China appeared like a dream after our eleven-hour flight from Madrid. We landed in a soft, pastel horizon and the faint outline of fog-covered mountains. Our route to Japan took us through Beijing, where we had a nine-hour layover. We’d booked a hotel to shower and rest, but after a long customs queue and 8 a.m. rush hour, most of that plan disappeared. The next flight to Osaka was anything but calm with crazy turbulence, but we were too sleepy to care. When we finally reached our Airbnb after an hour on the train, we decided not to rush into sightseeing. With a whole month ahead of us, we rested, ate, and slept. (More on how we handled long layovers in a future newsletter!)
Arriving in Japan’s foodie city can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re settling in, trying to feed a kid, and still hoping to try the food staples. It’s a tricky balance.
So I came up with a little system: I labelled each type of restaurant with an emoji on Google Maps. That way, whenever we were hungry, we could quickly see what was nearby. Soon, I had emojis for everything: supermarkets, konbinis, hotels, stores... My Google Maps in Japan might make you question my sanity.
The Classics to Try
🐙 takoyaki- An Osaka staple, golden octopus ball-shaped “croquettes”, crispy outside, gooey inside. Somehow, my son liked them.
🥢 Okonomiyaki- Osaka’s famous savoury pancake layered with cabbage and a sweet and savoury red sauce, topped with mayo and bonito flakes. Quite delicious and family-friendly.
🍲 Kitsune udon- Udon noodles with sweet fried tofu on top. The tofu texture on this dish might be challenging for some little ones, but the flavour is sweet.
🍤 Kushikatsu- Deep-fried crispy skewers of chicken, pork, shrimp and vegetables like lotus roots, delicious!
🎏 Taiyaki- Fish-shaped cake filled with sweet potato or red bean paste, perfect for kids… and mum’s with a sweet tooth.
🍡 Mitarashi dango- Skewered rice dumplings glazed in sweet soy sauce. It can get very sticky, but it has that mix of gooey and sweet that the Japanese do so well.
Restaurant lingo that was useful to learn
🍶 Izakaya- These are casual pubs for sharing small plates, beer, and sake.
🍜 Ramen-ya- Ramen shops, sometimes big, sometimes tiny, usually open until the late hours of the night, you order and pay upfront on a touch screen
🥩 Yakiniku- A grill-your-own barbecue kind of place, occasionally, they can also allow smoking in this kind of restaurant.
🍣 Kaiten-zushi- Conveyor-belt sushi that’s fun, fast, and kid-friendly. The price includes hot water taps and free tea.
Stay
Our apartment rental was in the Kita Ward, in the residential neighbourhood of Nagaranaka, a few steps from a 7-Eleven store (also known as konbini), which was perfect for our soft landing. We stocked up on eggs, bread, apples and onigiri before heading out to explore the city.
We had restaurants within walking distance and were close to children's playgrounds. When we left our place, it was already nighttime and a little drizzly, so our Uniqlo windbreakers worked great at this time of year.
Since we were still jet-lagged and had time to kill, we found ourselves wandering the narrow alleys of Tenjinbashi, which kept getting narrower and busier as we walked south towards the beginning (or is it the end?) of Tenjinbashi shopping street, famously known for being the longest street market in the world.
Eating out with kids
Ramen Chonmage Osaka Tenroku- our first ramen in Tenma was a pinch-me moment for us. After having eaten so much ramen in Europe, we were having our first authentic Ramen in Japan! The place was well reviewed and very tasty, and I loved the atmosphere and the surrounding alleys, full of character.
Frow- A small and modern restaurant in a quiet neighbourhood offering a delicious mix of dishes from Thailand, Vietnam and Japan. Great drink selection and very kind, child-friendly staff.
Naruto Taiyaki Honpo Tenjinbashi- An absolutely delicious sweet treat for the whole family. We tried the three options: cream, sweet potato, and red bean, but the sweet potato was the winner for us.
Coffee
I had at least twenty coffee emojis marked on my Google Maps over Osaka, so I’m slightly embarrassed by how short this list is (not really embarrassed — but you know what I mean). I could happily spend my life hopping between coffee shops, and if you’re a fellow café lover, you’ll understand the struggle of fitting them all in.
Roji Cafe- is a peaceful and special find. It’s a little shabby yet modern, tucked in a quiet residential area with few coffee spots around. They let us in, but I wouldn’t recommend it for loud kids — everyone was whispering (us included). My milk was served on the side in the tiniest jar I’ve ever seen!
Osa Cafe- This was my first matcha latte before the feat of beating the crowds at Osaka Castle. Delicious! They also have little travel coffee pouches that I loved and purchased because they came with a free sticker.
Café de Timely- There are not tons of cafes in the area of Tenjinbashi, so this place came in handy while we waited for our train. We had the biggest toast we’ve ever had for breakfast, which was fun and tasty.
Do with Kids
The Japanese are early risers and tend to go indoors when the sun goes down. When it got dark, it was hard to find outdoor activities for little ones. Here’s what worked for us.
Ōgimachi Park- In the park, there’s a playground called Mountain Slider, perfect for burning off some energy.
Kids Plaza- The name fits! This large indoor play centre combines science, culture, and music from around the world, plus a film and TV studio and a massive indoor treehouse. Our kid still talks about it as one of his favourite memories from the trip.
Botanical Garden teamLabs- A must-see for kids and adults alike. The glowing digital art installations in the garden feel magical at night. Everyone turned into a kid again, interacting with light, sculptures, and nature.
See with Kids
Hep 5- We stumbled upon this mall after seeing its giant red Ferris wheel perched on the eighth floor! Inside, we had our first culture-shock moment when we accidentally ended up on a floor full of photobooths that enlarged your eyes while you posed in cosplay. In the middle of the room: rows of Gachapons, white vending machines filled with tiny collectable toys.
Osaka Castle gardens- A few steps away from the main entrance and its crowds, a beautiful river circles the castle, perfect for kids to run around while taking in the view.
Tenjinbashi: The world’s longest market street! It’s quite the walk to do it all in one go, but it’s an excellent place for families to explore together and try different street foods.
Takeaways and observations
I’m not going to lie, Osaka wasn't the prettiest place in Japan, but it definitely had a lively energy and a fantastic restaurant and nightlife scene. Still, because everything felt so new (culture shock), I found all the different restaurants intimidating and kept returning to ramen places or kombinis for food. Three days weren’t nearly enough, and I’d love to come back with my family to explore more local spots and be a little braver next time.
The weather was kind to us; it was getting slightly autumnal but still quite warm and humid. Linens, windbreakers, thin sweaters and closed shoes or sneakers were comfortable for us to wear. Like in many other Asian countries, locals tend to dress more modestly than we do in the West, so our shorts stood out among all the long pants and skirts.
Despite Japan’s modern reputation, I found the public playgrounds surprisingly old-fashioned. Not to be judgmental, just something to note if you’re travelling with kids.
We took our travel stroller because we knew we wanted to walk more than a young child could bear, but at times it felt challenging to find space for us and the stroller.
And one last fun tip: Osaka (like many Japanese cities) has stamps at every underground station. So make sure to bring a little booklet for your kids to stamp every time you ride on a Japanese train. These stamps are usually near the exits and ticket machines.
This list is just the beginning—tell me what I missed! Let’s make this a shared Osaka guide for other family travellers.
See you in the next Japan newsletter!
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