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Osaka

Osaka is Japan's kitchen, a loud and friendly merchant city where talking to strangers over food is part of the evening.

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Osaka

Osaka is Japan's third-largest city and its most outgoing one. For centuries it was the country's trading hub, where rice, goods and money changed hands, and that merchant past still shapes its character: people here are known for being direct, funny and quick to start a conversation, and the local dialect, Kansai-ben, sounds warmer and more informal than standard Japanese. The city's unofficial motto is kuidaore, roughly "eat until you drop", and food is the way most visitors get to know it — takoyaki from a street stall, okonomiyaki cooked on a hotplate in front of you, skewers of kushikatsu at a counter. Osaka is not a postcard city like Kyoto; it is a dense, modern place of neon, covered shopping streets, rivers and elevated railways. But it has a castle, ancient shrines, a great aquarium and some of the liveliest nightlife in Japan, and it sits within easy reach of Kyoto, Nara and Kobe, which makes it a practical and affordable base for exploring the whole region.

Places to visit

Dotonbori and the Ebisu Bridge

The canal-side street of Dotonbori is the city's neon heart, a strip of giant mechanical crabs, dragons and pufferfish hanging over restaurant doors, with the famous running-man Glico sign glowing above the water. Stand on the Ebisu Bridge at dusk to see it light up, then walk the riverside promenade below the street, which is calmer than the crowds above. It is touristy and proud of it, and it is still the best introduction to the city's appetite and humour.

Osaka Castle and its park

The original castle was built in the late sixteenth century by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the warlord who unified Japan, and it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times since. The main tower you see today is a 1931 reconstruction in concrete, with a museum inside and a viewing deck at the top. The real pleasure is the grounds: enormous stone walls, wide moats and a large park with plum and cherry trees that fills with picnics in spring. Walk the outer moat in the early morning, when joggers have it mostly to themselves.

Kuromon Market

A covered market of around 150 stalls that has fed the city for more than a century, known locally as Osaka's kitchen. Fishmongers, fruit sellers and small grills sell scallops, sea urchin, grilled beef and seasonal fruit to eat on the spot. It has become popular with visitors and prices reflect that, so treat it as a place to graze and look rather than to shop. Come late in the morning, when everything is open but before the lunchtime crowd.

Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku Tower

Built in the early twentieth century as a vision of the future, Shinsekai — the "new world" — is now the most retro corner of Osaka, a few streets of bright signs, old-fashioned game halls and kushikatsu restaurants beneath the Tsutenkaku Tower. It is a little rough around the edges, which is exactly its charm. Eat fried skewers at a counter, remember the rule against dipping twice in the shared sauce, and climb the tower for a view over the south of the city.

Shitennoji and Sumiyoshi Taisha

Osaka is older than it looks. Shitennoji, founded in 593 by Prince Shotoku, is considered one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan; the present buildings are reconstructions, but they follow the original layout of gate, pagoda and halls in a straight line. Further south, Sumiyoshi Taisha is one of the country's most important Shinto shrines, with a striking arched red bridge and halls built in an ancient style found almost nowhere else. Both are quiet, free to wander and a world away from Dotonbori.

Nakanoshima and the Umeda Sky Building

Nakanoshima is a long, narrow island between two rivers in the middle of the city, lined with museums, a red-brick public hall from 1918 and a riverside rose garden that blooms in May and October. North of it, Umeda is the modern business and shopping district, where the Umeda Sky Building links two towers with an open-air rooftop observatory. Go up at sunset to watch the city lights come on in every direction.

Where to go out

Namba and Shinsaibashi at night

The area around Dotonbori, Namba and the long covered Shinsaibashi shopping street is where most of Osaka goes out. Izakaya, tachinomi standing bars and karaoke buildings are stacked floor upon floor, and evenings move easily from dinner to a drink to a song. Standing bars in particular are sociable: you share a counter, prices are low and conversation with your neighbours happens naturally.

Amerikamura

West of Shinsaibashi, the American Village is Osaka's youth quarter: vintage clothing shops, street art, record stores, small clubs and live music bars around Triangle Park, where people sit on the steps in the evening. It has been the centre of the city's street fashion and music scene for decades, and it is relaxed, young and easy for travellers to fit into.

Hozenji Yokocho

Just a few steps from the noise of Dotonbori, this narrow stone-paved lane of lantern-lit restaurants and small bars feels like another century. At its centre stands a small temple with a statue of Fudo Myoo covered in thick green moss, because visitors splash it with water as they pray. Stop for a moment, then choose a counter for dinner along the lane.

Universal Studios Japan

One of the most visited theme parks in Asia, on the bay west of the centre, with rides and themed areas based on well-known films, games and characters. It is popular with locals as well as visitors and very busy at weekends and in school holidays, so buy tickets online in advance and arrive at opening time. Treat it as a full day out.

Tenjin Matsuri

Held every year on 24 and 25 July, the Tenjin festival is one of the three great festivals of Japan. Processions in traditional costume move through the streets around Osaka Tenmangu shrine, and on the second evening a procession of illuminated boats travels along the river beneath a fireworks display. Locals wear yukata, the riverbanks fill up early, and the whole city seems to be outdoors.

Things to do

Eat your way through the city

Try takoyaki, the octopus-filled batter balls cooked in a moulded griddle and eaten too hot; okonomiyaki, the savoury pancake of cabbage and batter grilled at your table; and kushikatsu, breaded skewers fried at a counter. Most of the best versions are found in small, unremarkable places with a queue outside. Sharing dishes is normal, and food is the easiest subject to start a conversation with almost anyone here.

Take a day trip to Kyoto, Nara or Kobe

Osaka is the natural base for the Kansai region. Kyoto is around half an hour by train, Nara and its free-roaming deer about forty minutes, and the port city of Kobe a little over twenty minutes. Staying in Osaka usually means lower prices and livelier evenings, and returning from a quiet day of temples to the neon of Namba is part of the pleasure.

Ride a boat on the Dotonbori canal

Short boat cruises leave from the Tombori River Walk and pass beneath the bridges and signs of Dotonbori in around twenty minutes. It is a simple way to see the area from a different angle, and after dark, when the signs are reflected in the water, it is at its best.

Visit the Kaiyukan aquarium

One of the largest aquariums in the world, at Tempozan on the bay, built around a vast central tank that you descend around in a spiral, past manta rays, schools of fish and whale sharks. It is popular, well designed and absorbing for adults as well as children. Afterwards the Tempozan giant Ferris wheel next door gives a wide view over the port.

Walk Tenjinbashisuji, the long shopping street

This covered arcade runs for around two and a half kilometres north to south and is often described as the longest shopping street in Japan. It is a local street rather than a tourist one: small food shops, croquette stands, tea dealers, cheap clothing and bars. Walk it slowly from one end, snacking as you go, and finish at Osaka Tenmangu shrine.

Great first-date spots

Good to know

Best season

Spring, from late March to early April, brings cherry blossom to the castle park and the riverbanks, and autumn, from October to November, offers clear skies and comfortable temperatures. Summer is hot and very humid, with a rainy season in June and early July, but it is also the time of the Tenjin festival and evening fireworks. Winter is cool and mostly dry, with few crowds, and suits travellers who want lower hotel prices.

Getting around

Osaka Metro is clean, frequent and easy to use, with signs in English; the Midosuji line links Umeda, Shinsaibashi, Namba and Tennoji in a straight line through the centre. A rechargeable IC card such as ICOCA works on the metro, trains and buses and in many shops. From Kansai International Airport, the Nankai line reaches Namba and the JR Haruka express reaches Tennoji and Shin-Osaka. Taxis are reliable but expensive, so most people walk and use trains.

Language & meeting people

Japanese is the language, spoken here in the lively Osaka dialect. English is common on signs and in hotels, less so in small restaurants, though menus with pictures and translation apps make things easy. Osaka has a reputation as the friendliest big city in Japan: people are more likely to joke, ask where you are from and recommend a place to eat. A simple arigato, or ookini in the local dialect, is always appreciated. Being quiet on trains and not tipping are the norm.

Where travelers & expats meet

Namba and Shinsaibashi are where most travellers stay and go out, and the hostels in the area often organise bar nights and food tours. Amerikamura draws students and international residents to its bars and live music venues. Nakazakicho, a quiet district of old wooden houses near Umeda, is home to independent cafés and small galleries popular with remote workers. Language exchange evenings are a common way for travellers and locals to meet.

Frequently asked questions

Is Osaka a good city to visit alone?

Yes. It is very safe, public transport is excellent and solo dining is completely normal, with counter seats in most restaurants. Osaka's sociable style and its standing bars make it easier than many Japanese cities to fall into conversation with locals and other travellers.

How many days do I need in Osaka?

Two or three days are enough for Dotonbori, the castle, the markets and an evening in Namba. Add a few more if you want to use Osaka as a base for day trips to Kyoto, Nara and Kobe, which is how many visitors spend a week in the region.

Osaka or Kyoto?

They complement each other. Kyoto is the city of temples, gardens and tradition; Osaka is the city of food, nightlife and everyday life. Many travellers stay in Osaka and visit Kyoto by train, since the journey is short and Osaka is usually cheaper and livelier in the evenings.

Is Osaka expensive?

It is generally more affordable than Tokyo. Street food, local restaurants and standing bars are inexpensive, and public transport is reasonably priced. Hotels around Namba and Umeda are the largest cost, especially during cherry blossom season and major events, so book early.

What food should I try in Osaka?

Takoyaki, okonomiyaki and kushikatsu are the classic three. Also look for kitsune udon, noodles in broth with sweet fried tofu, which Osaka claims as its own, and the seafood and grilled snacks of Kuromon Market.

Is it safe to meet someone from an app in Osaka?

Osaka is one of the safest big cities in the world, and the same simple rules apply as anywhere: meet in a busy public place for the first time, tell a friend where you are going and arrange your own way home. The river promenades, parks and lively restaurant streets stay busy into the evening, which makes them natural first meeting places.

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