I’m really excited to interview professional travel blogger La Carmina about Osaka, Japan. La Carmina’s tips for the best things to do in Osaka are awesome because she specializes in Japan travel coverage and has been writing about Japan since 2007. You’ll find these articles on her site as well as major publications, like Time and Business Insider. She’s also a frequent guest expert on travel TV shows.
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Osaka streets. Photo by Nomadic Julien on Unsplash.
Osaka, Japan
We share a lot of resources and local suggestions in today’s podcast, but you should also check out Osaka Info, the local visitor’s bureau. They are a wealth of information and can help you plan an itinerary based on your time, budget, and interests.
If you’d like to learn how to travel for free using airline miles and hotel points, check out my free 7-day email course.
Super Mario World. Photo by Tanguy R on Unsplash.
Getting around Osaka
The local airport is Osaka International Airport (ITM), which is a fifteen-minute drive to the city.
La Carmina says that, if you’re staying downtown, there’s no need to rent a car. For the best offers, visit Avis, Budget, or Hertz.
Uber and Lyft are excellent ways to get around.
When you only need a car for a couple of hours, you can rent by the hour with Zipcar. Join now to get $25 loaded into your account.
During your trip, make sure that you enjoy some Osaka okonomiyaki
Places we talked about on the podcast
Here is a map of all of the places we talked about on the podcast episode with La Carmina about Osaka, Japan. You can zoom into the map and click on each dot to explore the city.
- Red dots = best places to eat in Osaka, Japan
- Green dots = best things to do in Osaka, Japan
- Yellow dots = best places to stay in Osaka, Japan
Who is La Carmina?
La Carmina specializes in reporting on alternative subcultures around the world, especially in Japan — such as Goth, punk, and underground music/fashion/nightlife. She is passionate about sharing stories about fringe creators, whether they’re extreme body modification and tattoo artists, experimental chefs, or edgy fashion designers. Carmina has traveled to over 70 countries to date and had the opportunity to speak worldwide at TEDx and tourism conferences.
She is also a freelance travel writer (for publications like Time Magazine, The Daily Beast, Fodor’s, CNN), and the author of 3 books (with Penguin Random House). Carmina also works as a travel TV presenter and production coordinator. These networks worldwide include NBC, Travel Channel, Food Network, ABC, National Geographic, TLC, Fuel TV, Discovery Science, NHK Japan, and German’s Pro Sieben.
Here’s a sample of the articles that Carmina has written on her site and for clients:
- Owl Cafes Are Tokyo’s Newest ‘Cute’ Trend
- 10 Amazing Style Subcultures From Around the World
- Descend Into the World’s 10 Most Devilish Destinations
Carmina has also written two books:
- CUTE YUMMY TIME: 70 recipes for the cutest food you’ll ever eat
- Crazy, Wacky Theme Restaurants: Tokyo
You can connect with La Carmina on her website and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Big thanks to Travel Massive for introducing us!
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666 is one of the many Goth stores that La Carmina enjoys.
Stay tuned for our next episode
Listen to the next episode when Heather Markel of Heather Begins shares the best things to do in Kerikeri, New Zealand. . In this episode, Heather and I talk about hiking to Rainbow Falls, learning about the Maori culture at Te Ahoo Rheah, and visiting The Kemp House, which is the oldest house in New Zealand. We hope you’ll join us when We Travel There.
What’s your favorite part of Osaka? Send us a Tweet, let us know in the comment section below, or continue the discussion in our Facebook group!
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To see which cities we’ve interviewed and scheduled, please visit WeTravelThere.com/map. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please submit an application at WeTravelThere.com/guest.
Related episodes
To learn more about Japanese destinations, please listen to our other interviews:
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