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Osaka Tourist Guide-The Best City to Hang Out In Japan
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Osaka Tourist Guide-The Best City to Hang Out In Japan - Destination Overview
Osaka Tourist Guide- The Best City to Hang Out In Japan
Osaka city tagged as ‘nation’s kitchen’, famous for gourmets delight and a city baseball aficionado is just 30 to 60 minutes by train from Kyoto. Neon-lighted Dotombori and historic Tenno-ji with shopping labyrinth in the Kita makes Osaka the most sought-after tourist destination. Osaka, regarded as the home to Japan best cuisine, food, fashion, warmest locals demanding itself as the hottest attraction among tourist from the corners of the world.
Location of Osaka - The Japan Darling City
Osaka located at the intersection of one of Japan’s major rivers Seto Inland Sea assigns it the name of “water city” forms a part of mainland China and Korean peninsula. The city’s western side is open to Osaka Bay and it belongs to the region of Kansai, Osaka Perfecture. Osaka is Japan’s second largest metropolitan area and it has a population of about 2.6 million and has a different rhythm of city life. Located between Kyoto and KIX (Kansai International Airport) Osaka is a great destination if you are making way for Kyoto.
Why you must visit Osaka For Your Next Trip?
Well, there are abundant of reason for you to plan your next trip to Osaka.
- Japanese call Osaka tenka no daidokoro or nation’s kitchen as it is really a great hub for the foodies. Okonomiyaki, the traditional dish of Osaka besides Takoyaki, a delicious street snack, foodies need to taste. The cosmopolitan hip plus ethic restaurants and old school sushi bars mesmerizes tourists from every corner.
- Osaka took advantage of their position as one of the prominent trading center in Japan and developed their own art form Bunaraku a puppet theatre and Rakugo or comic storytelling. The theatre phoebes too have to agree that these lifelike puppets are spectacular. You simply cannot miss the show.
- Often knows as the mercantile Mecca, Osaka has become the most preferred shopping destination in Japan. Denden Town, Amerikamura, Namba and Tennoji are the shopping destination for something traditional, ethic with contemporary touch.
Overview of Osaka
Today Osaka is the most iconoclastic metropolitan city of Japan, it does not have the similar features and romp of Tokyo, the capital of Japan rather it has its own trendsetter. Osakans are independent and a perfect contrast to the neon and concrete surroundings, Osakans are rather friendly and mostly outgoing with people. It is not robotic or monotonous; the city is full of life compared to Tokyo. Ask some about directions, locations or best sight you will easily get an Osakan into conversation.
Suggested Package Itinerary for Osaka
Day 1 - Osaka
- First, make your way to Osaka-jo and the surrounding park, Osaka-koen, then to Museum of Oriental Ceramics on Naka-no-shima or to the Osaka Aquarium on Kaigan-dori.
- In the afternoon head towards gadget stores of Den Den Town and go to Doguya-suji to buy cooking utensils. For clothes and accessory lovers Amerika-mura and Minami-horie is ideal.
- For dinner, stop at Dotombori-dori.
- You can spend the afternoon watching Bunraku performance instead of shopping if you are a person of fine arts and culture.
Day 2 - Osaka
- After you complete the one-day itinerary on the second day visitors must head towards south of the city center and commence the day by sightseeing at Tenno-ji Park or Municipal Museum of Fine Art to view the Japanese Art.
- Northeast of the museum lies the Shitenno-ji (commonly referred to as Tenno-ji), Japan's first temple and southeast of it lies one of Japan's three greatest shrines, Tenno-ji is Sumiyoshi Taisha.
- In the second day you must stop at Shin Sekai for kushi katsu and to enjoy night view of Tsutenkaku Tower.
Inclusions of the Osaka package
Most of the Osaka tour packages that are standard include:
- Taxes paid for the twin bed room
- Coach with English speaking tour admin
- Luxury AC coaches
- WiFi internet at important zones even in the hotels
- Train from Kyoto
- Sight Seeing & Excursions
Fest and Events in Osaka
- Shitenno-ji 'Doya Doya' Festival - A festival where two groups clad in (headbands and loincloths only) struggles each other and it is referred as Huge Naked Festival, celebrated in the month of January
- Osaka Sumo Basho - Sumo Basho is one of the six annual big sumo wrestling tournaments which occurs here, a greatest tourist attraction that take places in March or April
- Cherry Blossom Festival - The cherry blossom (sakura) season is celebrated throughout Osaka during spring in March. Promising lantern decorations and traditional dances are the attraction
- Shoryo-e – City comes to life with various theatrical performances of bugaku, held on April 22nd every year
Things to do in Osaka
- Visit the marvelous museum called Open Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses in Osaka Hattori Ryokuchi Park to travel to time machine at just ¥500 coin (US$6.50).
- You must go to Universal Studios if you love thrills and head to Spa World to relax. Get the authentic Spa World experience at Osaka both at European and Asian spa centers at just ¥2,700 a day. You have lot to experience and relax with gym, an amusement pool, stone spa, salon and restaurants.
- Enjoy specialities at Dotonbari, make a visit to Osaka castle and take an elevator to the top of Umeda Sky Building to have a bird-eye view of the Osaka city. Don’t miss to visit Sumiyoshitaisha, one of oldest shrines in Japan.
- Enjoy Japanese Rakugo (traditional comic storytelling) at Yoshimoto Ground Kagetsu and the Japan Art Council
- Go for shopping and more shopping as you simply cannot resist it.
Eat, Drink and Party at Osaka
List of foods to give a try - Seasonal Japanese food, Kushikatsu, Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, Kitsune udon noodles, Tessa and tecchiri (raw and cooked blowfish), Pressed sushi
Popular Recommended Hotels in Osaka with Cost
- Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka (3 star hotel) – Price Range $128.53
- Hotel Hankyu International (4 star hotel) – Price Range $209.44
- Chisun Inn Umeda (2 star hotel) - Price Range $68.44
- Cross Hotel Osaka (4 star hotel) - Price Range $166.49
- The St. Regis Osaka (5 star hotel) - Price Range $462.77
- Ritz Carlton Osaka (5 star hotel) - Price Range $458.75
Popular Recommended Restaurants in Osaka
- Fujiya 1935 – Established in 2003 is known for their spaghettini of crab , beans and mimoretto
- Mizuno – The oldest Okonomiyaki restaurant
- Zuboraya – It has hotpot dishes using fresh globefish delivered from the fish market in Osaka
- Saeki – The number one sushi restaurant in Osaka
- Yamachan – It is one of the most popular takoyaki restaurants in Osaka
- Yaekatsu – If you want to try Osaka’s Kushikatsu, a type of Japanese deep-fried meat and vegetables on skewers, go here
Major Attractions in Osaka
- Umeda Sky Building- An architecture designed by Hara Hiroshi, who also designed Kyoto Station is a twin-tower complex resembles Arc de Triomphe. From the top-view, you can enjoy the panoramic glance of Osaka city; you have to ride a glass elevator to reach the summit of the building.
- Osaka Aquarium - From Antarctic penguins to coral reef Butterflyfish to marine jellyfish, this aquarium have all the best marine life.
- Open Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses – An open-air museum that features a collection of traditional Japanese country houses, carefully recreated within a leafy park
- Osaka-Jo – Known as Osaka Castle built as a display of power by Toyotomi Hideyoshi after he went ahead to unify Japan. Thousands of workers for three years constructed this granite castle.
- Shin-Sekai – The retro entertainment town in Osaka, you can enjoy pachinko parlours, or rundown theatres and cheap eateries like kushikatsu.
How many days to stay in Osaka
You can head to Osaka from Kyoto while you make your trip to Japan. It hardly takes one or two day to complete a trip to Osaka, but if you a lover of rich gourmets adding an extra day would not be bad.
How to Reach Osaka
Tokyo (Tokyo and Shinagawa Stations) and Osaka (Shin-Osaka Station) connected by JR Tokaido Shinkansen, allow you to travel by train. It takes 8 hours to reach the destination if you ride on a limousine bus from Tokyo. For air, you have multiple flights to Kansai International Airport, Osaka International Airport from Tokyo, but if you want to make it by car then it would take ¥10,000 for one way.
Recommended Excursions from Osaka
Destinations or places that you can make out from Osaka are –
- Kyoto - The city of temples and shrines, here the famous Shimago Shrine is located
- Kobe – The Japanese port famous for beef and crisps
- Mt. Koya – Mountain area with temples all around
- Nara – Get a glimpse of the old Japanese culture
So, what are you waiting for? If you are planning for your upcoming holiday, then book a trip to Osaka today!