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Since we were staying in Kyoto, Mrs. Selfish and I decided a day trip to Osaka was in order. Osaka is only a 30 – 45 minute train ride away from Kyoto and is accessible by metro for the relatively low price of 450 yen.
Historically a commercial center, Osaka was known as “Japan’s kitchen” during the Edo period, and thus has a number of food specialties. Being a castle buff, I also really wanted to see Osaka Castle after viewing the pictures online.
The Osaka Unlimited Pass
After arriving in Osaka, Mrs. Selfish and I immediately sought out the Osaka Unlimited Pass, which we picked up at the train station’s information desk. At 2000 yen (~$20) the pass gives you unlimited use of Osaka’s public transportation system, and gets you into over 28 attractions for free, and others with a heavy discount.
The pass comes with a number of tiny tickets that you tear out at each attraction, and a pass for trains/buses. Since we planned on hitting at least 4 attractions, this ended up saving us close to $25 per person.
The Selfish Years 