Things to do in Osaka with kids (including toddlers and babies)
Travelling to Japan may not seem like the most sensible option for a first family holiday with a toddler in tow, but that is exactly what we decided to do this year. Fortunately, there are so many things to do in Osaka with a toddler that we were spoilt for choice.
Things to know before you travel to Osaka with a toddler
Mostly, I would say Osaka is very kid-friendly. The people are incredibly friendly, especially to babies and toddlers. Often on the trains people would give up their seats to allow me to sit securely with our daughter and often the passengers on either side would wave at her and play with her.
There are so many things to do in Osaka with a toddler, so there is no shortage of activities. You and the kids will definitely never be bored. From one of the world’s largest aquariums, to the unique Kids Plaza this city has got your child’s needs well covered.
Eating out in Osaka
Restaurants were very accommodating, we managed to find restaurants serving up kids meals. Often the shopping malls are the best spots to find these kinds of restaurants and we struck gold each of the four nights locating somewhere that was appropriate. However, finding toddler-friendly restaurants to eat at was one of the trickiest parts of visiting Osaka with a toddler.
Many didn’t have high chairs or baby booster seats and of course any of those delicious cooked-at-your-table yakiniku-style meals were out given the risk of burning little toddler fingers on the hot plate.
Cots at hotels
The other thing to note about Osaka (and Japan more generally) is that some hotels only provide a baby cot for kids up to 1 year old. Apparently this is because most Japanese families bedshare with their children – something less common in Australia.
I had a few hotels tell me that they couldn’t supply a cot for my 1.5 year old as she was too big and so I had to search around a bit for appropriate accommodation or consider bringing our portacot from Australia.
Swimming pool restrictions
One major thing to note on the hotel front is that many hotels with pools do not allow young children to swim in them. This is often hidden somewhere in the fine print and caught us out in Osaka where we had booked a hotel with a pool specifically to have the option of giving our daughter a bit of down time in the water and when we arrived we were told that kids under 6 couldn’t use the pool.
If you’re looking to book a hotel with a pool, I strongly suggest that you call the hotel in advance to check if your toddler will be able to use it otherwise you risk having a very disappointed kiddo on arrival. Of course, if your child is not toilet trained, you will also need to bring your own swim nappies.
Where to stay in Osaka with a toddler
I love staying in the Namba area of Osaka, right near Dotonbori. There’s fabulous food, never ending shops and markets and it is the perfect mix of zany, gritty and fun. That said, it can be overwhelming for your little ones as it is heaving with people and the lights and noise are a bit of an assault on the senses.
In the Namba area, we stayed at the Swissotel Nankai which honestly was near-flawless. We booked a one-bedroom suite so that we could put our daughter to bed and stay up ourselves and it worked perfectly. The staff were able to check us in early so our daughter was able to sleep and recover after 12 hours of flying and limited sleep and overall they were so kind and attentive. The breakfast buffet was one of the best hotel breakfasts I’ve ever experienced. It is also located atop Namba station so access to both the railway and the Osaka Metro was a very easy walk.
I should mention that it was this hotel that the aforementioned pool restrictions applied to and so our poor kiddo was not able to use the swimming pool. Apparently the reason for this was because older guests were too ‘sensitive’ to young children using the pool and the hotel copped constant complaints. Disappointing, but we certainly learnt our lesson and made sure to check with our other hotels for the trip in advance so we could make other arrangements if necessary. If you’re not worried about the pool, then the Swissotel is definitely somewhere I would recommend to all travellers.
If the bustle of Dotonbori and Namba doesn’t appeal, then check out the Umeda area as a second option, near Osaka Station.
The best things to do in Osaka with toddler in tow
Explore Dotonbori
No trip to Osaka would ever be complete without a walk through the zany and vibrant Dotonbori area. This is Osaka’s kitchen and whilst it may be overwhelming, it is certainly a lot of fun. There are so many great food options in and around this area, but toddlers will also just marvel at the lights, sounds and smells of this busy food strip. My toddler loved the huge moving crabs that are on the front of some of the stores serving up takoyaki (octopus balls) and the cows out the front of the Kobe beef stores.
Of course, if you’re on Dotonbori then you want to take some time to wander around the river and see the famous Glico Man running sign as well as explore the many shopping arcades located around the area. Though it is one of the best things to do in Osaka with a toddler, do make sure that you hold onto them tightly as this area is so busy it would be very easy to lose them in the crowd! I recommend keeping them in the pram if you can!
Osaka Kids Plaza
One of my absolute favourite things to do in Osaka with a toddler is to visit the very cool Kids Plaza right opposite Ogimachi Station. This amazing hands-on museum is a great rainy day activity, but we all equally enjoyed getting out of the summer heat and into the aircon when we visited in June! The museum has all sorts of exhibits that allow kids to interact such as a great water feature that kids are able to explore from all angles.
We also loved the area with little huts set up to represent different cultures and their traditions including a section with all different musical instruments. The heart of the Osaka Kids Plaza has to be the incredible central playground that has a huge slide. The big slide was a bit too big for my toddler, but she still enjoyed climbing and exploring the rest of the playground.
You are able to book tickets online for the Osaka Kids Plaza or buy them at the door. Tickets cost just under 1400 JPY for an adult, 800 JPY for a child attending elementary or secondary school and 500 JPY for a preschooler (age 3-6). Infants are classed as kids under 3 and they enter for free, great for your toddler!
Universal Studios Osaka
You might be a bit unsure as to whether a visit to Universal Studios Osaka is worth it with a toddler in tow. Pleasingly, there are actually lots of activities and attractions that your little one will enjoy here. Firstly, Universal Studios is great value for families with toddlers as the park doesn’t charge for kids under three! Another tip for visiting USJ Osaka is to avoid public holidays and weekends – you don’t want to be dealing with those kind of crowds with a toddler running around.
Now, with a toddler in tow you will want to head straight to Universal Wonderland which is absolutely where you will be spending much of your day. This area is dedicated to Peanuts and Sesame Street to name a few with two indoor playgrounds and many kid-friendly rides. Some rides do have height restrictions, but there are plenty that don’t like the spinning Hello Kitty cupcakes and the carousel.
I strongly recommend you book your tickets to Universal Studios Osaka online in advance and get there early – particularly if you want to check out Super Nintendo World which gets extremely busy!
Visit the grounds of Osaka Castle
A great activity for the entire family is visiting one of Japan’s most famous castles, the Osaka Castle. This beautiful 16th century castle is a wonderful excursion within the city with expansive grounds and stunning cherry blossoms in the spring. Our toddler loved the walk up to the castle, going over the moat and through the huge gates, spotting local wildlife as we passed.
You can go inside the castle, however be warned that inside the castle is more modern and museum-like and may not appeal to your little tot. We found that we enjoyed exploring the gardens and taking in the castle from the exterior was much more fun. The grounds of Osaka Castle are absolutely free to wander at your leisure and they are gobsmackingly gorgeous – particularly as there isn’t a lot of green space elsewhere around the city.
Marvel at Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan)
Once the world’s biggest aquarium, the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is definitely a must visit when you’re in Osaka with a toddler. My daughter loves the aquarium – we go to the Sydney Sea Life Aquarium enough to warrant holding an annual pass – and the Osaka Aquarium is next level. Where else in the world can you see two whale sharks swimming around up close?!
Honestly, the aquarium is enormous and worth the visit out to Osaka Bay, but you definitely want to plan your visit and book in advance as you need to book an entry timeslot. The aquarium is super crowded most of the time, so definitely try to avoid weekends where possible. I’d recommend trying to get the earliest entry time possible so that your little one can enjoy the aquarium and then head back to your hotel for an afternoon nap, dreaming of the fish.
Other notable aquarium residents are the rockhopper penguins, ringed seals and hammerhead sharks – honestly, the sea life on display here is the best I’ve seen in the world!
Ride the HEP Five Ferris Wheel
The feature of the HEP Five Shopping Centre has to be the amazing HEP Five Ferris Wheel, a huge red ferris wheel on top of the building that offers incredible views out to the Akashi Straight and the Seto Inland Sea. The ferris wheel is 106 metres high, so if your little one is afraid of heights, then maybe skip this activity.
Great news for parents of small children – kids 5 and under get to ride free with an accompanying adult. Adult fares are 600 JPY and can be booked online in advance. When you arrive at the HEP Five shopping mall, head to the 7th floor to find the boarding point for the ferris wheel. The HEP Five Ferris Wheel is fully enclosed and air conditioned, so it is a great way to escape the summer humidity!
Take a day trip from Osaka
Osaka has so much to offer, but sometimes it is fun to go a little further afield. There are so many great day trips from Osaka, but I would thoroughly recommend the Nara Deer Park for kids. You’re able to see free-roaming deer that the kids are able to feed by hand.
The other great attraction in Nara is the giant bronze Buddha statue in the Todai Ji temple. Kyoto or Arashiyama are also fantastic choices for a day trip from Osaka (though Kyoto definitely warrants a longer stay). Kyoto, in particular takes a mere 15 minutes by train making it a great option for families not wanting to travel too far.
Visit the Umeda Sky Building
If you’re a fan of architecture, then the Umeda Sky Building has to be on your list to visit. The feature of the building is the Floating Garden Observatory, something that kids and adults alike will marvel at. The building is made up of two towers connected by the Floating Garden Observatory. Even the escalator to the observatory feels futuristic and the Floating Garden itself is quite magical.
The cost of the Umeda Sky Building is 1500 JPY for an adult and 700 JPY for kids between 4-12. Kids under 4 years old are free, so your toddler gets in without a charge.
The best places to eat with a toddler in Osaka
We found shopping malls to be a great option for delicious food with kid-friendly seating in Osaka. Unfortunately with a toddler, seating is important as our 1.5 year old can’t sit on a stool by herself and ideally needs a high chair or a booster seat. Many hole-in-the-wall style restaurants in Japan don’t have appropriate seating for a little one, so we had to be carefully planned when it came to dinner time!
Namba Parks
We absolutely fell in love with the new Namba Parks shopping mall. In a city lacking in green space, finding this vertical hanging garden atop the shopping centre with real grass underfoot made our day. And Namba Parks is a great place to find places suitable for your toddler to eat.
We found a number of restaurants here that had kids menus and booster seats – something that was difficult to locate in Japan overall. Restaurants we loved included Kiwama Tonkatsu Katsu and Kappa Ramen – both had high chairs.
Grand Front Osaka
Osaka Grand Front shopping mall in Umeda has a fabulous food court that allows you to order from any of the wonderful restaurants on the floor and have them serve up the food to your table – essentially allowing you to mix and match your meals. This is a great novelty but also enables you to sample many different cuisines or styles, all whilst washing it down with a drink from the local beer stand.
There are high chairs available and food to suit all tastes from pizza (which our toddler loved) to sushi and yakitori. There’s even a Spanish restaurant for anyone feeling fatigued from eating lots of Japanese food!
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