Osaka – The Nation’s Kitchen

Osaka is the first city I visited in Japan when I first travelled to the country in 2023. This massive city hosts many attractions, including Osaka Castle, Shinto shrines, Universal Studios, and the famous Dotonbori area. With its close proximity to Kyoto and the ease of travelling by train between these two cities, they are worth combining into one trip when visiting Japan. Osaka is famous not just for its castle, but also its food, earning it the nickname of “The Nation’s Kitchen”. There are many great places to sample Osaka’s street food when visiting the city.

Things to do in Osaka

Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle is one of Japan’s most famous landmarks and my favourite site in the city. This castle was constructed during the 16th century. The grounds to the castle are open day and night, with the castle lit up at night, though entry to the castle itself is only possible during the day.

I recommend entering Osaka Castle Park via the western Otemon Gate. From here follow the path round to the south of the gardens where you’ll find the Shudokan (martial arts school) and the Hokuku Shrine.

From here head through the southern Sakuramon Gate and you’ll face the largest stone block making up the base of the castle. The nearby information stand details how they moved these massive stone blocks into position.

Follow the path up to the castle and enter through the gate on the right. Photography isn’t permitted inside most of the castle to preserve what’s inside, but there is a lot of information about the history of the castle and the battles that took place there. You can also go outside on the upper floors for a good view of Osaka.

After looking around inside the castle you can head over to the large more modern looking building nearby. Inside there is a miniature museum, with models of lots of characters ranging from anime and Godzilla to superheroes and animals. It’s worth visiting while at the castle. After that, take a look around the rest of the castle gardens.

Umeda Sky Building

The Umeda Sky Building is a two-tower skyscraper located within walking distance of Osaka Station. The two towers are 40 stories high and connect at their two uppermost stories by indoor and outdoor escalators, with the outdoor ones surrounded by glass. The rooftop observation deck provides one of the best views of Osaka, though I visited at night and I think I would instead recommend going during the day for a better view.

Dotonbori

Dotonbori is a district of Osaka famous for its flashy billboards, nightlife, shops and restaurants. The main area centres around the Dotonbori Canal, where you’ll find the famous Glico Man billboard as well as the Ebisu Tower Ferris wheel. The surrounding streets are packed with street food vendors, restaurants and shops, and even the hidden Hozen-Ji Temple. Heading here in the evening is a good time to see the area come alive, and a good place to get dinner by sampling many of Osaka’s dishes.

Shitenno-Ji Temple

The Shitenno-Ji Temple in Osaka is an impressive Buddhist temple and is considered to be one of the oldest in the country. The main features of the temple are the Golden Hall and the Five-Storey pagoda that sits opposite it. You can climb up inside the pagoda, though the view is quite limited.

There are other shrines and prayer halls around the temple complex, as well as Zen stone gardens and market stalls within the temple grounds.

Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku

Shinsekai is an area of Osaka filled with restaurants and tourist shops. At the centre is the 103 metre high Tsutenkaku Tower with an observation deck providing views of the city. When I visited, the queue was too long and I had already been to the top of the Umeda Sky Building, so I wandered around Shinsekai checking out the wacky and over-the-top restaurant decorations.

Namba Yasaka Jinja

Namba Yasaka Jinja is a unique Shinto shrine in Osaka. One of the main buildings at this shrine is shaped like a lion’s head and looks particularly ominous in the rain. If you’re in the Namba area then this shrine is definitely worth checking out.

Tenmangu Shrine

Another Shinto shrine in Osaka, the Tenmangu Shrine can be found at the southern end of Tenjinbashi-suji, the longest shopping street in Japan. This 2.6km long street sells a huge variety of goods, souvenirs and street food.

When you reach the southern end of Tenjinbashi-suji, make sure to check out the Tenmangu Shrine. This shrine dates back to the 10th century and hosts an annual festival on July 24th and 25th.

Osaka Station Mall

Osaka Station is a huge maze-like complex where multiple public transport routes connect. Give yourself plenty of time if you’re travelling through there.

Above and around the station there is a large mall. Here you can find many brands including the Osaka Pokemon Centre and Nintendo store.

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