Osaka tips

MGM Resorts International president and CEO Bill Hornbuckle discussed the company’s strategy and outlook on stage at Skift Global Forum 2024.

The award-winning airline has been a bridge between Japan and Qatar for 14 years and now serves two of the country’s major cities, Osaka and Tokyo.

Osaka is half the size of Tokyo but just as much fun. Lightning-quick shinkansen trains link the two cities in a little over two hours while nearby cities of Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara are an easy day trip. Osaka itself is home to its namesake castle, scores of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, and a belting street food scene. The central districts are defined by Honmachi, Dōtonbori, Namba (Minami), and Kita (Umeda) although Osaka Bay is a handy base for visiting Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan) and Universal Studios Japan. Mingling Japanese and Western traditions, these are the top-rated Airbnbs in Osaka’s coolest neighborhoods.

Japan, slightly smaller geographically than California, boasts a much wider array of activities and attractions than most countries its size. Technically a volcanic archipelago consisting of four main islands, almost four-fifths of Japan is covered with mountains. The Japanese Alps run down the center of the largest island, Honshu. The highest peak and Japan's most famous mountain is Mount Fuji, a cone-shaped volcano considered sacred by many Japanese.

When talking about Osaka, it’s nearly impossible not to mention the culinary culture that’s made the city a destination for food lovers. But to focus solely on Osaka’s famous okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes) and takoyaki (battered octopus balls) would do a great disservice to Japan’s third-largest city. It may be a sprawling metropolis but Osaka has the feel of an easygoing European coastal city, with a sense of openness and a slower pace than its big brother, Tokyo. First-time visitors tend to make a beeline for Osaka Castle, browse the food stalls on a walk through Kuromon Ichiba Market and later venture out to Universal Studios on the edge of the city. But another great way to get a true taste of Osaka is to dive into its diverse neighbourhoods. 

Osaka is affectionately known as "Japan's kitchen". It's the birthplace of ramen noodles (which celebrate their 60th birthday in 2018) and is home to some of the country's quirkiest restaurants.

Osaka sits by the Pacific Ocean on a large, fertile plain. Its strong fishing and farming heritage, and a cuisine supported by its many wealthy merchants, has seen it named the “Kitchen of Japan”– just one of the reasons we've named it as one of our destinations to visit in 2019. When sniffing out the best of Osaka food, these are ten local dishes you must try.

If you are exploring Japan by rail, it’s no exaggeration to say that Honshu, the country's largest island, has something for everyone: neon-lit cities of gigantic proportions, terraced paddy fields cut by a rugged coastline and monolithic mountains soaring above candy floss clouds of cherry blossom.