Osaka

No reviews yetCity Osaka, Japan

About Osaka

Osaka eats first and asks questions later. Japan's third-largest city has long called itself the nation's kitchen, and the neon canyon of Dotonbori, the takoyaki stands and the kushikatsu counters of Shinsekai prove it every night. Locals are famously direct and funny, and the city feels louder and warmer than Tokyo.

As Naniwa, the area served as an early imperial capital, and Shitennoji, founded in 593, is among the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan. Toyotomi Hideyoshi began Osaka Castle in 1583, and under the Edo shoguns the city became the great merchant and rice-trading hub of the country, criss-crossed by canals. Today the river island of Nakanoshima holds museums and a red-brick public hall, while towers such as the Umeda Sky Building and Abeno Harukas look out over a vast modern city.

Kansai International Airport sits on an island in Osaka Bay, and Shinkansen trains stop at Shin-Osaka. Kyoto, Nara and Kobe are all within an hour by train, making Osaka an ideal base for the Kansai region.

Best seasonMarch-May and October-November

Ideal stay2-4 days

ArrivingKansai or Itami airports; Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka

12 Reasons to Visit Osaka

Landmarks 1

Osaka Castle

Toyotomi Hideyoshi began this castle in 1583 as the seat of his power over a unified Japan. The white and gold main tower seen tod...

Neighborhoods 3

Dotonbori

Lined with giant illuminated signs, including the famous Glico running man, this canal-side street in Namba is the loud, joyful he...

Shinsekai

Built around an amusement park in 1912, Shinsekai keeps a gloriously old-fashioned feel, with gaudy signs, arcades and shogi parlo...

Nakanoshima Island

This long, narrow island between the Dojima and Tosabori rivers is Osaka's cultural and civic core. Highlights include the red-bri...

Food and Drink 1

Kuromon Ichiba Market

For more than a century this covered market near Nipponbashi has supplied Osaka's restaurants and households, earning it the nickn...

Viewpoints 2

Umeda Sky Building

Two 40-storey towers in Umeda are joined at the top by a ring-shaped bridge, home to the Floating Garden Observatory, an open-air...

Abeno Harukas

When it opened in 2014, this 300-metre tower in Abeno was the tallest building in Japan, and its Harukas 300 observatory on the to...

Temples and Shrines 2

Shitennoji Temple

Founded in 593 by Prince Shotoku, Shitennoji is one of the oldest officially founded Buddhist temples in Japan. Its buildings have...

Sumiyoshi Taisha

One of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan, Sumiyoshi Taisha honours the kami of the sea and of safe voyages. Its main halls are bu...

Family 1

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Opened in 1990 at Tempozan by the harbour, Kaiyukan is one of the world's largest aquariums. A spiral walkway winds down through h...

Entertainment 1

Universal Studios Japan

Opened in 2001 on the waterfront of Osaka Bay, this theme park offers rides and shows based on Hollywood films, plus the Wizarding...

Shopping 1

Shinsaibashi-suji

Running north from Dotonbori, this covered arcade about 600 metres long has been Osaka's favourite shopping street for generations...

Reviews

No reviews yet. Been to Osaka? Be the first to share your experience.

Write a review

Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.

Share your photos

Been to Osaka? Add your best shots to the gallery.

More places in Osaka

Handa

Aichi, Japan

Sano

Tochigi, Japan

Karatsu

Saga, Japan

Fukuoka

Fukuoka, Japan

Nagoya

Aichi, Japan

Sapporo

Hokkaido, Japan

Kakegawa

Shizuoka, Japan

Higashikurume

Tokyo, Japan

See all places in Japan →

Photo credits

Photo: sailko, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: 肖红军, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: z tanuki, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Kent Wang from London, United Kingdom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Martin Falbisoner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: DXR, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: 32linesky, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Oilstreet, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5

Photo: pommes king from Takoyaki Shop Takoten in Ebisu-higashi, Naniwa, Osaka, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Gatorfan252525, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: ERIC SALARD , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Brücke-Osteuropa, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: 663highland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5

Photo: Nkon21, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Choi2451, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Kakidai, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Brücke-Osteuropa, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Oilstreet, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5

Photo: Ogiyoshisan, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Photo: Saigen Jiro, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Ogiyoshisan, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: kisaragi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: KimonBerlin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: 663highland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5

Photo: SpiceMan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5

Photo: 663highland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5

Photo: Freddo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Csiiiyu, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: 高砂の浦, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Sakai Yayoi, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Mc681, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Terence Ong, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5