Sightseeing in Osaka, Japan, Osaka, Japan

As a solo female traveler, I enjoy getting off the beaten path (i.e. tourist path) when traveling abroad. So, when I planned my trip to Japan, I made sure Osaka was on the list of places to visit.

I planned my commute from Kyoto to Osaka beforehand but somewhere in the midst of calculating travel time, there was a disconnect. See, I was under the impression I could use my handy-dandy Japan Rail Pass to commute from Kyoto to Osaka in just under 30 minutes. It appeared straightforward beforehand. However, the commute was closer to two hours.

I’m not sure if the snafu had to do with the day of travel (Sunday) or what but the shinkansens (bullet trains) displayed a travel time of just under two hours from Kyoto Station to Osaka. This couldn’t be the special rapid service shown on the timetable.

Instead of trekking back to Kyoto Station which was a 25-minute ride from my lovely Airbnb, I ventured out on the Hankyu Railway directly across the street. The trip cost approximately 500 yen. I got to see many other towns and the very popular Umeda Station. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).