{"id":108259,"date":"2025-03-04T11:45:13","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T02:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=108259"},"modified":"2025-03-04T11:45:18","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T02:45:18","slug":"namba-oriental-hotel-osaka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/namba-oriental-hotel-osaka\/","title":{"rendered":"Namba Oriental Hotel: The Perfect Stay in Osaka"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
They like to do things in their own way in Osaka<\/a>. From the minute I arrived in Shin-Osaka Station after a very swift 2.5 hour Shinkansen journey from Tokyo, I felt a seismic shift in terms of atmosphere and attitude. The Japanese capital, even though I live there, can be quite snooty, overtly refined and pretentious. Osaka, however, is very much real, down to earth and genuine. As a Glaswegian, Osaka felt very comfortable and close to my childhood and upbringing in terms of urban personality and authenticity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though I\u2019ve lived in Japan for many years, I don\u2019t know Osaka. Also, importantly, I\u2019ve never claimed to know anything about this massive city which sits next to Kyoto and Kobe like an odd and often unexplored behemoth<\/strong>. I only know about Osaka from 1980s films like Ridley Scott\u2019s Black Rain<\/em> and from local novelists including Junichiro Tanizaki, Keigo Higashino, and Mieko Kawakami. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I came to the Namba area of Osaka to primarily stay at the Namba Oriental Hotel which is, perhaps, one of the most perfectly located hotels in Kansai.<\/strong> A few minutes walk from Namba Station and located within the vibrant Sennichimae Shotengai shopping arcade, Namba Oriental Hotel is a superb space to stay while in this Japanese city and especially since the Expo 2025 Osaka will be held from April 13 to October 13 of this year. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Only about 20 minutes by train from the Shinkansen terminal, Shin-Osaka, Namba is one of the city\u2019s main entertainment areas. Namba Oriental Hotel<\/a> which is only a short walk from Namba Station, which is located within the vibrant and hugely enjoyable Minami Sennichimae Shopping Street.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Namba Oriental Hotel, ostensibly, is one of the most convenient and modern, in terms of tech and service, in the city. The reception desk staff have translation devices<\/strong> to deal with the extremely diverse clientele who come from far and wide. The breakfast on offer<\/strong>, to be honest, is one of the best I\u2019ve ever had in Japan.<\/strong> Everything from soups, noodles, salads, scrambled eggs, sausages, soft drinks and croissants, it\u2019s a brilliant smorgasbord in which to begin your day. One of the particular standouts from the breakfast is the \u201clive kitchen\u201d where the very friendly chefs make French Toast Truffle butter, Croffle Benedict, and Filet Cutlet Burger right in front of you. I opted for the burger with the special sauce and it was simply superb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another absolute boon about this hotel is its Welcome Lounge which offers guests an array of snacks, beer, sake, spirits, liqueurs and soft drinks<\/strong>, all free of charge and part of the hotel fee. Available from 2pm to 10pm, it\u2019s a lovely and peaceful space to relax and begin your experience in the hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Laundry Lounge is another very modern-thinking space which gives visitors the opportunity to wash and dry their laundry free of charge<\/strong>, have a coffee and play some board games such as chess while waiting for their washing to be laundered. The Laundry Lounge also plays host to a “smart pack” clothing compressing machine which will, ultimately, give you more space in your suitcase. Very popular, tranquil and extremely convenient, it\u2019s a forward thinking convenience which more hotels should be investing in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was very lucky to be staying in the recently renovated Grand Residence, a 52 square-meter space situated on the third floor with an abundance of amenities and facilities<\/strong>. From the expansive sofas, huge television with Netflix, YouTube and other platforms available, a table area for working, a kitchen area with microwave and a spotless bathroom and shower area, it\u2019s the ideal stay for visitors looking for convenience, accessibility, and a touch of luxury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The international staff are extremely helpful and always approachable and with the aforementioned translation devices available, it doesn\u2019t matter what language you speak, you will be catered for with respect and kindness.<\/strong> Namba Oriental Hotel, then, stays very true to its motto of being, \u201cA Sanctuary of Sophistication in Central Osaka.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After relaxing in my huge and very luxurious suite I met up with one of Japan\u2019s most respected and expert sake <\/a>sommeliers, Cindy Bissig, who is also known in the industry as Sake Nomad<\/a>. <\/strong>She was very kind to take me to, perhaps, Osaka\u2019s first foreign-owned sake bars, run by the particularly amiable Australian Julian Houseman. A cozy and compact bar, it\u2019s only about 10 minutes walk from Yodayabashi Station<\/strong>, which is only six minutes from Namba on the Midosuji Line. Houseman was the perfect host with the nigori<\/em> (cloudy sake) on offer being the particular standout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For visitors to Osaka who are planning to attend this year\u2019s Expo<\/a>, Namba Oriental Hotel should definitely be on their radar as a centrally located and advantageous stay.<\/strong> For a touch of background, the first World Expo was held in 1851 in London, with the most recent being in Dubai in 2021. The upcoming Expo will be held in Osaka from April 13 to October 13<\/strong> marking the return of the event to the city after its successful and memorable 1970 Expo<\/a>. The theme for Expo 2025 Osaka is “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” focusing on sub-themes including ‘Saving Lives,’ ‘Empowering Lives,’ and ‘Connecting Lives.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n The event will take place on Yumeshima, an artificial island with easy access to Osaka and neighboring cities like Nara<\/a> and Kyoto<\/a><\/strong>. The island will feature eight exhibition zones, a central pavilion, and an array of fascinating attractions. Visitors can expect a variety of performances and interactive events, including theater, music, parades, and light shows. A key highlight is the ‘People\u2019s Living Lab,’ which will demonstrate the Expo’s theme by showcasing innovative solutions for a sustainable future. The Expo is set to draw record-breaking crowds due to Japan’s renowned culture and hospitality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Namba Oriental Hotel in Osaka<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Sake House<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Expo 2025 Osaka<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n