A cultural guide to Osaka
Japan’s less crowded and more relaxed metropolis has major draws, from historical sites to incredible street food and exciting nightlife
Your essential guide to the best things to see and do in Osaka. Find more travel inspiration for more amazing cities here.
While Tokyo is a sprawling, modern megacity and Kyoto is the country’s retail capital, Osaka is Japan’s industrial heart, once home to the merchant class. Less touristy than its sister cities, Osaka is a treat for foodies and late-night revelers—a friendly patchwork of neighborhoods both ancient and modern.
Set on Osaka Bay, the historic port city is also within easy reach of the famous deer park in Nara and just a 15-minute bullet train ride away from the UNESCO-stamped shrines and cultural sights of Kyoto. The white-sand beaches of Shirahama, the tea plantations surrounding scenic Wazuka, and sections of the Kumano Kodō pilgrimage trail, lined with onsen spa villages, are also nearby.
Art & architecture
With eclectic modern architecture rubbing up against 16th-century castles and shrines, Osaka is a joy to discover on foot. Towards the end of World War II, hundreds of U.S. bombers carried out multiple raids on Osaka, which destroyed swaths of the city, but an ambitious post-war reconstruction plan successfully rebuilt factories and neighborhoods and revived trade.
Much of the local architecture dates from these economic boom years. Built in 1993, the 568-foot-tall Umeda Sky Building consists of two towers connected by the Floating Garden Observatory. Osaka National Museum of Art, constructed to honor the bamboo plant, is another must-visit. Some of the best skyline views are from Osaka Castle, a hilltop fortress first built in 1583, and history lovers will also want to visit the serene Sumiyoshi-taisha Shinto shrine and Shitennō-ji, one of Japan’s first Buddhist temples.
Food & drink
Because Osaka has not traditionally relied on tourism, the city’s culinary scene has grown in response to the demanding tastebuds of regular local diners, resulting in a competitively innovative dining scene. Throughout Japan, Osaka has a well-earned reputation for kuidaore, or “eating until you drop.”
By night, join the locals on a food safari among the wall-to-wall restaurants and bars of neon-lit Dotonburi, sampling small dishes at a series of restaurants. One local street food treat not to be missed is takoyaki, or deep-fried octopus balls; find it at casual Takoyaki Juhachiban. Another must-eat is okonomiyaki, arguably Osaka’s signature dish, a savory pancake that pairs perfectly with a local craft beer. Chibo is a favorite spot, but if you find yourself hungry in the lively central shopping district of Umeda, Okonomiyaki Kiji is a great bet.
For Osaka-style fine dining minus formality and fuss, try one of the city’s kappo restaurants, where food is cut up finely and cooked with fire. Diners face the chef across the counter and interaction is encouraged; with most spots maxing out at 12 diners, this makes for an unforgettable, intimate experience. Naniwa Kappo Kigawa is one of the best-loved in Dōtonbori. Good food tours abound, but a Retro Osaka Street Food Tour of iconic eateries in Shinsekai district is a great way to prepare your taste buds for the days ahead.
Music
Japanese urbanites are big on their music, with listening bars where you can sip a craft sake cocktail while listening to carefully chosen vinyl, gritty karaoke joints, and sleek, sexy jazz bars. In Kita, Funk Bar Zip has been a stalwart for soul and funk fans for three decades, while Milk Bar is one of the coziest spots in the city, seating just a handful of record lovers at a time.
One of the city’s best-loved live music venues is Fandango, located in a rundown historic district in northern Osaka, while Socore Factory in Minamihorie is a touch more refined, with hardwood floors, thoughtful lighting and classier drinks, plus a winning roster of international and underground Japanese acts.
Osaka is primarily divided into downtown and uptown, Kita (or Umeda) being north, Minami to the south. Kita is the daytime soul of the city, and staying at the The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka puts you within easy reach of the district’s museums and the legendary shopping street of Midōsuji, often called Osaka’s answer to the Champs-Élysées.
If you feel like making lively Dōtonbori in Minami your base, the Hotel Forza is a superb choice, around the corner from Kuromon Ichiba Market, the most famous street food market in the city.
For more of a youthful vibe, stay in the Horie district, enveloped by the Dotonbori, Horie and Kizu rivers. This is where you’ll find hip interior design stores, independent boutiques and Instagrammable kitsune udon vendors. The Bridge Hotel Shinsaibashi is a short walk from the heart of Horie, where you’ll find Amerika-mura (American Village), a hub of streetwear boutiques that also houses some of the city’s coolest bars and clubs in a multi-tenant building called Mittera Kaikan.
Anna Hart is a culture writer specializing in adventure travel and positive-impact tourism. Her work has appeared in Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, and she is the author of the travel memoir Departures.
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