Osaka is simple until you board a Nozomi with a JR Pass and pay twice. Check the train name.
JR Pass and Nozomi
The JR Pass does not cover Nozomi. Use Hikari or Sakura between Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima. Point-to-point tickets if the pass no longer pays for itself after the 2023 price rise.
Cash on the street
Stalls and small okonomiyaki counters still want yen. ATMs at 7-Eleven. Suica works in many chain shops.
Namba or Umeda
Namba for walking to Dotonbori. Umeda for Shin-Osaka connections. Switching hotels for one night wastes the trip.
Eat standing, then sit
Takoyaki is a stall. A proper okonomiyaki counter is a sit-down. Do not eat while walking — the rule still holds off the festival exceptions.