Osaka is a bustling city in Japan and is a part of the second largest metropolitan area in the country. You can find a plethora of things to do here, and yet we decide to take a day trip to drink some whiskey. The Suntory Yamazaki Whiskey distillery is about an hour by train from Osaka and is absolutely worth the trip. If you are curious about the distillery as well as the other adventures that I had in Osaka, read on.
Arrival
Osaka has a crazy busy big city vibe that is a stark contrast to the serene mountain town of Koyasan where we had just left. One of the things that are interesting about Osaka in comparison to the US is the sheer amount of outdoor shopping areas. Not that we don’t have those in America, but online shopping has been slowly closing down a lot of our shopping malls, but they seem to still be thriving in Japan. It is so much fun to walk through the shopping streets of Osaka and see all of the action play out. I didn’t even shop that much, but it was fun all the same.
The first night in Osaka we had to try some delicious local food, so we decided to get some Okonomiyaki. The most popular styles of okonomiyaki are Osaka-style and Hiroshima-style. Of course, we had Osaka-style. Okonomiyaki is a savory pancake with cabbage as the primary ingredient. You can get it filled with meat, or not if you are not a meat eater. It may not look super delicious, but it really is. The best way to enjoy okonomiyaki is straight off the griddle. We sat in front of a large griddle that wrapped around the kitchen area. After our pancakes were almost ready, they were placed in front of us to eat. You will be given a spatula and chopsticks to eat. This is a must try experience in Osaka. Make it happen!
Yamazaki Distillery
The Yamazaki Distillery tour is something that you will need to plan ahead for. You have until the day before to reserve your tour tickets for ¥1000. If you do not wish to take the tour, you can visit the museum for free, and you can pay for tastings at the sample counter in the museum. Yamazaki Distillery was created in 1923 and is the first and oldest malt whiskey distillery in Japan. The Japanese love whiskey, but at the time there was no whiskey created solely for the Japanese palate. Thus Yamazaki Distillery was born. Three rivers converge in Yamazaki making it an ideal location for making whiskey.
The tour is very detailed and can be done in Japanese or English. You will walk through the distillery and learn more about the process of making this whiskey. At the end of the tour, you will all sit together to enjoy a tasting. This is one of the best whiskey tastings that I have ever experienced. We tried four different whiskeys and then learned how to make a high ball, a cocktail of whiskey and club soda that is delicious. I am honestly not a huge fan of whiskey, but I really did enjoy what I tasted here. The tasting includes snacks if you need a little something after drinking all that whiskey.
An Evening in Osaka
After the distillery tour and tasting, we headed back to Osaka. The rain started to come down pretty heavily at this point, but we still decided to go visit Osaka Castle. The castle is as you would imagine, a sight to behold. Due to us being completely soaked, we decided not to go inside, but instead, we wandered around the castle grounds and some of the shops in the area. There is something really liberating about exploring a new place at your leisure. Even in the rain, Japan is a beautiful place.
Later that night we walked through Dotombori, which is one of the most popular areas of Osaka. There are shopping and lots of places to eat. We decided on Kinryu Ramen, possibly due to the giant dragon on the roof. Ramen is perfect for a rainy day! The tonkatsu broth is warm and flavorful. With the option to add toppings such as egg, onion, and kimchi, this ramen will fill you up and satisfy your appetite.
After a filling meal of ramen, I knew that I wanted to find a special dessert. Taiyaki is a popular treat in Japan. It is a small fried dough filled with a filling of red bean paste, sweet potato, or chocolate usually. They are always shaped like a fish, specifically seabream, a fish that is supposed to bring happiness. Let me tell you, this little guy does bring you happiness. The crispy outside and sweet red bean paste inside was a treat indeed. We found a small stall along the streets near our hostel.
Moving On
We only spent two nights in Osaka, and we left early on our last day. We headed to Matsumoto next with a quick stop in Nagoya to see the castle. Osaka is a fun city and I would love to spend a long time there exploring all that the city has to offer. There were some areas that we didn’t even touch. Have you been to Osaka? What would you recommend doing in the big city?
Check out my post about getting around Japan if you are in the process of planning a trip. It has some great tips for transportation in Japan! Read some of my other Japan posts for more ideas on where to go and what to see!
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I was looking for a whiskey distillery experience to add to my trip to Japan! Thanks for sharing your experience, it sounds like a lot of fun and its great that you get to try out 4 of the whiskeys before purchasing.
I am glad that you enjoyed it! If you want to try more than 4, you can pay for more samples after the included tasting samples. If you like whiskey, Yamazaki is the place to go!