Ōsaka (大阪) is the beating heart of Japan's Kansai region and the largest of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto trio of cities, with a population of over 17 million people in the greater metropolitan area. With fantastic food and nightlife, great connectivity and accommodation options in every price bracket, it makes a great base for exploring the entire region.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
"Osaka" can mean either the larger Osaka prefecture (大阪府 Ōsaka-fu), covered in a separate guide, or central Osaka city (大阪市 Ōsaka-shi), the topic of this article. The city is administratively divided into 24 wards (区 ku), but in common usage the following divisions are more useful.
If Tokyo is Japan's capital, one might call Osaka its anti-capital. Ask a local, and they'll proudly tell you that while Tokyoites are reserved, polite and boring, Osakans are warm, friendly and colorful, in speech, clothing and spirit. The Osakan rallying cry is kuidaore (食い倒れ), bringing yourself to ruin through extravagance in food, drink and more – a far cry from the austere Zen discipline often associated with Japan. Osaka dates back to the Asuka and Nara period. Under the name Naniwa (難波), it was the capital of Japan from 683 to 745, long before the upstarts at Kyoto took over.
If you are planning to travel beyond city limits you might consider using the tickets from Surutto Kansai. For use in Osaka and other cities in the west of Japan, there are some other useful tickets. ICOCA smart card. These rechargeable smart cards are available at vending machines at all transport hubs, and can be used on virtually all rail, subway and bus networks in Kansai area. If you're coming from Tokyo and already have a Suica or Pasmo card, they can be used in and around Osaka as is, so there's no need to buy an ICOCA. Similarly, an ICOCA card can be used interchangeably with Suica and Pasmo cards in Tokyo. ¥2000, including a refundable ¥500 deposit and ¥1500 travel credit.
Osaka's best known sight is the Osaka Castle. While it is a reconstruction, it is pretty and has a nice castle park. The reconstruction is basically only skin deep. The interior is a generic late 20th century building, with some display cases containing artifacts related to the original structure. To learn more about the history of Osaka, you can head to the nearby Osaka Museum of History. Hirano Old CIty (平野旧市街) in Hirano is a well-saved historical city which was originally independent from Osaka.
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is one of the world's largest aquariums, with 11,000 tons of water and plenty of sharks (including a whale shark), dolphins, otters, seals, and other sea creatures. Nearby are the Tenpozan Ferris Wheel, the Suntory Museum, a mall, and the ferry to Universal Studios across the water. Sumo Spring Grand Tournament of Japan's national sport, sumo wrestling, is usually held mid-March at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. Universal Studios Japan in the Osaka/Bay Area is Japan's second-largest theme park. Spa World in Tennoji offers gender-separated European and Asian-themed spas and saunas, and a pool for the family with slides and fun.
Individual listings can be found in Osaka's district articles The widest selection of restaurants is in Osaka's main entertainment districts, with the highest concentration of all in the Umeda and Dotombori 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".
Individual listings can be found in Osaka's district articles There are many nightlife districts in Osaka. Nightlife in Osaka is very popular. Kitashinchi (北新地) 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 where Japanese businessmen entertain their clients. Dotonbori (道頓堀) This area is the centre of nightlife. Hozenji-Yokocho (法善寺横丁) Unlike Tokyo's Kabukicho, Osaka's main red-light district Tobita Shinchi does not have much in the way of nightlife if you are looking to keep your pants on.
Osaka has a reputation among the Japanese for being crime-ridden, but it is still remarkably safe compared to any Western city of similar size. However, some areas in the southern suburbs, particularly Shinsekai and Tobita Shinchi, may be a little dodgy at night and the Airin/Kamagasaki area — Japan's largest slum, home to a lot of jobless and/or homeless people — south of Shin-Imamiya is best avoided after dark. Incidentally, despite the movie stereotype of gangsters speaking in Osakan dialect, the actual base of Japan's biggest yakuza families is neighboring Kobe — and the most gang violence occurs in Tokyo.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Osaka typically sees ~35°C daytime highs and 17 rainy days.
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