Most people coming to Japan will spend their first trip in Tokyo exclusively. If they’re more adventurous, they’ll visit Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka which is a better way to experience Japan in my opinion.
But most travel information is either Tokyo focused on Shibuya or Roppongi or Kyoto focused because they’re the big glamorous places. Meanwhile Osaka travel is all of the most popular places. But what if you wanna experience a place that’s less popular but just as fun?
In that case, I’ll walk you through 7 places (and a bonus) that are worth your time. Take it from me, I’m not just a local but a bartender too!
Pure
Pure is normally a hip-hop club with an accessible fee. It usually costs 1,000 yen (around $7) to enter whether you’re a man or woman but the fee changes often depending on the time of day or if it’s the weekend.
If you wanna be a VIP though, it’s 30,000 yen ($210 USD) for weekdays and 50,000 yen ($350 USD) on the weekends.
If you like Reggaeton (Not Reggae! 😤), this is one of few clubs that play it. Reggaeton night is the 3rd Friday of the month so don’t miss it if you’re in Osaka during that time!
The best time to visit Pure is during the weekends. The weekdays it’s not as fun so you’re better off going elsewhere.
The V
V is a nightclub/bar that opened during lockdowns in 2021 so it was almost entirely empty at the beginning. It became a running joke in my streams that V stood for “Vacant”. 😂
There’s no entrance fee so this is where you wanna go if you wanna see sexy dancers but can’t afford strip clubs. 😏
It’s also a good place to get a vibe for the next club because it’s right upstairs. Well 2 floors upstairs, directly upstairs is a delicious Korean restaurant.
Gala Resort
Above V on the 3rd and 4th floors sits Gala’s main club, supposedly the whole building is the largest nightclub in Osaka. That’s technically true.
Although V is technically part of Gala Resort in the same building and owned by the same group, they operate almost like separate clubs with different vibes. The whole building was remade by new owners from the former Giraffe Club.
Gala’s third floor is more of an EDM club and has an entrance fee unlike V. The most important point is that this is one of the few EDM clubs where you don’t have an annoying MC that will interrupt the good music right in the middle of a good song to try and hype you up.
On the 4th floor is a hip-hop club that’s always hot rain or shine. Doesn’t matter if it’s the weekday, the weekend or a national emergency, it’s busy there.
The entrance fee for men is 4,000 yen ($30 USD) and for women it’s 3,000 yen ($21 USD) with one drink included which is expensive by Osaka nightclub standards.
Zerro
Zerro is a casual pub with outdoor seating. A lot of locals and foreigners hang out there so you don’t need to be intimidated by the language barrier, someone there can translate.
Zerro, unlike most pubs has a lot of employees so you tend to be served really fast unlike many places where you’re stuck awkwardly waiting for the bartender to notice you.
Japanese bars are usually pretty small so if you visit for a while, you’ll start feeling claustrophobic or just suffocating in general. Zerro is a great place to hang out if you want to chill with some space.
Also, they have 3 sizes of beers so you can have something small if you don’t feel like drinking a lot that night.
The Drunken Clam
The Drunken Clam is a cool family guy themed karaoke bar just a few steps from Zerro.
The drinks are a bit expensive there but if you’re a Family Guy fan, it’s a must-go.
One thing to note is it’s very crowded there nowadays so if you wanna go somewhere specifically to sing, this is not a good spot for you.
The Pink
Girls girls girls. I know what you’re thinking of, “Where are the cute girls Hazu?” this is where.
The entrance fee is very cheap for women here, only 600 or 1,500 yen ($5 to 12 USD) depending on the time. So the guy to girl ratio is much better than most other nightclubs.
The VIP is also not that expensive so I recommend you get it if you’re gonna go.
Nothing is perfect though guys, this club has super sticky floors.
The PINK gets busy after 2 AM because it’s open until 7 AM.
Heaven
After everything is closed, you can go through this suspicious area and there is Bar Heaven which closes at 10 AM on weekdays and usually 12PM (Don’t believe Google Maps) on weekends. But beware! There’s a reason people go home before that time.
Bar heaven is at the very top of the building so you have to go up many stairs. If you ask me, that place is more like hell. It’s dirty, has thieves, fights and everyone’s too wasted to talk to. Just read the Google reviews, this part you can believe. 😄
But sometimes you’re too drunk to care and wanna keep partying. This place is always open for you.
Bonus: Shaka Bar
What kind of bartender doesn’t hype up their own bar huh? 😤
Shaka Bar is a cozy Hawaiian style bar with a party going on every night. We don’t have a set closing time but we’re usually open until around 3 AM unless the party’s still going.
There’s special themed events on Saturdays like bikini parties and cosplay parties so make sure to check the Instagram and buy a special set of clothes if you’re passing by on one of those days!
If you buy a shot, you can get spanked by one of our lovely bartenders. No you can’t spank us, this is a one way relationship. 😜
Pass by and say hi, I won’t bite… Too hard.
September 2024 Update: Unfortunately if you’re reading this, I’m no longer a bartender at Shaka Bar so you’ve missed your chance. 😢 It’s still a great bar with a fun atmosphere so I still recommend it though!
Have fun!
Were these the best spots possible in Osaka? No, but that’s not the point. You’ll have fun at any of those spots because they’re great places to be, not because they have great reviews.
Dotonbori might be small but Osaka is a large city with a lot of people. Don’t be afraid to try strange or smaller places, Kansai people are very friendly and welcoming.
Your trip should be about making good memories, not checking off a list of things to do. As long as you had a good time, that’s what matters.
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