Japan 2026 - Day 11 / Himeji & Osaka

Steps today: 17 892 / 11.8km

We started the day with an excursion to Himeji. The journey was about an hour by train from Osaka and most people go to visit the Castle which is a UNESCO Heritage sight, but it really didn't mean much to us. We took a few pictures at a distance, and then visited the Kokoen Gardens next door instead - are you surprised? 

We were done a little before 11AM and decided to look for a place to have lunch before going back to Osaka. Here's an example of an arcaded shopping street that we have seen all over Japan

We had lunch at the Saizeriya Italian Chain restaurant. A shared starter of 4 small bocconcini balls and cherry tomatoes, 2 plates of spaghetti carbonara with soft boiled egg, a glass of wine and did Frank have a beer? I forget.  All for under 20$! 

Back in Osaka a little after 2PM, our first stop was the Tempozan Ferris Wheel.

At a 112.5m tall, it offered great views of Osaka Bay and surrounding areas. The ride was a little scary for me because of the wind, and when we exited they had already closed it due to strong gusts.

Next it was back to Namba and the arcaded shopping streets on Shinsaibashi. They go on and on and on for almost a mile! Simply amazing.

Some of the storefronts along the way around Dotonbori which is the area we explored last night to see the lights.

We spotted a conveyor belt sushi restaurant which I wanted to experience, but my lunch was not digesting well so I had to pass on seafood.  Instead, we had a forgettable cheese pizza with too much pepper. Fail.