Osaka
Currency
JPY
Language
Japanese
Timezone
Tokyo
Continent
Asia
Discover Osaka
Osaka is Japan's kitchen and makes no secret of it: the city has a word for ruining yourself through food, kuidaore, and owns it. Osaka Castle commands its original moats and ramparts — the keep itself was rebuilt in concrete in the 1930s. Shitennō-ji, founded in 593, is the oldest officially administered temple in the country. To the south, the Shinsekai district kept its 1920s idea of the future, under the Tsūtenkaku tower. And Dotonbori Bridge, beneath the Glico running man sign, is the spot everybody photographs.
When to go
Late March to early April for the cherries, November for the maples: the same two windows as Kyoto, an hour away by train. Summer is hot and very humid, with a rainy season in June. Winter is cold but dry and clear, and it is the cheapest stretch. Osaka being a city of streets and interiors, it takes bad weather better than its neighbours.
Getting around
The subway covers the city densely and a rechargeable IC card handles it, the buses and most shops. Osaka is compact: Namba in the south and Umeda in the north are the two poles, a quarter of an hour apart. Kyoto and Nara are each under an hour by train, which makes Osaka a practical base for the Kansai region.
Where to eat
Takoyaki — octopus dumplings served scalding — and okonomiyaki, a thick griddled pancake, are the two signature dishes. Kushikatsu, crumbed and fried skewers, is eaten in Shinsekai under one absolute rule: you dip in the communal sauce once. Eating standing in the street is the norm here, not a lapse. Only three halal addresses are listed, which is a real constraint worth planning for.
Good to know
Cash still helps in small establishments, though cards are gaining. Shoes come off at the door of many traditional restaurants. Osakans have a reputation for directness and humour that sets them apart from Tokyo — and the escalator is stood on the right here, the left in Tokyo, a detail that gives a visitor away instantly.
Top Activities in Osaka
landmarkOsaka Castle
from €4
landmarkAleph Osaka Training Center
from €18
landmarkShitennō-ji Temple
Free
viewpointTsūtenkaku
Free
museumThe National Museum of Art, Osaka
from €15
museumOsaka Municipal Museum of Art
from €14
landmarkShinsekai
from €11
parkOsaka Castle Park
Free
museumOsaka Science Museum
from €14
museumMuseum of Oriental Ceramics
from €15
landmarkOsaka City Central Public Hall
from €9
museumOsaka Museum of History
from €14
parkTennoji Park
Free
activityTennoji Zoo
from €45
landmarkOsaka Tenmangu Shrine (Ōsaka Tenmangū)
from €10
landmarkNamba Yasaka Shrine
Free
museumNakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka
from €13
parkKeitaku Garden
Free
landmarkTomb for the deceased at the time of the fall of Osaka Castle
from €19
landmarkOsaka Korea Town
from €9
Ebisu Bridge
from €9
landmarkAmerican Village
from €10
Mint Museum
Free
Kids Plaza Osaka
from €45