Osaka Station |
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| Kumatori Station |
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| Waiting for the bus to Tsubasagaoka |
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| Last stop of the day: Lawson Tsubasagaoka |
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| We had snacks before going home |
As an omiyage, we grabbed some doughnuts from Mr. Donuts on Basement Floor 1 of Osaka Station before heading home. We next took the train to Kumatori Station and then the Nankai Wing Bus #790 to Tsubasagaoka. Before bringing our father and daughter Osaka’s journey to a close we decided to buy some snacks at the nearby Lawson.
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| Ella and her new Bride Pikachu plushie |
Overall, I had so much fun traveling with my daughter. In a way, I can see a younger version of me in her. I love her adventurous spirit. I’m looking forward to our next adventure together.Read more:
Japan Diaries 4: Week 62 Shinsekai
Tsutenkaku
Pokemon Center Osaka
10 Things to Do in Sakai City
10 Things to Do in Osaka City
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