Osaka North

Northern Osaka covers the wards of Higashiyodogawa-ku (東淀川区), Nishiyodogawa-ku (西淀川区), and Yodogawa-ku (淀川区), which sprawl along the northern side of the Yodogawa river. (For the Kita district, literally meaning "north" but on the other side of the river, see Osaka/Kita.)

Get in

By train

The primary reason for visitors to find themselves in northern Osaka is Shin-Osaka Station, the city's Shinkansen (bullet train) hub, with frequent services east towards Tokyo and west towards Fukuoka. Hop on the Midosuji subway line to get to the city center.

The fastest trains between Kansai International Airport and Shin-Osaka station are "Ltd. Express Haruka" which operates by JR West. The journey takes approximately 50 minutes at a cost of ¥2490: ¥1320 regular fare + ¥1150 limited express fare.

By bus

Expressway buses arrive at Hankyu Highwaybus Shin-Osaka terminal (阪急ハイウェイバス新大阪ターミナル), near the JR Shin-Osaka Station.

Airport limousine buses from Itami (¥500, roughly 25 min) and Kansai (¥1,550, 90 min).

See

• 1 Open Air Museum of Old Farmhouses (日本民家集落博物館 (nihon minka shūraku hakubutsukan)), Ryokuchi-koen (take the Midosuji subway line to Ryokuchi). Tu-Su. Ryokuchi park is lovely, and in it is a museum of a dozen old Edo period farmhouses, moved across country and lovingly reconstructed. Also on display are tools, furniture, and the like. You can go to Himeji-jo or the old palace in Kyoto and see how the rulers lived, but come down here to see how the people lived. Thanks to the efforts of a volunteer from Australia, they have a great new English-language brochure to guide you. ¥500. 

Do

• Osaka municipal indoor pool - Yodogawa (大阪市立淀川屋内プール), 2-3-1 Juso-Higaqshi Yodogawa-ku (6 minutes walk from Hankyu Juso station east exit). M-F 09:00-21:30, Sa Su 09:00-19:30. Heated swimming pool & exercise room. Admission: ¥700 pool, ¥600 training, ¥1000 pool & training. 

Drink

The area around Jūsō (十三) station is a well-known red-light district. Squarely targeted at locals, most adult establishments will refuse entry to non-Japanese, but there are plenty of affordable watering holes and casual restaurants if you'd like to experience nightlife like an Osakan salaryman.

Sleep

• Shin-Osaka Youth Hostel (A block from the east exit of Shin-Osaka Station). A clean, modern, and friendly youth hostel. ¥3500. 
• Mystays Shin Osaka, 6-2-19 Nishi-Nakajima Yodogawa-ku (10 minutes walk from Shin-Osaka station - walk towards the Washington Plaza hotel and cross under the 423 highway), ☏ +81 6-6302-5571. Small, clean rooms and a bit of a hike to the bullet train station, but unbeatable for the price. Some staff speak English. Some rates include buffet breakfast in the hotel's restaurant (¥1100 separately). Family Mart and Lawson convenience stores are a half-block away, while there is a 7-Eleven with international ATM access is on the way from Shin-Osaka station. Web site lists singles starting from ¥8300, though cheaper rates might be found when searching for availability. 
• Business Hotel OK, 1-10-11 Jusohigashi Yodogawa-ku (5 minutes walk from Umeda (Osaka) station or Shin-Osaka station.), ☏ +81 6-6305-5021. Rooms from ¥4500 single, ¥5000 dobule. 
• Hotel Laforet Shin-Osaka, 1-2-70 Miyahara, Yodogawa-ku (1 minute walk from Shin-Osaka Station), ☏ +81 6-6350-4444. 
• New Osaka Hotel, 5-14-10 Nishinakajima Yodogawa (3 minutes walk from Shin-Osaka Station), ☏ +81 6-6305-2345. Rooms from ¥8085 single,¥16170 twin/double. 

Connect

• Osaka Visitors Information Center - Shin-Osaka, 3F JR Shin-Osaka Sta. 5-16-1 Nishinakajima Yodogawa-ku (inside JR Shin-Osaka Station), ☏ +81 6-6305 3311. 09:00-18:00, closed 31 Dec-3 Jan. 

Go next

Routes through North

into ←	W  E	→ Kyoto → Nagoya
Hiroshima ← Okayama←Shin-Kobe ←	W  E	→ into
Sannomiya ← Nishinomiya←Osaka ←	W  E	→ Suita → Ibaraki → Kyoto
Sannomiya ← Koshien ← Amagasaki ←	W  E	→ Osaka Nanba
Umeda ←	S  E	→ Ibarakishi → Nagaokatenjin → Kawaramachi
↑ ←	S  E	→ Katsura → into Arashiyama line → Arashiyama
Takarazuka ← Ikeda ← Toyonaka ←	N  S	→ Umeda
Sannomiya ← Nishinomiya Kitaguchi ←	W  S	→ Umeda
Senri-Chuo ← into ← Esaka ←	N  S	→ Umeda → Nanba → Tennoji
END ←	N  S	→ Taishibashi-Imaichi → Shigino → Imazato