The Beginning of a Summer Studying Abroad in Osaka, Japan

Written by Nicholas Yee (Yale University), Student Correspondent for CET Japan, Summer 2024

Dotonbori

The bustling nightlife of Dotonbori on full display. Dotonbori’s shopping street is full of glitz and glamor with numerous street eats that we were dying to try.

A view of Dotonbori’s famed canal upon Ebisubashi Bridge. One of the stops along our Osaka Explorers event. We were able to experience one of Osaka’s most famous sites and do some shopping in the area.

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Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle, one of the city’s major historic landmarks, was another stop at our Osaka Explorers event. Surrounded by tall walls with masses of greenery, the high rises of Joto ward, and a peaceful baseball game, the castle was a preserved peaceful relic that stood the test of time among the rapidly developed city around it.

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Ramen near Osaka Gakuin University

The quiet, but popular ramen shop next to Osaka Gakuin University (OGU). Frequented by OGU students for its low prices and good eats, we were able to share stories with our OGU housemates and practice Japanese with the kitchen staff.

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Train Ride

A scene from the back of the train on the Hankyu line. Today, we visited the falls at Minoh Park with the KC club of OGU. We could take in the mountain beauty and even saw hotaru (fireflies) along our hike.

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The Osaka Museum of Housing and Living

A lantern at the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living. A life-sized recreation of an Osaka street in the Edo-era, we were able to watch the fireworks of the Tenjin Matsuri festival as the lights dimmed.

A model of an Osaka street of the pre-war era (~1935) at the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living. A time of modernization following the Meiji Restoration, power lines and western fashion are flanked by traditional housing styles.

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Tenma

Graffiti art in Tenma, a quiet part of Osaka with a shopping street and an off-the-beaten-path charm. There are backstreet eateries that are guaranteed to hit, as well as a Chinese seafood market. Our tour through the shopping streets exhibited much of the diversity of Japanese cuisine, integrating Portuguese and Indian influences.

A retro Japanese bar we passed in Tenma’s backstreets. Our tour showed the Japanese fondness for vintage clothing and interior design from the past.

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A Homecooked Meal

Eating a homecooked dinner at the share space with Yuusei (pictured) and Rui, two of our OGU students. Yuse cooked up a Chinese-Japanese dish of pork and vegetables with Miso on the side.