Just northwest of the Dotonbori river near Namba is where many of us know of "Amerikamura", which is the Japanese interpretation of Little America.
There are lots of vintage clothing stores, hobby shops, and western restaurants (and recently more just "foreign foods" on the outskirts of the area).
Of course, when we think of America, it has to be the Hamburgers.
There's no shortage of burger joints in this area, but I'm going to introduce one here called Rich Garden.
It's a small little burger, sandwich and pancake joint. They also have sides like loaded fries and nachos which is what I highly recommend here:
At the time of writing this, Japan is still recovering from some potato shortage, so they replaced the side of fries with salad and nuggets with the burgers and sandwich.
But what's really great about this place is the HUGE MENU they have. Absolute paradise for those of you who love choices but absolute hell for those of us who are indecisive. Haha.
I forgot to take a photo of the menu the two times I have been here, but you can check out other people's photos on the google maps pin under "menu".
Here's how their Bacon Cheeseburger looks:
Unfortunately the bacon is what I affectionately call "facon" (fake bacon), which is basically what Japanese people think it's bacon but it's just ham. That's sort of the only downside. But the burger patty is extremely juicy and delicious.
I‘ve always been a huge fan of board games and I absolutely love going to board game cafes with my friends. There are plenty of board game cafes in Osaka (Like GeeBee and The Hearth), and they all offer a wide range of board games you have probably never heard of plus a few nice perks. But have you ever thought of surrounding yourself with board games, mini games and mystery games at your accommodation in Osaka?
Well, now you can!
MIMARU Osaka Namba Station (not to be confused with their Osaka Namba North location) is a new addition to the Den Den Town area of Osaka, just at the entrance to every anime fan and electronics guru‘s paradise.
The hotel is right across from the famous "Dragon Quest Lawson" in Den Den Town
It is the perfect location for travelers who want to be in the heart of Osaka. It is also perfect for locals who want an excuse to play a variety of board games at their own leisure for a staycation.
You may have come across other MIMARU locations in Kansai and Tokyo. They’re particularly known for their Pokémon rooms in two of their selected locations. I've always wanted to stay at one of those locations since you may or may not already know of my Pokemon obsession...
Anywho. Let's get back to our Board Game Hotel, which I'm so super excited to show you today!
You're immediately greeted with a human-sized board game box at the entrance to the lobby. I love what they did with the cover of the box.
Before you get on the elevator, see if you can fit inside the box!
Time to check in then!
When you are finished checking in, make sure you check out the elevator area once again. The staff surely would have explained all the minigames scattered around the hotel, and there was already one just as you stepped off the elevator: The Elevator Guessing Game.
When you're waiting for the elevator in the lobby, this is a great way to make a bet with your friends to see who gets to pay for dinner. ;)
The Lobby & Game Room
The amenities area also has a rundown of all the other minigames available to play during your stay here, so do make sure you stop by this corner to see what else they have to offer. And don't hesitate to contact a staff member if you need assistance to get you and your pals started on these minigames!
Speaking of the staff members - there are staff members who are non-Japanese. So you don't have to worry if you don't speak Japanese. Someone is bound to be available to help you in English or otherwise. They were all super nice and welcoming when we were there, helping us and explaining everything to us - which was amazing!
Not that you need to worry at all, because if you may have noticed - signages and instructions are all available in both Japanese and English, and even Chinese.
(You can thank the staff there for all their hard work for translating everything and making the game day one that isn't... lost in translation, so to speak)
And then of course, the main attraction: their Board Games!
This is the main area where you can sit and game any of the board games you see. There's plenty of tables to sit and enjoy the games with your friends, or maybe even meet some new people along the way.
If you are unable to get a table, you can use the iPad by the entrance to "rent" a board game out to your room to play. So you can play as much as you like, whenever you want!
And while you play, there are free soft drinks available in the lobby for you to enjoy too.
Don't forget to stop by the The Dice Challenge table right next to the reception for a chance to win a prize. If you're really lucky, you could potentially win yourself another stay at the hotel!
The Rooms
Let's check out a few of the unique rooms available to stay at.
While most rooms are the standard Apartment Studio type rooms without any theming, there are a few unique rooms at this hotel that are custom to the Board Game theming.
The best features of this room not only includes the theming to the Werewolf, but the Hotel Apartment has sectioned off rooms for when you play Mafia (and other murder mystery games) with your friends and family. It allows players who are killed off during the game to sit out without ruining the game for others. A nifty feature!
Kids Room
There are a few other rooms in this hotel that are catered just for kids.
There are additional toys and kid-friendly games available in the room, which your kids would love.
What a cute little room!
Terrace Room
The last room I want to show you today is great for friends and family who want to have an outdoor space for sitting and BBQ. There is only one room this like at this hotel, and yes - you can rent the gear to have a BBQ outside in your private little terrace in the middle of the busy city.
All of these special rooms have a selection of board games already available in the living area of the room. That way, you don't need to rent any board games from the lobby - unless there is a very specific game you'd like to play that's not in the room.
Other Amazing Fun
On top of all the board games in the lobby, there are a few mini-games and party games you can play all scattered around the hotel.
Each floor by the elevator has a easy-to-play game to cure boredom whilst waiting:
If you visit the hotel vending machines at the lobby, you can try this little deduction game to figure out what the mystery drink is inside the vending machine (of course you do have to buy the drink to know the real answer):
And if your family and friends feel adventurous, you can ask the hotel staff to get you started on a spy game that will have you running around the lobby looking for clues to solve the mystery. And as I mentioned in the beginning, there are plenty of party games in the form of cards that you can also ask the hotel staff to start you with as well. So please don't hesitate to ask them for help!
I hope you enjoyed this little intro of this unique hotel!
If you ever get a chance to stay, leave a comment or hit me up on my socials to let me know what your experience was. We always love hearing from you!!
Convinced? Want to stay here for a night using booking.com deals:
If you're ever around Osaka looking for places to walk around, take some photos, I highly recommend heading to Nakanoshima. You can reach this island just south of the main hub of Umeda by taking the subway to Yodoyabashi station (Midosuji line) or Kitahama station (Sakaisuji line).
Nakanoshima is mostly known for its Winter Illuminations and its Central Public Hall. But during the warmer seasons, locals like to gather to picnic and use the park areas for sports and other gatherings. It's also very well-known for its Rose Garden.
There are various kinds of roses on display here at Nakanoshima Rose Garden. The closest access to this area is from Kitahama station, but path with some roses from Yodoyabashi station that will lead you to the park and the rose garden.
The rose garden features a timeline of some of the oldest kinds of roses from all over the world, to more recently 'mutated' types of roses. They also feature lots of local roses, which is really interesting to see.
Here are some of my photos of the rose garden from this year (around May 2022).
However, it seems to bloom twice a year (according to the website - link above), so you can enjoy it around spring and around fall as well. I highly recommend coming here if you like flowers and want to see how the locals spend their time here.
There's also a few cafes and restaurants with patio seating around this area, so you can enjoy a nice meal once you get tired from walking. Though do be warned - prices can be a bit higher around this area due it being a more business/finance concentrated part of town!
By the way, did you know there's a rose by the name "Just Joey"? Look below:
I didn't. I wonder who gave it that name... someone named Joey?? Who knows! Maybe someone who is more knowledgeable in flowers and roses can educate me. Haha.
I hope you enjoyed the photos!
Have you been to Nakanoshima before? Let me know in the comments or on twitter some of your thoughts if you have!!
