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Authored by Kim-Ling Richardson

Osaka is a darling city, offering tourists plenty of attractions without the stressful crowds like that of its larger city counterparts. And while it may prove difficult to pull yourself away from its charms, beyond Osaka itself are some lovely places to experience Japan’s culture and natural beauty.

The following are two great cities for exploring more of Japan, both under an hour away from Osaka, making each perfect for a day trip during your stay.

Two Day Trips from Osaka

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Sakai – Rich in Culture and Tradition

Kofun Tombs

Sakai is a small city, with much opportunity to delve into Japanese culture. Laden with intriguing keyhole-shaped burial mounds (called Kofun) dating back to the 3rd century, one such opportunity are the Kofun tombs.

Emperors and people of high rank were buried in these kofun tombs, along with their personal artefacts. They range anywhere from 10 metres to 400 metres in length and said to include one of the largest tombs in the world. The largest kofun took over 15 years and 8 months to construct, with 2000 men working on it day and night. Nowadays, the mounds are covered with trees and look incredible when looking at them from above.

The ‘keyhole’ shape is unique to Japan and Sakai is hoping to be recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site for these wonderfully preserved tombs. You can get a great view of these mounds from the Observation Lobby, Level 21 of Sakai City Hall. There also free guides at set times in the day there, to explain the history of the kofun (look out for the yellow shirts).

Daisen Park

Or for an on-the-ground view, Daisen Park is the place to visit. It houses a few kofun, along with a stunning traditional Japanese garden.

Filled with stunning landscaped lawns, pathways, streams and lovely rest houses, Daisen Park will leave you feeling inspired, relaxed and very zen.

Daisen Park, Japan

Daisen Park, Japan

Daisen Park, Japan

Traditional Craftsmanship

Sakai is more than just beautiful parks and kofun though. Once a famous merchant city, called the ‘Venice of the East’, Sakai is known for producing samurai swords and firearms, the metal masters now produce high-quality knives, cutlery and bicycles.

Getting to see craftsmen make knives firsthand is a fascinating experience and possible at Mizuno’s Tanrenjo’s workshop. The men from Mizuno Tanrenjo have been making knives since 1872 and the art form of knife forgery is now on to the 5th generation.

Here, we were able to watch the metal be beaten, heated and shaped into a blade and learn about the techniques of forging. We also had the opportunity to learn about the different blades required for Japanese cuisine at Den, Sakai City’s Traditional Crafts Museum and store.

If you want a wonderful souvenir from Japan, consider a cooking knife from Den or Mizuno Tanrejno, as they are the best quality you will find. If it’s good enough for the sashimi masters, then it’s good enough for us, right?

Mizuno’s Tanrenjo’s workshop

Mizuno’s Tanrenjo’s workshop

Japanese Tea

Did you know Sakai was one of the main cities to cultivate and cherish the famous Japanese tea ceremony tradition? The great master of the Japanese tea ceremony, Sen no Rikyu, was from Sakai and perfected the art of the tea ceremony, by including concepts of Zen in the practice.

You can learn all about the traditions and customs of the Japanese tea ceremony at Sakai Risho No Mori (the Sakai Plaza of Rikyu and Akiko). They even offer a wonderful tea ceremony that is a little more ‘tourist friendly’ with tables and stools (much easier for those with bad knees to enjoy the experience), and English guidance.

Kobe – A City of Natural Beauty

One thing that really struck me about Kobe was how beautiful it is. My first introduction to Kobe was walking through the town of Arima Onsen. I fell in love with the autumn maple trees, with each one flaunting a different shade of red, orange and gold.

The paved pathways casually curving up the hill, inviting us into the quaint village and giving us glances of onsen culture, with families dipping their feet into the ‘gold onsen’ (hot spring water baths coloured with iron deposits). It was here I had my first Japanese onsen experience.

Arima Onsen, Kobe

Arima Onsen, Kobe

Arima Onsen, Kobe

Japanese Onsen Experience

Onsens are hot spring communal baths, where visitors often go to relax, rejuvenate and escape pressures of everyday life. The water from the hot springs contain minerals that are thought to have healing and restorative qualities.

It is also where you must bathe completely naked in front of others (genders are separated) and follow a set of rules and etiquettes. Whilst the thought of it was intimidating at first, it was a completely liberating experience, and allowed me to appreciate another beauty… the beauty being comfortable in one’s own skin, regardless of shape and size.

Mt Rokko

Kobe offers other lovely opportunities to appreciate beauty in Mt Rokko. Take a scenic cable-car ride to the top and admire the stunning forest below and panoramic views of Osaka and Kobe city.

There is also the impressive Rokko-Shidare Observatory, which will delight architecture fans, as it has been cleverly designed to honour the environment and seasons and maintain a set temperature all year round. Ice is collected during winter and stored underground so that by summer, the observatory is still cooled naturally. And during winter the intricate wooden mesh becomes a spectacular site when covered in snow and ice crystals.

Mt Rokko also has a beautiful botanical garden and a music box museum, which will delight children (or those with an inner child). It houses a wonderful collection of music boxes and instruments collected throughout history, with concerts held every half hour. You can even make your own souvenir music box, with plenty of songs to choose from their selection of 250 songs.

Mt Rokko Japan

Mt Rokko Japan

Mt Rokko Japan

Harborland

A different side to Kobe is Harborland. After the horrific earthquake in 1995, Kobe port has been rebuilt and it is very clean and modern, with lovely sea views, restaurants, shops and entertainment venues.

For the history fans, the Earthquake Museum is a moving memorial aimed to commemorate the 1995 tragedy and educate visitors on earthquakes and disaster prevention. Video footage, photos, testimonials and more are displayed through the museum, and volunteers are on hand to answer questions and share stories.

Visiting it was quite moving, emotionally, and allows you to pay respect to all those who were affected during the devastating event.

Not far from here is the Port Terminal, where you can catch a 31-minute ferry to Kansai airport; a nice alternative and scenic way of getting back to the airport and connect to the next destination.

Two Day Trips From Osaka

Both cities are great places to do day-trips from Osaka, and truly allow the visitor to feel more connected to Japanese culture and tradition.

Whether it is from delving into history through the various museums, getting closer to nature through the beautiful gardens, or immersing yourself into cultural activities, Sakai and Kobe are perfect destinations to visit as they are easily connected and under an hour from Osaka.

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From her first overseas trip at only 6 years of age, Kim-Ling has had an evolving wanderlust and has often dreamt of travelling the world. When visiting Spain for the first time in 2009, it was love at first sight.

In 2014, she decided to bite the bullet, leave her massive shoe collection behind and embark on a whirlwind adventure. Believing that the world is her oyster, Kim-Ling is determined to make travel blogging her career (unless Chocolate Taster or Professional Shoe Collector become viable career choices).

Follow her blog Travel-Ling.com, or connect on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

    23 Comments

  1. Great write up! Japan has been on our list for a while now. We really want to go to the northern end of the island for the legendary skiing but there are some other side trips that would have to happen too. Kobe looks pretty awesome!

    • Thanks Jim! Glad you enjoyed the post :) Yes, definitely make a plan for some other side trips while you’re there, so much of the country to explore, and you can definitely cover some of the other cities in a day.

      Happy travels!

  2. Daisen Park looks so gorgeous in the autumn colours! Forget the Cherry Blossoms, autumn is where it is at. I’d love to experience a traditional onsen also.

    • Absolutely – Autumn in Japan is one of the most stunning months :)

  3. Some great ideas here! I have been researching a Japan trip for a while and still haven’t finalised an itinerary, so these are going to be included, pinning for later!

    • Appreciate the pin, thanks Katie! Feel free to reach out at any stage if you have any questions throughout your planning stage :) Happy travels!

  4. I lived in Osaka for a year and wish I would have visited some of the places you have listed. I really would have like to visit Saka. Those photos of the park are just stunning, but visiting the “merchant city” would have been an amazing experience. I had no idea they were famous for producing samurai swords!

    • Hope you have the chance to head back and explore a little more – I’m sure you would absolutely love Sakai – so rich in culture and tradition as well as beautiful nature :) Happy travels Candy!

  5. Wow, Daisen Park is gorgeous! I love your photos!

    • Hope you have the chance to get there soon! Thanks Cori :)

  6. I loved Osaka but I hadn’t thought about taking day trips outside of it. Mt. Rokko just looks beautiful and of course I have to get back to Kobe. Great ideas here. I’ll have to hope down from Seoul and try some of these adventures out. ^^

    • Glad we could inspire a couple of future trip ideas Hallie! Happy holidays & wishing you an awesome travel year in 2017 :)

  7. I am dying to visit a traditional Japanese tea ceremony! It is very high on my list of things to do when visiting Japan. I know my friends did a lot of day trips while visiting Japan so I’m going to have to put a pin in this when deciding which parts I want to visit!

    • Feel free to reach out if you have any questions as you get closer to taking your trip. Always happy to help :)

  8. Oh that park looks nothing short of gorgeous! I would love to take part in a Japanese tea ceremony one day.

    • Hope you have the chance to travel in 2017! Happy holidays Shane :)

  9. Your pictures of Daisen Park are so beautiful – I think I could spend hours and hours exploring the paths and gardens. I’d also love to ride the cable car to Mt. Rokko. So much beauty!

    • Hope you have the chance to visit soon Tara! Merry Christmas :)

  10. Mt Rokko looks right up my alley! And Daisen Park looks simply stunning. I’ve not made it to Japan yet, but I love the look of it! This is definitely on the list though! Thanks for sharing!

    • Hope you have the chance to visit in 2017 Paige :) Japan really is stunning!

  11. nice place i like an i liveing sri lanka

  12. A really insightful post Kim-Ling – and a great bunch of recommendations.

    I’d second all of them. Kobe/Mt Rokko/Arima are all in the same area and are like my second home and playground in Japan.

    Another day (or better still overnight) trip from Osaka I’d defintiely add to this list is a visit to Koyasan, in Wakayama Prefecture.

    Koyasan is a highland valley surrounded by eight mountains and has been the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Buddhism since 9th century.

    The landscape up here is stunning and so peaceful. It’s a glorious retreat from the noise of the city.

    Grab yourself a Nankai Electric Railway All Line 2-Day Pass, leave Osaka in the morning, travel to and stay in the beautiful Koyasan for one night, before heading back to Osaka the following day.

    Trust me, you’ll love it!

    Anyone interested to learn more can check out this post I wrote: https://www.therealjapan.com/a-week-in-kansai/#tab-con-72

    • Thanks for the suggestion Rob, Koyasan sounds wonderful – will have to get back and include it on our next trip. I’m definitely up for turning a day trip into an overnight trip!!

      Thanks for the link! :)

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