If you’ve experienced enough of cosmopolitan Tokyo and need a change of pace from serene Kyoto, then you’ll need a list of the best things to do in Osaka, the spirited heart of the western Kansai region. Osaka is known as “the kitchen of Japan,” best known for signature Japanese delicacies like takoyaki, ball-shaped snacks often made with octopus meat; and okonomiyaki, savory pancakes made on teppan (Japanese metal grill plates). The city’s massive food scene features all types of dining spots, ranging from street vendors to Michelin-starred restaurants. Osaka is also an entertainment capital where you can meet Mario and Luigi at Super Nintendo World, part of Universal Studios Japan, or catch a baseball game at the Osaka Dome with over 36,000 fans from all over the world.
Osaka is lively and in-your-face, but new developments in the city are giving it a level of relaxed refinement, too: The city unveiled some big hotel openings recently, including the Four Seasons Hotel Osaka and The Osaka Station Hotel, Autograph Collection, with more on the way from luxury names like Waldorf Astoria and Patina. The city also recently cut the ribbons on the Grand Green Osaka, a new urban green space that connects Osaka Station to recreation areas, event and exhibition venues, and verdant lawns with trees that offer color beyond cherry blossom season.
Visiting Osaka is a great idea any time of year, but mark your calendars for 2025, when the city will host the World Expo from April to October. This time around, the theme is Designing a Future Society for Our Lives, meaning the development of sustainable cities. For the event, the city is building an island called Yumeshima, where a new metro station is being built, improving accessibility to the six-month-long fair for both locals and visitors. With Japan’s famously efficient public transport system, it’ll be easy to see, do, and eat as much as you can in Osaka and, itinerary permitting, beyond.
To get more of the best things to do in Osaka—the absolute must-dos, plus some insider tips only locals would know—I spoke to an array of experts on Japanese travel, including: Jessica Klauzenberg, the Japan travel specialist at Timbuktu Travel; Makoto Kawai of Four Seasons Hotel Osaka, who was born and raised in the city; and Sara Aiko Coe, a Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist and founder of Curated Kyoto, based in nearby Kyoto. Here’s how to visit Osaka, and all the best things to do once you’re there.
Visiting Osaka is a great idea at any time of year, but in 2025 it will host the World Expo from April to October, just as the city sees a wave of polished hotel openings.
Traveling to Osaka is easily done by plane: Kansai International Airport has nonstop flights
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