Not all tourists traveling to Japan include the city of Osaka on the route. In the Kansai region, Kyoto is the one that takes center stage many times and Osaka is there for a “next time”. However, this city is the third largest in the country and we believe that it is very worth visiting, even if it is taking a day trip from Kyoto.
What to see and do in Osaka?
The essentials
If we opt for a day trip, there are some essential places that can be visited without time problems. Of course, we recommend getting up early to make the most of the day.
Osaka Castle
Osaka Castle or Osaka-jō is one of the most important castles in Japan. This is located in Osaka-jō Kōen (castle park). Its construction began in 1583 by the hand of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, whose goal was for it to become the center of unified Japan and be the largest castle of the time. However, the building was destroyed by Tokugawa troops and its reconstruction did not begin until 1620. Unfortunately, in 1665 a fire destroyed him. In 1931 the main tower, its eight interior floors and its five exterior floors were rebuilt. This time, and despite the bombardments of the war, it held out and is still standing today and in perfect condition.
The castle has a modern look and inside there is a museum, a convention hall and an altar dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. From the top floor of the castle, which is open to the public, there are beautiful views of the entire city. If the visit is during the time of hanami (cherry blossoms) or momiji (reddening of the leaves), everything is even more beautiful. During this time, the Nishinomaru Gardens are beautiful and highly recommended.
In addition to the main tower, the castle has several walls, moats, gates and small defense towers .
The castle is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Admission is 600 yen and 800 yen if the Nishinomaru Gardens are included.
Isshinji temple and Shintennoji temple
Although many tourists end up overloaded with temples, visiting the Isshinji temple is highly recommended because it belongs to the Jodo-shi school.
Its door, made of steel tubes and cement blocks, attracts a lot of attention because it contrasts with a temple that is already 800 years old. Inside there are six Buddhas several meters high made with human remains. It sounds chilling and macabre, but everything has its explanation. Since the Edo period, the inhabitants of the region brought the bodies of their deceased relatives to the temple to be cremated. The ashes were then mixed and cast in a mold. These statues, known as Okotsu Butsu, are each made from the remains of nearly two hundred thousand deceased.
Far from what it may appear to be, the Jodo school professes respect for the dead and believes that it is very important to give them a place in everyday life.
Nearby is the Shintennoji Temple , which has more than 1400 years of history, is one of the oldest and largest places of worship in the city . The temple is made up of three main buildings: the Kodo Pavilion, the Kondo Pavilion, and a five-story pagoda.
Inside the Kodo there are statues of various deities, in the Kondo there are murals that explain events in the life of Buddha and the pagoda is perhaps the most surprising element. It is open to the public and you can go up to all its floors. The walls shrink as you go up and have images representing the souls of the dead whose funerals were held in the temple. Once up there are beautiful views of the entire place.
Den Den Town
The Den Den Town neighborhood is Osaka’s Akihabara because it is where the largest number of computer, manga and anime , video game, pop culture and otaku stores are located in the city.
As in the Tokyo district, in Den Den Town you can find from large computer stores to smaller ones, sometimes even hidden and hardly visible. There are also numerous video game stores , buildings full of arcade machines and retro- gaming venues, merchandising , manga and anime stores with cosplay and doujinshi sections. And, obviously, themed cafes cannot be absent either. A true paradise for any otaku .
Strolling through Den Den Town, which is officially known as Nipponbashi, you can see the Tsutenkaku tower .
Dōtonbori at night
The Dōtonbori neighborhood is one of the main attractions of the city for its lively atmosphere, the decoration of its facades and its neon lights . And for the latter it is better to visit it at night.
The most famous neon, the Glico Man , is found here. This neon was installed in 1935 and measures 20 meters high by 10 wide. Although the Glico Man has undergone some temporary modifications to celebrate a sporting event, such as the soccer World Cup or a victory for the local baseball team, in 2014 it underwent the most important change. All neon bulbs were changed to LED lights. Because of this, its appearance changed, but it still maintains its essence and remains a point of great tourist interest.
The beauty of the neighborhood lies in how striking are its buildings and the decorations in the restaurants , which can be quite extravagant. Very close to this area is the Namba neighborhood , ideal for walking.
Other points of interest
If you have more time, we recommend:
- Near Umeda Station is Osaka’s most famous skyscraper, the Umeda Sky Building . Right at your feet is the Takimi Koji gastronomic alley .
- The Gate Tower Building is a very unique building because a highway runs through it.
- The Ferris wheel at the HEP Five shopping center .
- In January you can visit the Imamiya-Ebisu shrine , when one of the most important festivals in the city is celebrated.
- The streets of Amerika-mura , full of American fashion.
- The Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine , the most important in the city, with more than 700 wooden lamps.
- The Shinsekai neighborhood , which looks like something out of a futuristic Blade Runner movie .
- The viewpoint of the Abeno Harukas tower .
What to eat in Osaka
Takoyakis
One of the most famous dishes in Osaka is takoyakis . The takoyakis are small balls made with a dough of wheat flour and a piece of octopus inside . They are topped with powdered nori, mayonnaise, dried bonito flakes and katsuobushi sauce.
This type of food is sold in street stalls, served in small trays of four, six or eight units and eaten with toothpicks. You have to eat them fresh. It must be done according to the Japanese standard!
Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki , although known as Japanese pizza, looks like an omelette. It is prepared from a dough of flour, water, cabbage and egg to which ingredients are added to taste. The mixture is stirred well and cooked on the grill. When ready, it is covered with a specific sauce for okonomiyaki , Japanese mayonnaise, nori powder and dried bonito flakes.
There are different variants of okonomiyak i. While in the Kansai area and especially in Osaka, the main ingredients are meat and cabbage , in Hiroshima it is noodles and vegetables . The way to prepare it also varies.
Other dishes from Osaka
- Kushikatsu are breaded and fried skewers of fish, prawns, octopus, cheese, meat, vegetables … that are dipped in sweet and sour soy sauce. In the Shinsekai neighborhood there are several places where they offer this delicacy.
- Gyozas , or dumplings , are a kind of fried dumplings with minced meat or vegetables inside.
- Kitzune udon is a thick noodle soup that contains fried tofu.
How to get there and how to move around Osaka
Normally tourists come to Osaka from Kyoto although, being such a large city, it is very well connected with other parts of the country, such as Tokyo, Nagoya, Hiroshima … With the JR Pass it is likely that the shinkansen will end its journey at Shin station -Osaka , which is a bit far from the center. From there you can catch a local train line.
If you do not have a JR Pass, there are local lines and train lines that connect Osaka with many other cities around. There are many options available, some faster than others, some cheaper than others and even day and night options.
Getting around Osaka is not complicated. The city has a line that is included in the JR Pass, the JR Osaka loop line. This is a circular line that surrounds the center of the city. To use the other lines , those that are not included in the JR Pass, you can buy a ticket per trip or daily passes with unlimited trips .
Is Osaka worth visiting?
Osaka is a very interesting city and it is well worth spending at least one day on it. It is best to go to Osaka from Kyoto to experience that aggressive change from a traditional city to a modern, cosmopolitan city.
Another possibility is to spend a night in Osaka. In this city there is a lot of offer in accommodation and you can find lower prices compared to other cities such as Kyoto. There are even many travelers who use it as a base camp and, from there, visit Kyoto, Nara and surrounding cities or towns.
There are many options and they are all equally valid, but Osaka deserves to be on any route through Japan .
