Where do you stay when you come to Osaka for business or pleasure?
Many people will probably stay at hotels in the following locations
Shin-Osaka, a Shinkansen station
Umeda, the largest terminal station in western Japan
Hommachi and Yodoyabashi, business districts
Namba and Shinsaibashi near Dotonbori
Tennoji and Abeno, home to Abeno Harukas, the tallest building in western Japan
Universal City near Universal Studios Japan
Even people who are not residents of Osaka Prefecture may have heard of these places.
However, this article will introduce you to other locations not listed above.
Here it is…
Shin-Imamiya.
“What? Where?” Some of you may have wondered.
This is the station you must pass through when going to Umeda or Namba by train from Kansai International Airport.
However, it is often passed by unnoticed and is not yet recognized.
Therefore, we would like to talk about why we recommend Shin-Imamiya as a place to stay.
This article is intended for the following people
Those who want to stay in Osaka at an affordable price.
Those who want to experience the unique atmosphere of Osaka.
By reading this article, you will understand what kind of place Shin-Imamiya is.
You will definitely feel like staying there.
Thank you again for your cooperation.
What is Shin-Imamiya like?
First, let me tell you what Shin-Imamiya is like.
Shin-Imamiya station is located near the border of Naniwa and Nishinari wards in Osaka City.
The JR Osaka Loop Line, JR Yamato Line, Nankai Main Line, and Nankai Koya Line serve the area.
The JR side is located in Naniwa Ward and the Nankai side in Nishinari Ward.
This station is also adjacent to Dobutsuen-mae Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line and Sakaisuji Line
and “Shin-Imamiya Ekimae stop” on the Hankai Electric Railway Hankai Line.
The station is famous as the nearest station to Shinsekai, Tsutenkaku Tower, and Tennoji Zoo, which are major tourist attractions in Osaka.
The Airin district, known as a town of day laborers, is located nearby.
I think there are a certain number of people from other prefectures who are familiar with Shin-Imamiya because of this.
There are many budget lodging options near the station.
In recent years, new hotels have sprung up one after another.
A vast vacant lot once existed directly north of Shin-Imamiya Station.
It had remained untouched ever since I was little.
However, on April 22, 2022, Hoshino Resort opened a new office in the vacant lot.
I was really surprised when it opened the ” OMO7 (Omoseibun) Osaka ” urban tourism hotel.
I, hiikun, was skeptical.
This is because I never expected Hoshino Resort to build a hotel in Shin-Imamiya.
However, since its opening, the area around the station seems to have become even more vibrant.
After the restrictions on activities to prevent the spread of coronavirus have been lifted,
once again we see many travelers.
I believe Shin-Imamiya will continue to be a place that attracts a lot of attention from travelers.
In the next section, I will tell you why I, hiikun, recommend Shin-Imamiya as a place to stay.
Why I recommend Shin-Imamiya
In this section, I, hiikun, would like to explain to you why I recommend “Shin-Imammiya” for finding a place to stay
when you do sightseeing in Osaka.
There are four reasons below.
Let’s look at them one by one.
Many of the accommodations are reasonably priced.
There are many reasonably priced accommodations near Shin-Imamiya Station.
This is the main reason why I highly recommend Shin-Imamiya.
I did some research and found that some of them are available for as low as 1,000 yen per night with no meal.
Recently, fashionable hotels have been constructed, and the atmosphere around the station is changing.
The area south of the street in front of JR Shin-Imamiya Station is called the Airin area.
The official address is Hagino-chaya, Nishinari Ward, Osaka City.
It is famous as a city of day laborers.
A number of simple accommodations for day laborers still exist today.
In the past, many day laborers used simple accommodations.
However, in recent years the number of workers in the Airin area has been declining due to the aging of the workforce and other factors.
Because of that, simple lodging accommodations, which until now have been doing business with day laborers,
are transforming into hotels for travelers one after another.
When I hiikun was a child (late 80s to mid 90s),
I hardly saw any foreign tourists around Shin-Imamiya Station.
But now, in search of a comfortable place to stay at for as little as possible,
many foreign tourists are now visiting Shin-Imamiya.
Business Hotel Raizan South Wing
Hotel Samplaza 2
the b Osaka Shinsekai (opening December 1, 2023)
Hotel Shin-Imamiya
Hotel Sunplaza
Chisun Standard Osaka Shin-Imamiya
The hotels listed here are just a few.
There are many other hotels that offer comfortable accommodations at affordable prices.
Please look for it.
Next, I will talk about places to go sightseeing around Shin-Imamiya.
There are places to go sightseeing nearby.
The second reason we recommend Shin-Imamiya is that there are places to visit nearby.
Moreover, you can move around on foot.
The most representative place is “Shinsekai“.
Shinsekai is full of charm.
First of all, you cannot miss Tsutenkaku Tower, the symbol of Osaka.
It remains very popular.
Many tourists were lined up on the day of the photo shoot.
I visited the place on a weekday, but it was crowded with many tourists.
Did you know that Tsutenkaku Tower actually has a “slide”?
It is called “TOWER SLIDER“.
I, hiikun, would love to ride it if I have the chance.
Around Tsutenkaku, there are a number of restaurants
that offer you kushikatsu (skewered pork cutlets), sushi, okonomiyaki, udon, yakiniku, seafood dishes, etc.
I visited Shinsekai for the first time in about 5 years.
The transformation astonishes me: more hotels, more restaurants, and most of all, more tourists.
Also, just outside Shinsekai is the shopping street “Janjan Yokocho” near Shinsekailocated near Shinsekai.
You will not have much trouble finding a restaurant.
Just to the right of Shinsekai is the Tennoji Zoo.
If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and interact with the animals, please visit the zoo.
Also, if you have time to spare, why not visit Tennoji Park?
If you are tired of walking and want to rest in a hot spring, this is the place for you.
It is the world’s great hot spring ” SPA WORLD“.
In addition to hot springs, visitors can enjoy swimming pools and bedrock baths.
Moreover, SPA WORLD has a hotel.
Why not consider staying at Spa World those who are looking for a place to stay?
Although it is a little far, you can walk to Abeno Harukas.
It is the second tallest building in Japan with a height of 300 meters.
It had been the tallest building in Japan for about 10 years since it opened in March 2014.
Unfortunately, in 2023, Azabudai Hills Mori JP Tower in Tokyo surpasssed Abeno Harukas.
However, the presence of the second tallest building in Japan will not waver in the future.
Also not to be forgotten are the streetcars.
This is the Hankai Railway Hankai Line operated by Hankai Electric Railway.
By riding this tram, you can feel the atmosphere of traditional areas in Osaka City even more.
I, hiikun, have used this route several times and highly recommend it.
If you have time to spare, why not take this tram?
As you can see, there are so many sightseeing spots around Shin-Imamiya Station that you can visit on foot.
Easy access to major tourist attractions in Osaka City
Shin-Imamiya is located relatively close to major tourist attractions in Osaka City.
In addition, public transportation in Osaka City is excellent, making it very easy to get around.
You can easily get to your desired sightseeing spot with a single train ride.
Even if transfers occur along the way, they will be minimal.
Let me give you a few examples.
As I mentioned in the previous item, Tsutenkaku Tower, Shinsekai and Abeno Harukas are within walking distance.
To Namba, the nearest station to Dotonbori, a typical downtown area in Minami, Osaka,
it is only one stop on the Nankai Line from Shin-Imamiya.
The fare is ￥180 for adults.
However, Nankai Namba Station is slightly far from Dotonbori.
Therefore, from “Dobutsuen-mae” station of Osaka Metro, which is adjacent to Shin-Imamiya station,
it is better to take the Midosuji Line and get off at “Namba Station” to avoid the hassle of walking from the station.
The fare is ¥190 for adults.
Osaka Castle Park, where Osaka Castle is located, can be reached in about 20 minutes by JR Osaka Loop Line inner loop train.
The fare is ¥190 for adults.
To Universal City, the closest station to Universal Studios Japan,
please take the JR Osaka Loop Line outbound train and change to the JR Yumesaki Line at Nishi-Kujo on the way.
From there, the second stop is Universal City.
The fare is ¥190 for adults.
To Kyocera Dome Osaka, famous for hosting professional baseball games and concerts,
take the JR Osaka Loop Line outbound train and get off at “Taisho”.
The fare is ¥140 for adults.
Although it is not a tourist destination,
it is also only one train ride away from JR Shin-Osaka Station, a transfer station with the Shinkansen bullet train.
From Shin-Osaka Station, take the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line.
It takes 19 minutes to get to Dobutsuenmae Station, which is adjacent to Shin-Imamiya Station.
The fare is ￥290.
I think those who come to Osaka by Shinkansen from far away and head for Shin-Imamiya
are taking this approach.
This is the Osaka Metro “Shin-Osaka” station.
It is a 5-minute walk from the JR Shin-Osaka Station Shinkansen central ticket gate (photo shown above).
Easy access to tourist destinations outside of Osaka.
For example, in Nara there are many shrines, temples, and tourist attractions, including the World Heritage Site of Horyu-ji Temple and Todai-ji Temple, which is famous for the Great Buddha.
You can also reach Nara by a single train from Shin-Imamiya.
This is the Yamatoji rapid train bound for “Nara”.
It takes about 40 minutes by JR Yamatoji Rapid train on the JR Yamatoji Line, and the fare is ￥580 for adults.
For details, please refer to the JR West official website.
Koyasan, a World Heritage site, can also be reached directly from Shin-Imamiya.
It takes about 90 minutes by train on the Nankai Koya Line, and the fare is ￥1,430 for adults.
When using the limited express, a separate seat reservation ticket must be purchased.
However, trains that go directly to Koyasan are very limited.
Often transfers are needed along the way.
For details, please refer to the official Nankai Electric Railway website.
Fares to the destinations listed here are current as of January 2024.
They also sell special one-day passes.
Please refer to the website of each transportation agency for details.
The time required is only an estimate,
Please note that the schedule is subject to change depending on circumstances.
Easy access from Kansai International Airport
Shin-Imamiya is easily accessible from Kansai International Airport.
You can reache Shin-Imamiya from Kansai International Airport by either JR or Nankai.
By JR train, the fare is ￥1,080 for adults, and the journey takes 50 to 60 minutes.
For Nankai, the fare is ￥970 for adults and the journey takes 40 to 50 minutes.
Fares are slightly cheaper on Nankai.
Nankai tends to be shorter in terms of travel time.
However, as reported in the previous section, “Easy access to major tourist attractions in Osaka City” ,
the time required is only an estimate,
Please note that this may change significantly depending on the situation.
When you take a JR train from Kansai International Airport to Shin-Imamiya,
please take this Kanku Kaisoku rapid service.
It features a silver car body with a blue and white gradient band.
However, please do not board this train.
This is the Airport Limited Express “Haruka”.
It is decorated with cute Hello Kitty.
But be careful not to get caught up in the cuteness.
This train does not stop at Shin-Imamiya.
This is Nankai’s Airport Express.
It features a silver body with blue and orange lines.
Of course, it stops at Shin-Imamiya.
This is Nankai’s airport express “rapi:t”.
This limited express also stops at Shin-Imamiya.
In other words, JR’s limited express trains do not stop at Shin-Imamiya, but rapid trains do.
Nankai, on the other hand, stops both limited express and express trains.
summary
On this page, I have explained why I recommend Shin-Imamiya Station as a place to stay at.
First of all, I have described what kind of place Shin-Imamiya is.
I then listed four reasons why I would recommend Shin Imamiya.
There are many affordable places to stay at.
There are also several tourist attractions that you can reach on foot.
As introduced in the previous section, Shin-Imamiya is close to famous tourist attractions,
such as Tsutenkaku Tower, Shinsekai, Tennoji Zoo, Tennoji Park, Abeno Harukas, etc.
If you have enough time and energy, you can walk to Namba or Dotonbori area.
Easy access to major tourist attractions in Osaka City and from Kansai International Airport.
I really recommend it to those who want to travel at the lowest possible cost.
In Shin-Imamiya, you can enjoy all of Osaka’s attractions in one place.
Why not try to find a place to stay at?
We hope this article will help you on your trip to Osaka.
Thank you very much for reading to the end.
