Osaka

Sights

• Osaka Castle – The city's landmark, with a museum, moats and a large park – especially lovely at cherry blossom time.
• Dotonbori – A canal lined with neon signs, a giant crab and the famous Glico running man – liveliest at night.
• Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku – A nostalgic district around an observation tower, full of kushikatsu bars.
• Umeda Sky Building – Two towers linked at the top by an open-air observation deck – ideal at sunset.
• Shitenno-ji – One of Japan's oldest Buddhist temples, founded in the 6th century.
• Universal Studios Japan – A theme park with film worlds and Super Nintendo World – go early.

Food & nightlife

• Takoyaki – Batter balls filled with octopus, fresh from the stall – Osaka's street food par excellence.
• Okonomiyaki – A savoury pancake with cabbage, cooked on a hotplate at your table.
• Kuromon Market – A covered market street with seafood, fruit and small bites.
• Kushikatsu in Shinsekai – Deep-fried skewers – dip in the shared sauce only once, that's the rule.

Day trips

• Nara – Tame deer in the park and the giant Buddha of Todai-ji.
• Himeji Castle – The white castle is a UNESCO site and one of Japan's finest – close by Shinkansen.
• Kobe – A port city backed by mountains, famous for its beef.
• Koyasan – A sacred mountain of monasteries – spend a night in a temple with vegetarian monks' cuisine.

Good to know

When to go

March–May, October–November

Getting around

Metro and JR trains with an IC card (ICOCA or Suica); trains run from Kansai Airport into town, and Kyoto and Nara are under an hour away.

Tipping

Tipping is not customary.

Power

Plug type A/B, 100 V – pack an adapter for Swiss plugs.

Currency

Japanese Yen (JPY)

Plan your trip to Osaka together

Create a trip plan and the Travel Guide comes with it – with a map, ideas to suggest and saved for offline use.

Plan with Pickeed

More in Japan

• Tokyo
• Kyoto
• Hokkaido
• Hiroshima