Osaka in One Day: Umeda Sky Building — Guide Haru
November, 2024
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan.
Tour Itinerary
- 10:00 Meeting Courtyard by Marriott Osaka Honmachi
- 10:30 to 12:00 Umeda Sky Building
- 12:30 to 13:15 Lunch at Osaka Bay Area
- 13:30 to 14:15 Ferris Wheel and walk around Kaiyukan Aquarium area
- 14:45 to 15:15 Dotonbori
- 15:15 to 15:45 Walk around Shinsaibashi-suji and Ebisubashi-suji
- 16:00 Dismissal Osaka Metro Namba Station
Tour Itinerary in Detail
Meeting at Courtyard by Marriott Osaka Honmachi at 10:00, the group explored Osaka until the tour ended at 16:00. The day ran to 6 hours from start to finish. It included lunch at Osaka Bay Area at 12:30.
The itinerary covered Umeda Sky Building at 10:30, Ferris Wheel and walk around Kaiyukan Aquarium area at 13:30, Dotonbori at 14:45 and Shinsaibashi-suji and Ebisubashi-suji at 15:15.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Osaka Metro Sakaisujihommachi Station to Osaka Metro Umeda Station by subway (190JPY); Osaka Metro Umeda Station to Osaka Metro Osakako Station by subway (290JPY); Osaka Metro Osakako Station to Osaka Metro Namba Station by subway (290JPY). Across 3 sections the fare came to 770JPY per person.
What's a Private Group Tour of Osaka Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Umeda Sky Building and Namba
Today's guests were a group visiting from North America. It was difficult to reach a consensus among everyone, and their preferred destinations often did not match. The first spot, Umeda Sky Building, was enjoyed by the entire group, but after visiting the Sky Building, some of the guests decided to go their own way to visit Hozenji Yokocho. After lunch, some other guests separated to visit Sennichimae Doguyasuji. By the time we parted at Namba Station, the group had become smaller. I hope that the guests who went their separate ways made it back to their accommodation safely.
Click here for more details: Osaka Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Osaka Metro Sakaisujihommachi Station～Osaka Metro Umeda Station | 190JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Osaka Metro Umeda Station～Osaka Metro Osakako Station | 290JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Osaka Metro Osakako Station～Osaka Metro Namba Station | 290JPY |
| Total | 770JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this Osaka tour start and finish?
The guide met the guests at Courtyard by Marriott Osaka Honmachi at 10:00, and the tour finished at Osaka Metro Namba Station at 16:00.
How long does the tour last?
About 6 hours in total, from 10:00 to 16:00.
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Umeda Sky Building, Ferris Wheel and walk around Kaiyukan Aquarium area, Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi-suji and Ebisubashi-suji.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 770JPY per person across 3 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Haru is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Osaka itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
Personal data
Born in : May 1st, 1957
Hobby : Visiting scenic places,
historic spots, Japanese
gardens and old townscape
Former career : Worked for electric
company and engaged in
international sales for
about 40 years.
Travel history in the former career :
Visited about 20 countries about 200 times
Career as guide interpreter
Acquisition of guide license : 2016
Career of guide : 8 years
Genre of my specialty :
Japanese historic structures such as
temple, shrine, castle and garden.
Area of guide : Kyoto, Nara, Osaka &
Himeji
Let’s enjoy Japan with me !!
Dec 30, 2024
shannono1010
Haru is a Rock Star
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Haru was a fantastic guide. He explained…
Dec 30, 2024
shannono1010
Haru is a Rock Star
Viator review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a fantastic guide. He explained the history of the sites on our tour. He even prepared a book that helped explain the historical significance of each site we visited. He was really fantastic, funny and engaging and connected with every member (young and old) in our group. We all learned a lot! Thank u Haru!
Dec 29, 2024
Ali O
Amazing!
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Haru was amazing on our tour of Nara. He was…
Dec 29, 2024
Ali O
Amazing!
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was amazing on our tour of Nara. He was very knowledgeable about the various cites and came prepared with a binder and useful images. He was organized and even found a delicious ramen place for our family of 6 (not an easy task in the middle of busy Nara). He really cared about the cites and the history of the temples and spoke great English. Highly recommend!
Dec 4, 2024
D5658ZEjohnr
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Dec 4, 2024
D5658ZEjohnr
Trip to some of the Kyoto sites on our visit to Japan.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with Government-Licensed Guide
We were able to customize our trip to the top places we wanted to see. We were able to get to all of them. Our guide Haru was great and the places we visited were amazing and interesting. Our guide gave us a lot of history around the different sites. Our favorites were Kiyomizudera temple, Sanjyu Sangendo Temple and Kinkakuji Temple. We also visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine which was pretty great. We did a lot of walking and public transportation to get around. All in all it wasn’t bad and our guide got us to all the sites with ease. Haru was great as he took most of our family pictures. He did a great job.
Dec 3, 2024
Charlie_Jane00
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Haru was a well organised and very informative guide. He…
Dec 3, 2024
Charlie_Jane00
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Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a well organised and very informative guide. He added a lot to our trip and
allowed us to experience a lot in the limited time we had available.