Osaka, Japan | March 2023

Explore Osaka, Japan during cherry blossom season! We have a fun-filled and community-centered worldschool gathering March 26 - April 1, 2023.

Our pop-ups provide a super casual, budget-friendly opportunity to gather, connect with other worldschoolers, learn about the local area, instill new friendships, share your insights, and immerse in a friendly, accepting mobile community.

We've cherry-picked the best low- or no-cost activities that highlight local nature, arts, history, food, and culture... but you'll also have plenty of time to relax, get to know each other, and even stray from the itinerary to add activities that cater to the group's interests (we provide supplemental ideas to tailor your experience).

Pop in for a few days or the full week. Join as many activities as you'd like. It's up to you! We would love to have you come and simply hang out with like-minded families while we dive in and explore the local offerings.

Our itinerary will include activities such as the following:

*Osaka Walking Tour

*Osaka Castle 

*Tennoji Park & Zoo

*Ooedo Minoh traditional onsen baths and waterfall hike

*Todaiji Daibutsuden historic Buddhist temple

*Tsutenkaku Tower observation deck

*Street food & marekts

*Tempozan's 112 meter tall ferris wheel 

*Big Bang Sakai Children’s Museum and 53m Jungle Gym

*Osaka Science Museum

Add on options include Bampaku Beast amusement park, World Fair Park, Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, Lego Land, or a day trip to Hiroshima or Kyoto!

COST per Family:

US$70 Early Bird Rate, expires January 1, 2023

US$100 Regular Rates

MEET YOUR HOST:

We are Kenichiro, Awilda, and Ricardo (9 y/o) and look forward to welcoming you to Osaka, Japan. I, Kenichiro, was raised in Osaka until the sixth grade and have returned multiple times as an adult, even organizing fun tours of the Osaka area for several of my friends! Osaka may not be the first choice for most foreign visitors, but I believe it has much to offer. It’s a city with a full cosmopolitan and cultural experience but because it is smaller than Tokyo, it’s less expensive.

One of our goals of traveling is to become comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. We seek out opportunities to grow and learn through cultural immersion and have visited Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Caribbean Islands on shorter trips. My spouse and I chose to retire early and began traveling fulltime in 2020. We initially house sat and took care of pets in Spain and around the US. Whenever possible, we focus on staying in and supporting family-owned businesses. Since 2021 we have lived in El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Peru. We are currently traveling with 5 other families and a teacher as a part of “The Traveling Circus” and have learned the importance of community and slow travel. In 2023 we are choosing to leave the “Circus” to travel on our own but are very excited to make new connections. Allow me to show you the places that the parents of Osaka take their children as we enjoy Japan’s cherry blossom season together.

LODGING & NEIGHBORHOODS:

Osaka is a large but safe city. If you use your common sense there are no truly dangerous areas to avoid. However, our activities are grouped by areas accessible via public transport. Our host recommends the following three neighborhoods serviced by the Midosuji subway line: (1) Kita Ward (North 北): Around Osaka and Umeda stations. (2) Minami (South 南): Around Namba Station. (3) Tennoji/Abeno: Around Tennoji and Abeno stations. These are centralized neighborhoods with good transportation access. Transport info here: https://www.osaka.com/info/osaka-metro/

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Join the private Facebook group to ask questions, stay up to date on activities in the area, and interact with other potential attendees:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/osakapopup2023

Browse our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about how our pop-ups work:

https://www.worldschoolpopuphub.com/faqs

Read more about what is included in our event and what each family needs to arrange on their own:

https://www.worldschoolpopuphub.com/event-details

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