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Osaka.com - Featured Columnists
  • Osaka Aquarium

    Osaka Aquarium Noted Among...

    Located in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, Osaka is a city that represents the best of modern living found within the Orient. It's easy to see why Osaka is a popular attraction for Western travelers looking to enjoy the best of Japanese culture without sacrificing the amenities of home. The city presents a number of attractions for visitors, including The... » Read More

  • Umeda Sky Building in Osaka, Japan

    Umeda Sky Building in Osaka...

    Osaka, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, is a land of contrasts. Once a thriving center for trading rice, today Osaka is known as the birthplace of the futures exchange market and is still considered one of the leading financial markets in the world. There are still hints of the city's rich and diverse history amidst the stunning architecture that make it one of most... » Read More

  • Universal Studios Japan in Osaka

    Osakas Universal Studios...

    Japan's contrasts between traditional and modern are clearly evident in cities such as Osaka. The city itself offers a stunning view characterized by a backdrop of architectural marvels and soaring skyscrapers. The city also offers many attractions to entertain visitors. One of these is Universal Studios Japan. If you're looking for a place to take the family while visiting Osaka... » Read More



 Things To Do
Things To Do
Osaka, Japan: Things To Do
Many Japanese will be surprised if you tell them you are visiting Osaka. It has never been a trendy place to be and is known as the edgiest...
 Cuisine
Cuisine
Osaka, Japan: Cuisine
In Japanese, there is a saying that people in Kyoto are ruined because they buy too many clothes, while people in Osaka do because they eat out...
 Shopping
Shopping
Osaka, Japan: Shopping in Osaka
Shopping in Osaka is a feast for all senses: even if you do not want to buy anything, you will be mesmerized by the many different kinds of...
 Osaka Tourism
Osaka Tourism
Osaka, Japan: Tourism
Japan is an amazing country to visit, no matter what your interests are or what you are looking for in a vacation. Here, you can experience the...
 Transportation
Transportation
Osaka, Japan: Transportation
Orientation in Japanese cities can be confusing: except for a few main roads, the streets have no names, but use a bewildering system of...
 Travel And Lodging
Travel And Lodging
Osaka, Japan: Travel and Lodging
Osaka travel is popular. This is a city with over five million inhabitants and a major business and travel hub of Japan, which means you can...

Osaka, Japan

Slightly off the beaten track, about 20 miles south of the ancient capital of Kyoto lies Osaka, Japan's "Second City." Although technically, Yokohama near Tokyo is Japan's second biggest city and Osaka just the third biggest, there's no doubt it keeps challenging the capital when it comes to entertainment, nightlife and sights.

Osaka Travel: Osaka's History Has Created A Great City for Exploration

Osaka has always played an important role in Japan, although it was never the seat of political power. The city's strategic location at Osaka Bay in Japan's Inland Sea was perfect for doing trade with the rest of Japan and the world. This led to the raise of a proud merchant caste that was very open to foreign influences and preferred down-to-earth food and entertainment over the refined arts and cuisine of the samurai and emperors.

Today, Osaka is a bustling city at any time of day. When the sun sets and the neon lights come on, Osaka is more vibrant in any other place in Japan. The locals aren't as reserved and more direct than in other places in Japan and will be happy to have a chat and show you their city through their food and nightlife!

Food is the main theme to any visit to Osaka. The main drag of Dotombori boast dozens of food stalls selling delicious local specialties like takoyaki (octopus balls), okonomiyaki (a hybrid of pancake, omelet and pizza) and deep-fried anything. But the city also offers any international cuisine you can think of. You'll also find many traditional Japanese dishes, from giant steaming ramen noodle bowls to miles and miles of sushi on conveyor belts (yet another excellent Osaka invention).

Osaka Reviews: Osaka Offers Numerous Areas to Explore and Enjoy

For nightlife, the city doesn't have just one center, but two: the more sophisticated and international Kita area around the central station, and the more untamed, wild Minami district in the south. In both cases, you will find high-rise buildings that consist of nothing but dozens of tiny bars, pubs and clubs.

Shopping is another major pastime in Osaka. Many of the covered shopping arcades in the city date back centuries, and some of them even still have the same types of traditional shops as back then (such as kimono makers, tatami mat makers and shops selling Buddhist figurines). Most of all, though, Osaka is a modern city and you have a choice of thousands of electronics stores, boutiques and department stores. Shopping is not limited to what's overground. Under the city, there are many miles of underground shopping streets that connect the central subway stations.

The subway is what makes getting around Osaka a real snap. The subway lines are color-coded and every station has a unique number. Stops are announced in English. You will find that the subway will get you just about anywhere you need to go. Trains and highway buses connect Osaka to the rest of Japan, although the surrounding Kansai area itself offers enough to keep exploring for years. Just about half an hour away by train are Kyoto, Nara and Kobe.

In Osaka and the surrounding cities, there is plenty space for relaxing like an emperor - which in Japan is almost always related to some kind of bath, whether it's in a public bath house, a modern spa with beauty treatments or massages, or au natural in an outdoor hot spring (called an "onsen").

Osaka Tourism: Osaka Showcases Numerous Cultural Amenities

Due to the fact that Osaka isn't as high on the tourist itinerary as Tokyo or Kyoto, accommodation here is often less than half the price as what you'd pay in other cities. There is a wide choice of international luxury hotels in Osaka. If that's out of your budget, you can choose between traditional Japanese guest houses (Ryokan) and cheap and cheerful - plus clean and convenient - Business Hotels. Those who want to delve even deeper into Japanese everyday life can stay at a temple or shrine or simply rent their own holiday apartments.

Sports play an important role in Osaka, too, and while the ancient martial arts and sumo wrestling still play a role, baseball is Japan's most popular sport. The Hanshin Tigers are the favored team in Osaka. The Tigers have an avid local fan base -- known for their extreme loyalty to a team that has not traditionally been very successful.

The highlight to any visit to Japan is attending a traditional festival. Osaka's shrines and temples organize plenty of them. The Tenjin Matsuri, held every July, is Japan's second biggest festival.

As a metropolitan city, culture is equally important in Osaka and so it's no surprise that the city features more than a dozen world-class museums with interactive displays and many other activities. For more Osaka culture, the city also is Japan's theater capital and offers just about any kind of performance you can imagine from traditional kabuki and Noh theater to local puppetry (bunraku) and comedy shows. Of course, classical music, ballet and contemporary musicals and performances also are represented.

No matter what you are expecting out of your trip to Japan - Osaka will offer all of it, plus a million surprises!

Add An Event
Featured Event
Ohatsu Tenjin Flea Market
Ohatsu Tenjin Flea Market
Fri - 6/07/2013 12:00AM
This ongoing flea market features 30-40 vendors with many delights. It takes place the first Friday of each month at the Tsuyunoten Shrine, or...
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 Nightlife & Clubs
Nightlife & Clubs
Osaka, Japan: Nightlife and Clubs in Osaka
Things move faster in Asian than anywhere in the west, and Osaka is one of the most bustling places in all of Japan, where people are proud of...
 Day Trips
Day Trips
Osaka, Japan: Day Trips
Osaka, Japan is steeped in history and culture, but is also a stunning display of modern buildings and conveniences. If Osaka, Japan has a...
 Annual Events
Annual Events
Osaka, Japan: Annual Events
People dressed in colorful kimonos, giant pans of fried noodles, fruit on a stick, mesmerizing fireworks, live music and dance - if you ever...
Osaka Latest Blog Posts
Osaka, Japan: Staying warm in Japan

When you move to a country that is among one of the world's most technologically advanced, you might think that the elements and weather might not be able to affect you all that much. Unless a railway bridge gets torn down by a typhoon, trains in Japan are always right on time (and even if disaster strikes, they are maximally slightly delayed). While the summer is sweltering hot and humid...

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Osaka, Japan: A Latin Night in Osaka

'I can't wait to see you tonight! Please promise me one thing: let's not go to a club', I plead with my friend over the phone. I'm not a clubbing person in general, but clubbing in Japan has turned...

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Osaka, Japan: Sumiyoshi Taisha - The Ocean Shrine

Osaka is an industrial hub with sprawling suburbs, big crowds and all the pros and cons that any big city brings with it. If you look closely, you can discover many traces of a city that was built to...

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The Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum
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Osaka Castle
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Floating Garden Observatory (Umeda Sky Building)
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Current Weather For Osaka, Japan
Sunny, 19°C on Tuesday, May 21, 2013
7 Day Forecast
Today

Partly Cloudy
HI: 28C
LO: 17C
Thursday

Partly Cloudy
HI: 27C
LO: 14C
Friday

Sunny
HI: 26C
LO: 15C
Saturday

Partly Cloudy
HI: 27C
LO: 18C
Sunday

Mostly Cloudy
HI: 26C
LO: 18C
Monday

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Tuesday

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Osaka Daily News
Japan mayor says S. Korean troops guilty of sex abuse
Source: Yahoo News | May 21st, 2013 3:26AM
South Korean soldiers were guilty of abusing women in wartime, a Japanese mayor said in comments reported Tuesday, days after he provoked a storm...
Japan Futures Signal Topix to Fall From 4 1/2-Year High
Source: Yahoo News | May 20th, 2013 7:50PM
Japanese stock futures fell, indicating the Topix Index will retreat from the highest level since August 2008, as the yen rose and investors...
?Do not forsake quest for justice for comfort women?
Source: Yahoo News | May 20th, 2013 6:41PM
Gabriela Women?s Party representatives called on the Department of Foreign Affairs to declare Osaka, Japan Mayor Toru Hashimoto as persona non...
Japan's politicians have a problem with 'comfort women' | Maki Kimura
Source: Yahoo News | May 19th, 2013 11:43AM
Gender awareness training for Japanese conservative politicians is long overdue, and Osaka's mayor should be first up Toru Hashimoto, the...
Japan's politicians have a problem with 'comfort women' | Maki Kimura
Source: Yahoo News | May 19th, 2013 11:43AM
Gender awareness training for Japanese conservative politicians is long overdue, and Osaka's mayor should be first up Toru Hashimoto, the...
Japan's politicians have a problem with 'comfort women' | Maki Kimura
Source: Yahoo News | May 19th, 2013 11:43AM
Gender awareness training for Japanese conservative politicians is long overdue, and Osaka's mayor should be first up Toru Hashimoto, the...
Japan's politicians have a problem with 'comfort women' | Maki Kimura
Source: Yahoo News | May 19th, 2013 11:43AM
Gender awareness training for Japanese conservative politicians is long overdue, and Osaka's mayor should be first up Toru Hashimoto, the...
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