Hipmunk City Love: Make Your Visit to Osaka Eco-Friendly!

Osaka offers a host of attractions for all ages. From Universal Studios to sacred shrines, you’re sure to love this city. The increasingly important question raises itself, though: how can one best enjoy a place without having an environmental impact? Here are your answers for the best way to plan a responsible visit to Osaka, Japan!

Move About The City Like a Local

Osaka has plenty of cars on the road. Instead of adding to that congestion, or getting caught in it yourself, why not hop on a bike? Cycle Osaka is a local company that provides small and custom bike tours ranging from three hours to a full day of sightseeing. Their website offers an interactive map letting you choose which highlights you want to see and in what order. The Utsubo Park and Nakanoshima are perfect places to pedal among the locals, as plenty of shade and ambiance is given off by towering trees.

Eat Like You Were Born Here

It is often intimidating to try new foods in a country where you (presumably) don’t speak the language. One of the best ways to get a jumpstart on devouring Osaka is by taking a food tour. You will learn the foods you like most, how to order them, and the best restaurants and cafés to find your preferred dishes. All-Star Osaka Walk is a great walking tour company showing you the best culinary side of Osaka. It’s all done on foot, which is great for the environment and your waistline!

Image courtesy of Luke Ma from Flickr

Become One With Nature at … a Mall?

Namba Parks is no ordinary mall, and might be the first of its kind with a full blooming garden on top of a shopping mall. This inspiring oasis gives life back to the environment and sustains locals as there’s a vegetable garden where growers tend their own plots. The best way to explore the structure is by starting at the top and winding your way down.  Plan plenty of time for this excursion, as the mall itself offers lots of shopping and eating, too.

Bite the Bullet, Take the Train

Osaka had the first ever electric taxi stand, but these have recently fallen out of favor as they’ve been unable to keep up with the heavy demands of continuous transportation. Undeterred, the city moves about through another eco-friendly way: public transportation.

When moving around the rest of the country, bullet trains are one of the best ways to get a rapid glance of the scenery as you travel on to your next stop, Osaka has plenty of them.

Image courtesy of Yoshikazu Takada from Flickr

Sleep With Peace of Mind

Accommodation plays a huge role in your impact on a city when visiting, which is why it’s crucial to look for a hotel like Hotel New Omani Osaka that takes its commitment to conservation seriously. You will love their rooftop garden, as well as the environmentally friendly features throughout the hotel. They have a wonderful composting program in place, the bath products are eco-friendly, and even the toilet paper contains recycled paper.

With a visit like this, you can sleep soundly knowing you’re doing your part for a better Osaka today and tomorrow.

Please note : This is part of a series for #HipmunkCityLove. Hipmunk.com is low-cost and budget travel service that I use while planning budget travel, and am thrilled to write for. I know you will find the articles as well as their services useful.

Remember, you are my first priority and I only work with or support companies whose products and services I believe in. For all the nitty gritty on this check out my disclaimer. It’s even got pictures of monkeys.