Day 6 (Osaka): Free and Easy- Explore Umeda/Kita area.
My last day in Osaka was a really gloomy one- it was practically raining the whole day, so I did not really venture out much- it was actually a great time to explore the labyrinth of buildings and underground malls in the Umeda area. It may also be helpful to grab an official guide/map from info centre/ hotel to navigate the place- I got really lost in the throngs of people.
Some places that I explored:
JR Osaka Mitsukoshi Isetan: Isetan was under renovation when I was there in Dec 2014, but the basement food hall was open and I made a beeline to Pierre Herme counter to get myself a box of delectable macarons. (about 280 yen per piece!)
LUCUA: A place that houses shops that seem to target the young crowds. Several hip shops and brands can be found here. I visited the MUJI store here. At the restaurant level on top- which includes a Kamakura Ramen branch. The basement has more causal dining options- I stopped by a shop specialising in chicken and had a really tasty oyakodon meal.
Daimaru Umeda Store: The departmental stores here are not only huge, but also really tall- there are so many multiple levels that feels impossible to conquer. The main highlight for me was the Pokemon Centre located on the 13th floor- here is where you get your dose of Pokemon madness by buying Pokemon paraphernalia. But as you shop for those Pikachu soft toys, do note:
Don Quijote- This is another shopping haven. I spent the entire morning there shopping for random Japanese souvenirs. Don Quijote is a discount retail store that carries a whole range of products from food, cosmetics and electronics. The best part is this outlet opens 24 hours! Should have visited the night before. I bought souvenirs such as kit kat and snacks and facial masks for friends.
Food options- There are restaurants everywhere serving a variety of food in this area. Hankyu Higashi Dori Shopping Arcade is a strip with restaurants and I wandered outside HEP FIVE (the building with the ferris wheel) to find a really great place that serves yummy curry udon.
Time to depart for the Kansai Airport; there is a direct shuttle bus from Osaka station which I caught (1550 yen) that took about 50 mins.
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