Osaka
Discover Osaka
Ōsaka (大阪) is the beating heart of Japan's Kansai region and the largest of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto trio of cities, with a population of over 17 million people in the greater metropolitan area. With fantastic food and nightlife, great connectivity and accommodation options in every price bracket, it makes a great base for exploring the entire region. "Osaka" can mean either the larger Osaka prefecture (大阪府 Ōsaka-fu), covered in a separate guide, or central Osaka city (大阪市 Ōsaka-shi), the topic of this article. The city is administratively divided into 24 wards (区 ku), but in common usage the following divisions are more useful.
Taste of Osaka...
The widest selection of restaurants is in Osaka's main entertainment districts, with the highest concentration of all in the Umeda and Dotombori areas. Even in a nation of obsessive gourmands Osaka is known as an excellent place to eat, exemplified by the Osakan maxim kuidaore, "eat yourself into ruin". The best place for trying out kuidaore is probably Dōtonbori (道頓堀) and neighboring Hōzenji-yokochō (法善寺横町) or Soemon-cho (宗右衛門町), the whole area containing nearly nothing but one restaurant after another. Okonomiyaki is best eaten in hole-in-the-wall restaurants, while takoyaki is best eaten from street vendors' carts, which can be found all over the major districts around nightfall. The best place to find kushikatsu (串カツ) is in Shinsekai, between Dobutsuen-mae and Ebisucho stations on the Sakaisuji subway line. There are many nightlife districts in Osaka. Nightlife in Osaka is very popular. This area, south of JR Osaka station, is the most famous nightclub and entertainment district of contemporary Osaka. It's just like Tokyo's Ginza, filled with many hundreds of high-class bars, clubs and small restaurants where Japanese businessmen entertain their clients. Unlike Tokyo's Kabukicho, Osaka's main red-light district Tobita Shinchi does not have much in the way of nightlife if you are looking to keep your pants on. Osaka has a vast range of accommodation, including some of the best hotels in the world.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsKansai International Airport (KIX) is the main international gateway to Osaka (Metropolitan area airport codes: OSA ). Also, Kobe Airport (UKB) is nearby and easily reachable by boat from Kansai Airport. Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen (新幹線) trains arrive at Shin-Osaka station, to the north of the city center. From Shin-Osaka, you can connect to the city center by using the Midosuji subway line, or connect to the local JR network for other destinations. If you are on a JR Pass, Osaka Station in the city centre is connected to Shin-Osaka via the JR Kyoto Line. Tickets can be purchased in advance through Japan Railways' official SmartEX App, available in English and other languages, with a ¥200 discount. Look for hayatoku fares, which can offer big savings on trips purchased at least three days in advance....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
If you are planning to travel beyond city limits you might consider using the tickets from Surutto Kansai. For use in Osaka and other cities in the west of Japan, there are some other useful tickets. The Osaka Subway is Japan's second-most extensive subway network after Tokyo, which makes the underground the natural way to get around. The Midosuji Line is Osaka's main artery, linking up the massive train stations and shopping complexes of Shin-Osaka, Umeda, Shinsaibashi, Namba and Tennoji. The signage, ticketing and operation of the Osaka subway is identical to its larger counterpart in Tokyo, and Tokyo's Pasmo/Suica smartcards are accepted as well. You can use the subway with a contactless payment card (credit, debit, prepaid) or a smartphone linked to an eligible card. Fares ¥200-350, depending on distance. Station arrivals are displayed and announced in Japanese and English. Keep your ticket when you enter the train — it is required when you exit.
Where to Stay
Osaka has a vast range of accommodation, including some of the best hotels in the world. Most of the city's moderate and expensive hotels can be found in Umeda, Namba, Shin-Osaka and Kyobashi, though they also have their share of budget options. Backpackers have begun to use budget hotels around the JR Shin-Imamiya (新今宮) and subway Midosuji Line Dōbutsuen-mae (動物園前) stations, in Tennoji area. Room quality varies widely and prices vary from ¥800-3000, but there are many options. The area is rather poor and there are many homeless that wander about during the day, but generally they are harmless and safety is not an issue. One benefit of the district being so poor is that prices at the supermarkets and such are generally very low. However, as always use common sense when traveling in unfamiliar areas. English-speaking doctor, See the website http://miyoshi-clinic.com/ for the address and Google Maps. (near Uehommachi Station).
Money & Budget
The widest selection of restaurants is in Osaka's main entertainment districts, with the highest concentration of all in the Umeda and Dotombori areas. Even in a nation of obsessive gourmands Osaka is known as an excellent place to eat, exemplified by the Osakan maxim kuidaore, "eat yourself into ruin". The best place for trying out kuidaore is probably Dōtonbori (道頓堀) and neighboring Hōzenji-yokochō (法善寺横町) or Soemon-cho (宗右衛門町), the whole area containing nearly nothing but one restaurant after another. Okonomiyaki is best eaten in hole-in-the-wall restaurants, while takoyaki is best eaten from street vendors' carts, which can be found all over the major districts around nightfall.
Language & Talk
Osaka has a distinctive dialect of Japanese, which is favoured by many comedians in Japanese popular culture. The Osaka dialect is traditionally associated with the merchant class and gangsters, and as such is regarded by many Japanese as rather rough-sounding compared to standard Japanese. While generally not a problem for advanced Japanese speakers, it may be difficult to understand if you have just started learning Japanese. All non-elderly locals are able to speak and understand standard Japanese though, so if you don't understand, politely ask them to repeat themselves in standard Japanese (hyōjungo 標準語) and they will usually oblige.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Osaka has a reputation among the Japanese for being crime-ridden, but it is still remarkably safe compared to any Western city of similar size. However, some areas in the southern suburbs, particularly Shinsekai and Tobita Shinchi, may be a little dodgy at night and the Airin/Kamagasaki area — Japan's largest slum, home to a lot of jobless and/or homeless people — south of Shin-Imamiya is best avoided after dark. Incidentally, despite the movie stereotype of gangsters speaking in Osakan dialect, the actual base of Japan's biggest yakuza families is neighboring Kobe — and the most gang violence occurs in Tokyo. Unless you're dealing drugs or engaging in prostitution, you're unlikely to get involved with the local mafia. Osaka is a city where people use bicycles heavily, so much and chaotic that even traffic police regular does "raids" along bicycle ways to check whether cyclist adhere to the rules.