DAY 2: UMEDA/KIJI SKY RESTAURANT

 How to go to UMEDA: 

1.) Ride the Midosuji Line (RED). 

2.) Go down Umeda station. 4 stations away from NAMBA.

NAMBA (M20) --> UMEDA (M16)

3.) Umeda Sky Building is 20-30 min walk from station.

I've learned from this trip that most tourist spots here in Japan have an entrance fee and they vary depending on age. So for the Umeda Sky Bldg, the prices are as follows: 

Adult = JPY800

Senior = JPY700

Children (4-11) = JPY500

Things to see in the tower: 

Lumi Deck

Heart Lockets

View from the top (173m) 

We had our lunch in the basement of the tower where the best okonomiyaki is being sold. Restaurant Name is called Kiji Sky Restaurant. Please look for this sign as almost all the names of the restaurants are in Japanese. 

KIJI SKY

Different Kinds of OKONOMIYAKI

The chef was kind enough to recommend which ones we should get. The best one is the one on the upper right. Everyone agrees on this. (Just thinking of it now makes me salivate.) We also ordered Yakisoba which I failed to take a photo of. 

1-1-90 Oyodonaka, Kita-ku | B1F Umeda Sky Bldg., Osaka 531-0076, Osaka Prefecture +81 6-6440-5970

Along the way, there were several malls you may pass by: Hanshin, Daimaru and Lucia. We passed by the Hankyu Department Store as I wanted to have coffee in Bvlgari Cafe. I ended up buying chocolates though! 

Budget: JPY900 and up for a cup of coffee, JPY600 and up for the chocolates.
*Honestly though, I prefer Royce than these. They weren't worth the price.  

Hankyu Umeda 5F, 8-7 Kakudacho, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-8350

Day 4: UNIVERSAL STUDIO JAPAN (USJ)

How to go to USJ from NAMBA: 1. Ride the Hanshin Railway from OSAKA NAMBA station. (JPY200) 2. Go down NISHIKUJO station (4 stops away about 10 minutes). 3. Change to JR YUMESAKI LINE (JPY160). 4. Go down UNIVERSAL CITY station (2 stations away about 5 minutes). Walk to USJ which is around 5-10 minutes away. We bought the tickets in the airport to avoid the long queue in USJ. Here is the list of the ticket prices for reference: For ALL DAY PASS: Adult = JPY7,200 Children (4-11)= JPY4,980 Seniors (65+) = JPY6,470 For TWO-DAY PASS: Adult = JPY12,110 Children (4-11)= JPY8,420 Seniors (65+) = N/A The above ticket prices are for the ordinary tickets wherein you will have to line up to go on a ride or see a show. They also offer Express Pass for others who would not want to line up (or minimal line up when crowd is big) on several rides. These tickets are sold inside USJ. So for others who cannot decide if they want to buy the Express Pass (in the airport), you may want to purchase the EP in the souvenir shops. Maps in English are also available inside. You may ask the saleslady for it.  Prices are as follows (depending on 1 day or 2 day pass). Also, the prices indicated are on top of the Admission Fee:  Express Pass 3: JPY3,000 and JPY3,900 Express Pass 5: JPY4,700 and JPY6,200 Express Pass 7: JPY5,900 and JPY8,200 Please note that only Express 5 and Express 7 have the Harry Potter timed entry ticket and allow you an express pass to HP rides/show.  Harry Potter timed entry ticket is a ticket that will allow you to enter the Wizarding World of Harry Potter on a given time period. This is indicated in the ticket. (Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of it). You can spend as long as you want in the WW once you've entered it. 1. This is a FREE ticket for everyone. Although as mentioned above, the Express 5 and 7 have one ready for you.  2. Again, this is an entrance ticket for the Wizarding World. This is not a ticket to ride the HP ride.  I suggest that once you've entered USJ, proceed to the ticket machine before even lining up to the other rides. Now, where to get this?  Once we've entered WWHP, we proceeded to falling in line in the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. We left our bags and cameras in designated coin return lockers. (Yes, they will return your coin once the ride is done and you have unlocked your locker to get your things back.) The ride was pretty amazing because of their attention to detail. But (and I think I will keep on repeating this throughout the post) everything was in Japanese. I mean, come on. I paid for this and I cannot even comprehend what I'm seeing.  Also, don't miss getting the Butterbeer. There are 2 kinds: hot and cold. I bought both (with the mug) and prefer the cold one. One costs JPY1,100 and the other costs JPY1,200. Less JPY500 if you don't want to buy the mug. And no, they are  Other things not to be missed in the WWPH: Ollivander's (You can buy a wand for JPY3,500.), Honeydukes (where Bertie Bott's every flavor beans an chocolate frogs can be bought), Owl Post, Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods.  We had our late lunch (around 2PM!!!) in Three Broomsticks. Nothing extraordinary. Each plate costs around JPY1,750-2,000. Also took a photo with the Hogwarts Express conductor!   Here are other tips for the rides based on my experience: Rides not to be missed:  Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (in Japanese) The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man (in Japanese) - Single Rider is available  Hollywood Dream: Roller Coaster (1 line is backward ride, 1 line is forward ride) Back To The Future (in Japanese) *If you and your companion do not mind riding alone, then you may opt for the Single Rider line since that line is shorter.  Shows all in Japanese Backdraft, Waterworld, Terminator So-so rides Jurassic Park: If you've ridden this in Universal Studio Singapore, then you may forego riding this one as it is only the same ride.  Space Fantasy: I didn't even attempt to ride this one since it looks very nauseating.  Jaws: Slow ride Flight of Hippogriff: Slow ride 1. Don't forget to check the opening and closing hours of the park. They vary depending on the season.  2. Be there early (during peak season). Line can be very long. Our average waiting time was 1-3 hours (especially in Harry Potter).  3. Ride the Hollywood Dream in the early morning. Waiting time was shorter (an hour or less compared to 2 hours when we went back late in the afternoon).  4. Get the timed entry for HP first.   5. Guards on the entrance were not very strict in terms of checking the bags. Others (who are in a budget) can bring some snacks to sneak in and eat (especially while in line). 6. Bring water bottle. You can refill them using the fountains.  Other photos:  I hope this helps you out in planning your USJ day.