Exploring Osaka
Joined 2017
8,000 years ago, Osaka slept under a large seashore lake. This city of lake later turned to a city of smoke and eventually grew into the 2nd key international city after Tokyo. Birth place of industry in Japan, such as bank, insurance, steel, machinery, spinning, medicine, ship building, electrical appliance, etc. Touching days of Osaka ,Then and Now.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At your hotel in Kansai District (Kansai = City of Osaka, Kyoto, Nara or Kobe)
To meet you at your hotel lobby, with Gowithguide welcome sign board your name on. Followed after brief tour orientation, we start the tour of the day
We take you to Osaka METRO station or JR, private railway station whichever the station closer to your hotel. We will arrive at Osaka castle park in 30 min by Osaka METRO or JR railway.
Osaka castle … Landmark of Osaka, with the castle keep set up as history museum.
We walk through Otemon gate and Sakuramon gate or Aoyamon Gate and Gokuraku-bashi bridge to lead us Main Tower of Osaka castle. At Main Tower, we go up at first 8F observation deck by elevator so you enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of Osaka city from 50m above the ground, thereafter to down to 7F to 1F by stairs. 7th floor the life of Hideyoshi Toyotomi who built Osaka castle and succeeded in unifying the entire nation in 16th century, 5 floor Scenes from "The Summer War in Osaka" folding screen to visualize with images and miniature figures, 4th floor Hideyoshi Toyotomi and his area with various displays asssociated with Hideyoshi Toyotomi and other artifacts, records of the Sengoku are (the age of provincial wars), 3rd floor exhibits of historical artifact selections, full-scale replica of the Golden Tea Room, Osaka Castle History at a Glance, exhibition catalogue shop, 2nd floor displays panels about Osaka castle, replica of the SHACHI (a gargoyle, legendary dolphin-shaped fish) and FUSETORA (crouching tiger), 1st floor information counter and museum shop
Umeda Sky Building … The 40th storey 173 m skyscraper and you can enjoy open-air walk & paramount 360 degree view of Osaka at the top of the building.
To visit a spectacular high rise building, a landmark known as a spot of floating-garden, sky walk observatory deck on the 39th floor that offers a spectacular paranomatic view in the expansive Yodo River, a beautiful sunset, or the nightscape of Osaka. Open to the air atop of the building, the circular corridor, mid-air escalator offer you an unforgetable experience. Umeda Sky Building consists of two main towers which are connected each other like a Giant Gantry. In 2008, the British paper The Times called it Japan's only architectural structure that is one of the Top 20 Building around the world. A replica of a Japanese street of the early Showa Period (1930s) named Takino-Koji (side street) is also worth visiting on the first basement floor of Umeda Sky Building.
Shin-sekai ... It means “New World”, entertainment spot then named “NEW”. You can visit the
Shin-sekai's northern half was designed copied after Paris, a district that was developped before the world war II. Tsutenkaku tower, built in 1912 after Paris' Eiffle Tower, then the hightest landmark in Osaka, is a nostalgia envoking symbol of Shin-sekai. The current tower is 103m high, with the main observatory at a height of 91 meters.
Kuromon-market & Doton-bori area ... Opened in 1822. You can take a quick bite for today’s catch or fresh fruits over small fishery, food shops
To end this day tour at your hotel. Will arrive later if you stay in Kyoto or Nara.
Ending Point
At your hotel in Kansai District (Kansai = City of Osaka, Kyoto, Nara or Kobe)
Want to personalize this tour?
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included:
*Travel expense as required for the guide to travel with customers by means of public transportation such as train, subway, bus.
Travel expenses for the guide included herein are limited within Kansai district (Kansai district = City of Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Kobe)
*Admission fees, tickets for the guide as might be incurred at Umeda Sky Building, castles, temples, shrines or the like.
*Meals, drinks or the like for the guide during the tour
*Any tax or the like as might be incurred by the guide in Japan
*Gratuity
Not included:
*Fees to cruise river or sea or the like for the guide
*Tickets for Universal Studio Japan, museum or the like for the guide as might be required at private or public
entertainment facilities.
Tour Important Information
Numerous bridges, avenues, streets in Osaka were named after those people who contributed communities through their businesses, such as Yodoya-bashi bridge, Doton-bori steet etc. Sometimes you might be lost in a huge maze in underground shops, restaurants which were constructed deep under the ground in central Osaka. You can enjoy the dynamism of city of water, Osaka in this tour, then and now on.
Suggest purchasing a day pass "Enjoy-Echo-Card" on sale at every subway, bus station for this tour
- IMPORTANT -
Not suitable for tours with infants, children, wheelchairs and strollers.
Be quiet and respectful in Temples and Shrines complex
Remove hats and sunglasses in front of main sanctuary in Temples, Shrines
Not to touch old buildings, old remains and objects
Not to take pictures where prohibited in Temples and Shrnes complex
Take your shoes off before stepping on tatami
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Joined 2017
About Tour Guide Masahisa M.
Lived in Chicago (5 years), Toronto (1 year), Singapore (2 years), Indonesia (4 years) and Birmingham, UK (11 years) to construct business platform, now retired after 40
years employment in Japan. Dynamic tour guide who develops many different ways along with rich experience overseas to entertain large or small tour groups. Enjoys the interaction with tour groups, very strong group presentation and communication skills, finds each guest question as an opportunity to learn anything new. Constantly learning information about each tour spot to enhance tours. Guided 9,173 guests all over the world across Japan as of Mar 31, 2025 since Feb 2015.
Reviews
Timothy L.
“Exploring Nara”
Masahis was a most professional and excellent tour guide. We had time constraints, and he efficiently guided us traveling from Kyoto, through Nara, and back, an informative tour with informative commentary, much appreciated.
Masahisa M.
Timothy Thank you for traveling a great distance to visit us. I am deeply impressed by the remarkable achievements of your family, including your son, who ranked first in the state in the mathematics contest, and collective contributions of your family to the medical field. Should the opportunity arise, please visit us again. Thanks Masahisa
Services U.
“Kind, reliable, and well-organized guide who made the whole experience smooth and enjoyable”
Masahisa's frequent and thoughtful communication before the tour showed his great personality and made us feel at ease joining the tour. Even in crowded areas, he kindly helped with taking photos, and everything was handled on time and smoothly. Thank you so much for the wonderful experience!
Masahisa M.
Services U I would be grateful if my involvement could be of any help to your company this time. Motivated solely by the desire to see 'Tara's Hill,' the land mentioned by Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind, I visited there and found myself able to imagine the desolate seaside depicted in The Quiet Man. Thanks Masahisa
Mark W.
“Knowledgeable Kyoto Guide”
Mike (Masahisa) did a great job guiding our group of 4 adults around Kyoto during the Cherry Blossom season. He worked tirelessly ahead of our visit to help customize the tour to meet our needs. In addition, he provided numerous travel tips to help us easily manage the logistics. Kyoto sites are very busy with a heavy tourist load. Mike navigated us around the city to ensure we saw the highlights without getting bogged down. He was very knowledgeable of Japanese History so he was able to bring each temple and shrine to life. And he was fun, so we thoroughly enjoyed our two day with him. Highly recommend
Masahisa M.
Mark I appreciate your visit from afar and would like to express my thanks once again. I was amazed by profound knowledge of all of you and appreciation for Japanese sake. Amid the increasingly crowded conditions in Kyoto during the peak tourist season, to be honest, I was relieved to have been able to include a moment of serenity and elegance that Kyoto still retains in your itinerary. However, despite making various arrangements as per your prior request, because of the Spring Dance performances that began on April 1st this year at the Kaburenjo Theaters located in the four historic hanamachi districts—Gion Kobu, Miyagawa-cho, Ponto-cho, and Kamishichiken—I regret that I was unable to secure the necessary arrangements for your party. This remains my sole regret. Thanks Masahisa
$315/ per group
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