Check the business hours of each facility in advance due to COVID-19.
Isn’t cool to get easily around the city of Osaka, Japan, without purchasing public transportations and admission fees?
To make time for sightseeing as much as you can, don’t waste time and money, especially while you are in an attractive city, Osaka(大阪).
Do you know that Osaka Metro is much handy rather than JR Line even though you have the Japan Rail Pass???
“Osaka Amazing Pass” issued by Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau is amazing as the name suggests!
It is one of travel pass for sightseeing visitors which offers not only *unlimited train and bus rides and also free-charge admission fees for 40 facilities in Osaka.
*Depends on types of pass, available transportation differs.
I am going to introduce why it is a must-have for any visit to western Japan’s largest city.
Overview
- Osaka public transportation network
- General Information/types/prices/available transportation
- Free charge and discount admission fees
- Discount coupons
- How to get/Osaka information centers
- Other Travel Passes
Public Transportation In Osaka city
Osaka city is one of the cities that have the most developed transportation systems as the second-largest city in Japan, there are JR lines (Shinkansen and local lines), private railways, subways, city, local buses, water buses, taxies, Uber, and rental bicycles.
Osaka city has roughly 5 areas for sightseeing, each area has fancy attractions you can’t miss, so it is the key how much you can use public transportation systems effectively to hop around in the city.
“Osaka Metro” and the “JR loop line” are the most popular transportation for visitors, these cover almost the whole town.
The General Information
“Osaka Amazing Pass” is a travel pass that offers unlimited rides on trains and buses for sightseeing visitors. There are a “1-day pass” and a “2-day pass”, so select one which one is suitable for you.
Prices
- A 1-day pass/ ¥2,800
- A 2-day pass/ ¥3,600
- the Children’s fare is not available
Available Transportation Network On Each Pass
You need to understand the different valid transportation between a 1-day pass and a 2-day pass.
You can’t start using the pass from Kansai Airport station except for purchasing the “1-day pass Nankai Kansai Airport edition” at Kansai International airport.
| 1-DAY | 2-DAY | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osaka Metro New Trum | ◯ | ◯ | |
| City bus | ◯ | ◯ | Excluded toward IKEA Tsuruhama, USJ |
| Hankyu Railway | ◯ | ✕ | Osaka Umeda – Kanzakigawa, Osaka Umeda – Mikuni, Osaka Umeda – Aikawa, Shimoshinjo – Tenjimbashisuji 6-chome |
| Hanshin Electric Railway | ◯ | ✕ | Osaka Umeda – Amagasaki, Osaka Namba – Amagasaki |
| Keihan Electric Railway | ◯ | ✕ | Yodoyabashi – Sembayashi, Nakanoshima – Temmabashi |
| Kintetsu Railway | ◯ | ✕ | Osaka Namba – Imazato, Osaka Abenobashi – Yata |
| Nankai Electric Railway | ◯ | ✕ | Namba – Sakai, Namba – Nakamozu, Shiomibashi – Kishinosato-Tamade |
The Valid Periods
The valid periods are little tricky. See details.
| 1 DAY PASS | For use in transportation, the valid period is from the first train to the last train on the timetable. You can use the facility free of charge from the opening hours. It is a 1-day pass, not a 24-hours pass. Only the date you start using is valid. |
| 2 DAY PASS | For use in transportation, the valid period is from the first train to the last train on the timetable. You can use the facility free of charge from the opening hours. A 2-day ticket is valid only for two consecutive dates, not for 48 hours. |
Get Free Charge Of Admission
The greatest attraction of Osaka Amazing Pass is that you can get free entry to 40 facilities.
Simply present your pass or scan the barcode on the back of your pass at facilities, and you won’t have to redeem it for actual tickets.
Popular Facilities And Attractions
Please check out the official website or brochure. This site doesn’t tell you All details and rules.
- Osaka castle tower observatory
- Tsutenkaku tower (all day from Mon to Fri, and after 6 pm on Sat, Sun and holidays)
- Tonbori river cruise (Require to exchange an actual ticket and book a seat, check out details)
- Umeda sky building observatory (until 6 p.m.)
- KINUTANI KOJI Tenku art museum
- The National Museum of Art (the “collection exhibit” only )
- Osaka science museum (excludes planetarium)
- Osaka Museum of housing and living (the regular exhibit and thematic exhibit only)
- Legoland
- Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum
- Shiten no Ji
- HEP FIVE Ferris wheel
- and more…
How Much Are You Saving?
Here is the table tells you the regular prices of popular spots for tourists.
| Regular Price (¥) | Using the pass | |
| Osaka castle tower | 600 | 0 |
| Umeda Sky Building | 1,500 | 0 *Until 6 pm |
| Tsutenkaku Tower | 800 | 0 *all day from Mon to Fri, and after 6 pm on Sat, Sun and holidays *excludes the open-air deck |
| HEP FIVE | 600 | 0 |
| Tenpozan Ferris Wheel | 800 | 0 |
| Tonbori River Cruise | 1,000 | 0 |
| Santa Maria Cruise | 1,600 | 0 |
| Legoland | 2,400 | 0 |
| Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum | 500 | 0 |
| Osaka Museum of housing and living | 600 | 0 *Free admission applies only to the regular exhibit and thematic exhibit. |
| Osaka castle boat tour | 1,500 | 0 |
Note
- Please make sure opening hours before planning.
- Some attractions are seasonal operation, please ensure the operating dates.
- For example, some riverboat cruises, you can get only one free charge, you need to choose one from the list.
About Discount Coupons
You will also get a special coupon book called “TOKU TOKU COUPON” with Osaka amazing pass. You can get discount prices or free gifts at 27 facilities, over 65 shops and restaurants.
Moreover, coupons are available until April 30, 2021, which means you can still use them even after the pass expired.
Facilities & Attractions
- HARUKAS 300 Observatory (10% discount)
- TSUTENKAKU Tower, The open-air deck (¥200 OFF)
- Don Quijote Dōtonbori Ferris wheel(¥100 OFF)
- KIZ PLAZA (10% discount fees for up to 5 people)
- SAKURALUMINA; Enchanted Night Walk in Osaka castle park(discount price available)
- and more…
Restaurants
| Okonomiyaki | Osaka Botejyu | 10%OFF |
| Hugetsu | 1 complimentary dish | |
| Conveyor belt sushi | Daiki | 10%OFF |
| Chojiro | 10%OFF | |
| Kushikatsu | Yokozuna | 10%OFF(weekdays)* |
| Ajinodaimaru | 10%OFF(weekdays)* |
*5%OFF (Weekends, the day before holidays, and holidays)
*Long holidays(Golden Week, New Year’s holidays, Obon) are excepted
How To Get Osaka Amazing Pass
On Ground
You can buy a pass at
- All Osaka Metro stations
- Travel information centers in Osaka (&Kyoto)
- Major hotels in Osaka
- Some stations on private Railways
The booths you CAN use a credit card,
We bought the passes at the tourist information at Osaka Station, English, Chinese and Korean speakers were available, and we could use a credit card.
You can buy the “1-day pass Nankai Kansai Airport edition” at the information center in Kansai International airport, terminal 1.
Via Official Website
Now, you can buy the pass online via the official web site, you need to exchange QR code to an actual pass at three tourist information centers.
Consider Other Versions
Expo’70 Commemorative Park Edition
There is another option if you consider visiting Expo’70 Commemorative Park located in Suita city, one of the suburbs of Osaka city.
The pass costs ¥3,400.
• What is Expo’70 Commemorative Park???
Expo’70 Commemorative Park in Suita City, north of Osaka, is the memorial park where the world expo was held in 1970 as the first world expo in Japan.
This park has Japanese gardens, natural cultural park, and a pavilion where you can learn about the history of the Expo.
In 2017, the complex attraction facility, EXPO CITY opened in the park, making the park a popular spot on the outskirts of Osaka.
• What you can do in the Park using the pass??
- “Redhorse” the Ferris wheel (Free admission with pass)
- Nifrel; A new type of the museum produced by Osaka Aquarium KAIYUKAN (¥100 OFF)
- Japanese gardens
- Flower gardens
- Footbath
Use the *Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway via Esaka station to Expo’70 Commemorative Park from Osaka city using this pass. Change at Senri-Chuo station and take Osaka Monorail to Banpaku Kinen-Koen station.
*Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway is directly connected to Midosuji Line (using the same track), so you don’t need to transfer to Kita Kyuko Railway once getting on Midosuji Line toward Senri-Chuo (M08).
Enjoy Eco Card
The 1-day pass that gives you unlimited Osaka metro and city buses.
Besides, you can get discounts on admission fees for about 30 sightseeing spots in Osaka city.
It costs ¥800 for weekdays, ¥600 for weekends and holidays.
The children’s fare is ¥300. Since Osaka Amazing pass for children is not available, to get “Enjoy Eco Card” for kids and pay an admission fee at each facility can be another idea.
Osaka Kaiyu Ticket
If you consider visiting the aquarium, the “Osaka Kaiyu ticket” can be better than Osaka Amazing Pass.
As you learned, Osaka Aquarium, “Kaiyukan” is NOT included as a “free admission facility” in Osaka Amazing Pass benefits.
This pass gives you unlimited Osaka Metro and City bus rides include with an admission ticket of the aquarium.
The price for the “Osaka metro edition” is ¥2,600 (The child fare is ¥1,300).
Yokoso Osaka Ticket
If you are not “Japan Rail Pass” holder and arriving at Kansai International Airport, there is a discount ticket included with a one-way airport shuttle ride to downtown Osaka and a day pass for the subway and bus.
Conclusion
The Osaka metro is the main transportation for hopping sightseeing spots in Osaka, so transportation costs alone will be unexpectedly high without the travel pass. Besides, you have to pay admission fees for each facility and attraction, sometimes need to wait in a long line to buy tickets.
With using Osaka Amazing Pass or other travel passes, you can travel in Osaka more effectively and inexpensively.
If you plan to visit Osaka, consider using “Osaka Amazing Pass”.