What to See and Do in Osaka, Osaka, Japan

The first city I ever visited in Japan was Osaka. Unlike for many other people, who usually start their Japan travels in Tokyo, my inaugural taste of the Land of the Rising Sun came in the form of the grittier, more laid-back, yet no less vibrant ‘little’ sister, Osaka. And what a fabulous choice that was.

You see, while Osaka (pronounced OHH-saka, not Oh-SA-ka) may not have the glitzy global reputation of Japan’s capital, it does offer a lot of the same vibe and aesthetic, albeit on a smaller, more casual scale – which could well be a good thing for first-timers wanting to ease their way into the intense (in a good way) culture shock that is travelling to Japan.

Below are some of the things I enjoyed during my 9-day stay in the city, as well as a few things I didn’t get time for but which are on my list for next time. Use it as a guide to help you craft your own itinerary based on your personal interests and tastes for what to see and do in Osaka.

Osaka is not what I would call a touristy city. While it is often visited as part of Japan’s ‘big 3’ along with Tokyo and Kyoto, it definitely doesn’t have a huge amount of well-trodden, must-see sights, and I never felt like anywhere I went was overrun with tourists (something which cannot be said of a place like Kyoto or many other cities elsewhere in the world). ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).