Travel/POI: Japan Osaka 日本大阪 2026.05

此行中，大阪是我們進出日本的門戶，但由於我們將時間和精力主要投入在京都，除了途經其邊緣地帶外，我們幾乎沒怎麼遊覽這座城市。 2026 年 5 月 5 日，我們飛抵關西國際機場，隨即換乘特快「HARUKA」（遙號列車）直奔京都－大阪這座城市，只不過是在窗外匆匆掠過的一道模糊剪影。

Osaka served as our gateway into and out of Japan on this trip, but with our time and energy focused on Kyoto, we saw little of it beyond the edges. On May 5th, 2026, we flew into Kansai International Airport and transferred directly to a JR Haruka Express train for Kyoto — Osaka itself was barely a blur from the window.

這座城市聲名顯赫。作為關西地區的經濟與文化中心，大阪久負盛名，也是日本第二大都會區。早在江戶時代，這裡便是全國米及各類物資的商業樞紐，因而被譽為「天下廚房」（Tenka no Daidokoro）。如今，大阪同樣以其充滿活力的美食文化和密集的繁華購物街區而聞名遐邇。因此，當我們在 5 月 8 日重返此地時，品嚐美食與逛街購物便成了我們的主要行程。

不過，抵達目的地的過程本身就是一場奇異經歷。在從京都出發的列車途中，所有列車突然停駛——原來是另一車站發生的鐵路事故導致整條線路中斷。由於聽不懂廣播內容，我們借助翻譯軟體並與列車員耐心溝通，才大致弄清了狀況；列車員確認了情況，並協助我們權衡各種應對方案。權衡再三後，我們決定留在車上等待。幸運的是，一個多小時後線路恢復暢通，我們最終在下午四點半左右抵達了大阪。

The city has a formidable reputation. Long celebrated as the economic and cultural heart of the Kansai region, Osaka is Japan's second-largest metropolitan area and has been nicknamed Tenka no Daidokoro — "the Nation's Kitchen" — since the Edo period, when it served as the country's commercial hub for rice and provisions. It is equally known today for its exuberant food culture and its dense, lively shopping districts. So when we finally returned on May 8th, food and browsing were the plan.

Getting there, however, was an adventure in itself. Partway through the train journey from Kyoto, all services ground to a halt — a railway incident at another station had blocked the entire line. Unable to understand the announcements, we pieced together what had happened through a translation app and a patient conversation with the conductor, who confirmed the situation and helped us weigh our options. After considering alternatives, we decided to wait it out on board. Fortunately, after just over an hour the line cleared, and we pulled into Osaka by around four-thirty in the afternoon.

我們入住的是位於梅田的阪急大阪龍仕柏飯店（Hotel Hankyu RESPIRE OSAKA）。飯店地理位置優越，坐落於市內交通網絡最發達的區域之一，步行即可到達 JR 大阪站以及梅田地區的各大地鐵和私鐵線路。飯店與友都八喜（Yodobashi Camera）綜合大樓位於同一棟建築物內，因此下樓便可盡享購物，也有餐飲之便。

辦理入住手續後，我們在商場裡逛了一會兒，最後選定去「和幸」（Tonkatsu Wako）享用晚餐。和幸創立於 1958 年，是日本首家大型炸豬排連鎖店，數十年來一直保持著優良的品質口碑。無論是點里肌炸豬排（Rosu Katsu）還是菲力炸豬排（Hire Katsu），肉質都十分鮮嫩，外層裹的麵包粉更是炸得恰到好處——既酥脆可口，又完全沒有油膩感。每個套餐都附贈無限量免費續加的高麗菜絲、米飯和味噌湯；其中，搭配紫蘇柑橘油醋汁的高麗菜絲清爽開胃，味噌湯的味道也相當出色。這頓飯為我們在大阪的行程開了一個好頭。

We were staying at the Hotel Hankyu RESPIRE OSAKA in Umeda — a well-placed base in one of the city's most connected districts, within walking distance of JR Osaka Station and the various Umeda subway and private railway lines. The hotel shares its building with the Yodobashi Camera complex, so shopping and dining were immediately downstairs.

After checking in, we wandered the mall and settled on dinner at Tonkatsu Wako (とんかつ和幸). Founded in 1958, Wako was the first major tonkatsu chain in Japan and has maintained a reputation for quality over the decades. Whether you order the rosu katsu (pork loin cutlet) or the hire katsu (pork tenderloin cutlet), the meat is tender and the breading achieves that ideal combination of crisp exterior and non-greasy finish. Free unlimited refills of shredded cabbage, steamed rice, and miso soup come with every set meal — the cabbage, dressed with a perilla and citrus vinaigrette, was refreshing and appetite-opening, and the miso soup was genuinely good. It was an excellent first meal in Osaka.

由於購物中心與飯店直接相連，每當雙腿酸軟無力時，我們便能隨時回到樓上休息——在京都的石板路上連日漫步之後，這種小小的愜意顯得格外明智。從高層望去，視野開闊，能清晰地俯瞰整座城市及流經此地的淀川（Yodo River）－這條河源自琵琶湖，穿過大阪，最終奔向大海。無論白晝還是夜晚，憑窗遠眺，都是極佳的享受。

With the mall connected directly to the hotel, we could retreat upstairs whenever our legs gave out — a small luxury that felt enormously sensible after days of walking Kyoto's stone streets. From the upper floors, we had a clear view over the city to the Yodo River (淀川), which flows from Lake Biwa through Osaka to the sea. Whether in daylight or after dark, it was a fine thing to look out at.

5 月 9 日中午，我們前往 JR大阪站，準備搭乘「關西機場快速列車」返回關西國際機場。大阪站是關西地區規模最大、結構最複雜的交通樞紐之一，在同一座龐大的建築群下匯集了JR線路、阪急電鐵、阪神電鐵以及大阪地鐵網絡。拖著行李、盯著手機地圖在站內穿行，這經歷著實讓人印象深刻——那是一個讓人暈頭轉向的地方：每一條走廊看起來都像是正確的路，直到你發現自己走錯了。

我們當時的神情想必和內心的茫然如出一轍。一位好心的日本女士向我們走來，用生硬的英語問我們要去哪裡，隨即——甚至沒等我們多說一句話——便示意我們跟上。她帶著我們穿過了彷彿半個車站那麼長的路程，搭乘自動扶梯，轉過數個街角，將我們準確無誤地送達目的地，然後轉身匆匆離去。我們甚至來不及好好向她道謝。這種來自素不相識之人的善意，既無言語修飾，又毫不遲疑，令人難以忘懷。

有一條建議真的非常關鍵：我們在前一天晚上查好了路線，搜尋結果特別提示了這趟列車的一個特別之處。關西機場快速列車（Kansai Airport Rapid Service）與紀州路快速列車（Kishuji Rapid Service）在到達日根野站（Hineno Station）之前是連掛運行的，到了該站後列車會一分為二：前四節車廂繼續駛往關西機場，而後面的廂車則分離向南到和歌山。乘客必須搭乘前四節車廂－一旦上錯了車廂，最後就會往完全錯誤的方向前進。因此，我們特意留意並排在正確的隊伍位置。這是我們兩個第一次遇到會在中途分離的列車，這種運行方式至今仍讓我們覺得有些不可思議。

行程只花了一個多小時。車上人蠻多的，我們在前幾站站著，然後座位才空出來，讓我們鬆了一口氣。對於想要有保證有座位和更快的乘坐速度的人來說，特快 HARUKA 是更舒適的選擇：它從大阪站直達關西機場，大約需要 45 分鐘，自由座的價格約為 2,200 日元。而關西機場快車的票價約為 1,210 日元，車程約 70 分鐘，是經濟實惠的選擇。

Around noon on May 9th, we made our way to JR Osaka Station to catch the Kansai Airport Rapid Service back to Kansai International Airport. Osaka Station is one of the largest and most complex transport hubs in the Kansai region, threading together JR lines, the Hankyu and Hanshin private railways, and the Osaka Metro subway network under one sprawling roof. Navigating it with luggage in hand and a phone map open was, to put it charitably, an experience — the kind of place where every corridor looks like the right one until it isn't.

We must have looked as lost as we felt. A kind Japanese woman approached us, asked in careful English where we were heading, and then — without waiting for more than a word of reply — gestured for us to follow her. She led us through what seemed like half the station, up escalators, around corners, and deposited us at exactly the right point before turning and hurrying off. We barely had time to thank her properly. That kind of wordless, unhesitating helpfulness from a complete stranger is something that stays with you.

One piece of advice that proved genuinely important: we had looked up the route the evening before, and a search result specifically flagged something unusual about this train. The Kansai Airport Rapid Service runs coupled with the Kishuji Rapid Service until Hineno Station, where the train splits in two. The front four carriages continue to Kansai Airport, while the rear carriages separate and head south to Wakayama. Passengers must board one of the first four cars — boarding the wrong half means ending up in entirely the wrong direction. We made sure to find our place in the queue accordingly. It was the first time either of us had encountered a train that physically divides itself mid-journey, and the idea still feels slightly extraordinary.

The journey took just over an hour. The train was busy and we stood for the first few stops before seats opened up — a relief. For anyone who wants a guaranteed seat and a faster ride, the Limited Express HARUKA is the more comfortable option: it runs directly from Osaka Station to Kansai Airport in approximately 45 minutes, with unreserved seats priced at around ¥2,200. The Kansai Airport Rapid, at roughly ¥1,210 and about 70 minutes, is the economical alternative.

我們抵達機場時時間尚早，便在候機之餘，靜靜看著飛機在大阪灣上空起降。這彷彿是旅程的一個自然收場——讓我們得以安坐片刻，回味這五天裡的點點滴滴：探訪寺廟、漫步集市、長途步行、品嚐美食，以及那些不經意間的小小發現。京都帶給我們的驚喜遠超預期，而大阪即便只停留了一日，也已展現出足夠的魅力，讓我們意猶未盡，渴望重遊。日本總是有著這樣的魔力。

We arrived at the airport with time to spare, and spent the wait watching planes take off and land over Osaka Bay. It felt like a natural full stop to the trip — a moment to sit quietly and replay five days of temples, markets, long walks, good meals, and small discoveries. Kyoto delivered more than we had expected, and Osaka, even in just a day, showed enough of itself to make us want to come back. Japan has a way of doing that.