How to Get Lost at Osaka Station [Tokaido Main Line Stopover Trip #22]

Last time, I talked about how surprisingly convenient it is to get around Kyoto using JR.
You can find that story here...

From Kyoto Station, you can reach Osaka Station in about 30 minutes by Special Rapid Service.
If you came all the way from Tokyo using only local trains, it would take about 9 hours to reach Osaka Station.
However... in reality, when you are heading west on the Tokaido Main Line, it feels faster once you pass Maibara.

I think many people come to Osaka as their destination, whether by local train or Shinkansen.
I would like to talk about the "confusing Osaka Station," which is unavoidable when touring Osaka.

Where on earth is Umeda Station!

The area around Osaka Station is a major terminal where JR, private railways, and subways converge. It is so confusing that even people living in the Kansai region say they get lost.

The structure around the station is complex, but it might also be confusing because there is no station actually named "Osaka Station" other than the JR one.

The subways are "Umeda, Higashi-Umeda, and Nishi-Umeda"
Hankyu and Hanshin are "Osaka-Umeda"

For those of us living in Kansai, we call the area around Osaka Station "Umeda," so it is no big deal.

However, for those unfamiliar with Kansai, the name Umeda doesn't ring a bell. This might be one of the reasons why it appears so complex and mysterious.

If someone says "Umeda," you can assume you can transfer to Osaka Station.

Wait, isn't it the Loop Line!

Moreover, you need to be careful when heading somewhere from Osaka Station using the Osaka Loop Line.

It calls itself the "Loop Line," but it is not the case that only trains running in circles all day long run on it, like the Yamanote Line.

If you want to see Osaka Castle... and you take the outer loop (bound for Kyobashi) to go to Osaka Castle Park, you probably won't have any problems as long as you don't mix up the inner and outer loops.

Even though it is called the Loop Line, sometimes you have to transfer at Tennoji, a terminal on the south side of Osaka, but this is still not so bad.

What is even more dangerous is that on the inner loop (bound for Nishikujo), trains that veer off the Loop Line and head somewhere else come into the same platform.

Bound for Sakurajima, and before you know it, you're at USJ...
Yamatoji Rapid Service, and before you know it, you're in Nara...
Kishuji Rapid Service, and before you know it, you're in Wakayama...
Kansai Airport Rapid Service, and before you know it, you're at Kansai Airport...

It exerts this kind of surprising centrifugal force.
When taking the Loop Line, if you don't check the destination, you might end up in a terrible situation.

Although... if you look at the inner loop platform of the Osaka Loop Line, it indicates the boarding positions like this, so I think you should just follow that.

What, you don't know which direction your destination is in?
I'm sorry, but please look that up on your smartphone yourself.

I want to eat some delicious food at Osaka Station!

Since Osaka Station is the largest terminal station in the Kansai region, there are, of course, countless restaurants. There are many inside the station as well, so you could just eat there.

However, if you are looking for cheap and delicious food that feels like Osaka, the "Snack Park" in the basement of Hanshin Department Store or the restaurant districts in the basements of the Osaka Station Building No. 3 and No. 4 might be better.

But be warned, the underground malls of Osaka-Umeda are a true dungeon! You have to break through that dungeon to reach your destination!

…That might be a bit of an exaggeration. Of course, you won't encounter any enemies.
Even so, it is a fact that the underground malls stretch in all directions, making it difficult to get a sense of direction.

You don't have to force yourself to go through the underground malls; if you exit the Osaka Station bridge gate, turn left, and pass through the station, you will see the Hanshin Department Store right in front of you. I think it is less likely you will get lost if you go down to Snack Park from above ground or head toward the Osaka Station Building No. 3 and No. 4 area.

The area around Osaka Station is a place where it is easy to get lost if you are not used to it. While you are lost, you might find a spot around the station that makes you go, "Oh!"

If Osaka is your destination, it might be fun to explore a little.
If you get lost, try to stay calm, look at a map on your smartphone, and confirm your direction. People who get lost tend to rush off somewhere based on nothing more than a feeling like, "I think I've seen this before..."

Next time is the last one... arriving at Kobe Station.

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