City of Osaka • WANTSEE

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• City of Osaka / 大阪.

Tips for your trips. Tourist information. Official websites.

Ōsaka (map) is the third largest city in Japan. If Tokyo is Japan’s capital, one might call Osaka its anti-capital. Whatever you call it, though, there are many opportunities for you to discover its true anti-character.

Osaka is known for its food, in Japan and abroad. Author Michael Booth and food critic François Simon of Le Figaro have suggested that Osaka is the food capital of the world.

Its location makes Osaka a perfect base for doing one-day trips to nearby cities like Kyoto (30 minutes), Kobe (20 minutes), Nara (40 minutes) or Himeji (1 hour). (Typical times shown on JR Trains)

⇒ Also сheck оut мore info: Information • Popular spot • Popculture

Minami (大阪ミナミ) The traditional commercial and cultural center, composed of the Chuo (中央区, map) and Naniwa (浪速区, map) wards. Namba (なんば, 難波, map) is the main railway station, and the surrounding area has the department store and showy shopping. Shinsaibashi (心斎橋, map) and Horie (堀江) is the fashion area. Dōtonbori (道頓堀, map) is the best place to go for a bite to eat.

Spa World (map). Gender-separated European and Asian-themed spas and saunas as well as a pool for the family with slides and fun (don’t forget your swimming trunks). Open 24 hr so it is handy if you’re stuck for accommodation or locked out of your hotel after a night on the town, just pay up, change into their cotton overalls and pass out on one of their comfy leather recliners with as many blankets as you like.

Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street (天神橋筋商店街 Tenjinbashi-suji Shōtengai, map) is said to be the longest straight and covered shopping arcade in Japan at approx. 2.6 km length. Nothing meant for sightseeing, the arcade is a live exhibition of Osaka’s daily life, open since Edo period.

There are many nightlife districts in Osaka >> Dotonbori (道頓堀, map) + Kitashinchi (北新地, map). This area, south of JR Osaka station, is the most famous nightclub and entertainment district of contemporary Osaka. It’s just like Tokyo’s Ginza, filled with many hundreds of high-class bars, clubs and small restaurants.

More about popular places

Osaka Castle (wiki, map). The castle is one of Japan’s most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

Utsubo Park (wiki, map). Around the eastern part of this park, many cafes and bakery have opened after 1990. Sometimes open-air wedding are held at the rose garden. This area is becoming one of the fashionable places in Osaka city.

Nakanoshima Park (wiki, map). The 11 hectare park houses public facilities such as Osaka Central Public Hall (built in 1918, map), Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library and Museum of Oriental Ceramics (map). It also holds a rose garden.

Sumiyoshi-taisha (wiki, map). It is the main shrine of all the Sumiyoshi shrines in Japan. However, the oldest shrine that enshrines the *Sumiyoshi sanjin, the three Sumiyoshi kami, is the *Sumiyoshi Shrine in Hakata (map).

Osaka Tenmangū Shrine (wiki, map) is a Shinto shrine and one of Tenmangū founded in AD 949 in Osaka. The Tenjin Festival is held here annually from 24 July to 25 July.

Tamatsukuri Inari Shrine (wiki, map) Its construction can be traced to 12 BCE.

Shitennō-ji (wiki, map) is a Buddhist temple. The temple is sometimes regarded as the first Buddhist and oldest officially-administered temple in Japan.

Isshin-ji (wiki, map) is a Pure Land Buddhist temple in Osaka, Japan. Starting in the Meiji period, thirteen images have been formed, each incorporating the ashes of tens of thousands of devotees. The annual burial ceremony on 21 April in turn draws tens of thousands of worshippers.

The National Museum of Art (wiki, map). Most of the artwork in the collection is from the post-war era. Pre-war exceptions include work by Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, Tsuguharu Foujita and Yasuo Kuniyoshi.

Osaka Science Museum (wiki, map). The Science Museum’s primary permanent exhibition consists of four floors of mainly interactive science exhibits, totaling 200 items, with each floor focusing on a different theme. There is also a live science show with science demonstrations several times per day.

The Museum of Oriental Ceramics (wiki, map) is a Japanese art museum and regarded as one of the best ceramic-collections in the world. This museum collects, studies, conserves, exhibits and interprets East Asian ceramics, which mainly came from ancient China and Korea.

Osaka Municipal Museum of Art (wiki, map) is inside Tennōji park, housing over 8,000 pieces of Japanese and Chinese paintings and sculptures.

The Osaka Museum of History (wiki, map), opened in 2001, is located in a 13-story modern building providing a view of Osaka Castle. Its exhibits cover the history of Osaka from pre-history to the present day.

The widest selection of restaurants is in Osaka’s main entertainment districts, with the highest concentration of all in the Umeda (map) and Dotombori (map) areas.

Even in a nation of obsessive gourmands Osaka is known as an excellent place to eat, exemplified by the Osakan maxim kuidaore, “eat yourself into ruin”. The best place for trying out kuidaore is probably Dōtonbori (道頓堀) and neighboring Hōzenji-yokochō (法善寺横町, map) or Soemon-cho (宗右衛門町, map), the whole area containing nearly nothing but one restaurant after another.

About Japan

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All articles – Japan

#1 Visit Kyoto

Our article about the city of Kyoto. Information about the city’s attractions, culture, events, and activities. Public transport.

#2 Visit Osaka

Often called the “Kitchen of Japan,” Osaka is a food lover’s paradise. Information about attractions and activities. Transport.

#3 Visit Nikko

A UNESCO World Heritage site, Nikko is known for its impressive shrines and temples set amidst lush forests and scenic mountains.

• Public transport.

Information about all types of public transport.

Osaka Metro – Subway. BRT. Bus (*List of Osaka Metro stations)

For sorting through transport schedules and fares, HyperDia is an invaluable companion; it computes to-the-minute directions including connecting trains, as well as buses and planes.

⇒ Also сheck оut мore info: Transportation in Japan (japan.travel) • Transportation (japan-guide.com)

BUS: Japan Bus Online is a comprehensive website that allows you to search for and book bus tickets across Japan. Willer Express is a major bus company in Japan that offers long-distance bus services. + Highway Bus / JR Bus / kate.co.jp.

TRAIN: Japan Railways (JR): The official website of Japan Railways provides information about train routes, schedules, fares, and services offered by JR. + Central JR • West JR • East JR

AIRPORT: Most international flights arrive at either Narita Airport near Tokyo or Kansai Airport near Osaka; a smaller number use Chubu International Airport near Nagoya.

WATERWAYS: Direct Ferries • Ferry Sunflower • Willer Ferry

More info about transport

Osaka in 2022 | japan-guide.com.

With Japan’s borders currently closed to tourists due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to give you the opportunity to do some virtual sightseeing in Japan. Follow us as we go on a day of walking through some of Osaka’s iconic districts and attractions.

⇒ video source: japan-guide.com / youtube.com /

• Useful websites.

Links to additional resources with useful information for planning your trip.

VISAS & IMMIGRATION.

Foreign Residents Support Center (FRESC) MOFA Visa Information. + JAPAN eVISA – for online visa application to visit Japan.

mofa.go.jp

HyperDia.Com

HyperDia is a service which offers the route of the railway and the aviation within Japan. Rental car and hotels etc around the station.

hyperdia.com

Tokyo Cheapo.

A website focused on budget travel in Tokyo, providing tips on affordable accommodation, dining, transportation, and free/cheap activities.

tokyocheapo.com

More Helpful Resources

HyperDia – A website for checking train schedules, routes, and fares in Japan. It’s particularly helpful for planning your train travel.

Japan Rail Pass – If you plan to explore Japan using the Japan Rail Pass, their official website provides information on pass types, eligibility, prices, and how to purchase.

Tokyo Cheapo – A website focused on budget travel in Tokyo, providing tips on affordable accommodation, dining, transportation, and free/cheap activities.

Explore Accessible Japan

Food

Just One Cookbook – A popular website featuring authentic Japanese recipes, including traditional dishes, street food, and regional specialties.

Savor Japan – An online guide to Japanese food and dining, featuring information on traditional cuisine, sushi, sake, local specialties, and more. It includes restaurant listings and articles.