Osaka Travel Guide

It is well known that Japan is very well connected, and Osaka, the second largest port city in Japan, is a transport hub connecting the East and West, which makes you never miss this charming city during your Japan tour. Osaka is a very popular tourist city in Japan. It is generally divided into two districts, one is the northern district centered on Umeda, where there are many department stores and a variety of western-style chain brand stores that are popular with foreign tourists, and the other is the western district centered on Namba, which is more localized and where many of Osaka's specialty food and local product stores are located. If you want to experience a more authentic Osaka style, going to Namba is a good choice. What else about Osaka? Next, let me introduce it to you.

Famous Tourist Attractions in Osaka

1. Universal Studios

Universal Studios Osaka is a joint venture between Universal Studios USA, the Osaka city government, and several Japanese companies. As its name suggests, it is a movie-themed amusement park with eight zones. These are the New York Zone, Hollywood Zone, San Francisco Zone, Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Water World, Goodwill Village, Universal Wonderland and Jurassic Park. Universal Studios is very popular in Osaka and is visited by tourists from home and abroad every year, because there, we can experience different characters in different worlds. Wearing a specific costume, as if they have become a member of the magical world. That's why it's so popular with people of all ages.

Opening hours: Different times every day, need to check on the official website in advance

Address: Konohana-ku, Osaka City

Universal Studios

2. Osaka Castle Park

When it comes to Osaka Castle, the first thing that strikes the locals is Tenshokaku, which is often featured in Japanese movies or anime, and is now a must-see attraction in Osaka, housed in Osaka Castle Park. Located in the heart of Osaka City, Osaka Castle Park is famous for its long history and beautiful scenery, and holds a special place in the hearts of the Osaka people. It is a very large park with thousands of cherry trees inside. When the wet and warm ocean breeze arrives in Japan in March, the cherry blossoms bloom together in a beautiful scene that attracts many tourists from home and abroad every year. There are also many different kinds of courts, so don't miss it if you like sports. The park is very lively during the day and at night while there are street bands playing.

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 9:00 to 17:00 (admission closes at 16:30)
Closed: December 28th of every year to January 1st of the next year

Address: Chuo-ku, Osaka City

Osaka Castle

3. Umeda Blue Sky Building

The Umeda Blue Sky Building has a unique design. It has two buildings with a height of 40 floors, and the top of the building is connected by a transparent circular corridor, which is an observation deck, and because it is transparent, you can see the whole view of Osaka from the top, and when you look far down, the observation deck seems to float in the air. There are many flowers on the observation deck, which is also called the Sky Garden, not only that, it is also called the future Arc de Triomphe. When we go to the "Sky Garden", we need to take the lift, from the 1st floor to the 40th floor, as if entering a time tunnel, the experience is very wonderful. When the lift reached the top floor, the moment the doors opened, it was like entering a whole new world.

Opening hours: daily from 9:30 to 22:30 (admission stops at 22:00)
Note: Please check the official website for special holiday opening times.

Address: Shin-Umeda Castle, Kita-ku, Osaka

4. Dalton Hori

It is often said that eating is in Osaka, and Dotonbori has a very lively food street with a river, where various restaurants are open along the river, each with a special food sign to attract the attention of customers, and among them, crab is a must-eat food in Dotonbori. Not only that, but you can also get the most authentic sushi and delicious octopus balls here, which are the most representative food of Japan. At night, the neon signs of Dotonbori start to flash, and the colorful light signs illuminate each other with the river, giving the whole street a charming look. There are many pubs in the area, which is a good choice for those who like to drink. Do you know the famous "Glico Man" sign, it is also here, you can go to take pictures as a souvenir!

Opening hours:
Monday to Thursday 10:00 am to 7:00 am the next day
Friday 10:00 am to 8:00 am the next day
Saturday 9:00 am to 8:00 am the next day
Sunday 9:00 am to 7:00 am the next day

Address: 1-7-3, Doton Hori, Chuo-ku, Osaka

Dalton Hori

5. Shitennoji Temple

Shitennoji Temple is modeled on a Chinese temple, it is a very old temple in Japan. Before entering the Shitennoji Temple, you need to do a purification ceremony, use a spoon outside the temple to catch a ladle of water, first wash your hands, then rinse your mouth, and finally wash the spoon and put it back in its place for later visitors to use again, Once this is done, we can enter the temple to visit. First there is the central gate, on either side of the gate there are two statues, they are the guardians of the temple, further inside there is a tower, a total of 5 floors, inside the tower there are frescoes and some statues, at the top of the tower there are relics that were used to guard the tower. There are Bodhisattvas in the golden hall and statues of Buddha Rudra in the lecture hall. We must concentrate when facing the Bodhisattvas and statues of Buddha, because we must keep a devout heart before the gods.

Opening hours:
April to September 8:30 to 16:30
October to March 8:30 to 16:00
Note: Admission is closed until the last 30 minutes

Address: Tennoji-ku, Osaka

6. Osaka Aquarium

Osaka Aquarium, one of the most spectacular aquariums in Japan, has introduced many marine creatures and created special marine environments for them according to their species. Decorated with aquatic plants, starfish and coral bushes, along with the blue sea water, it makes visitors feel as if they are really in the underwater world. We can observe up close the way of fish lives, as well as their swimming posture and the beautiful patterns on their bodies. For children, the aquarium is a good place to learn about science and knowledge of the sea. Because you can get up close and personal across the tank, it is a very good choice for children to learn about underwater life. The Osaka Aquarium also has a special feature in that its surrounding buildings resemble a ring of fire that surrounds the aquarium, and from a distance, the aquarium looks like an ocean surrounded by volcanoes, which is an attractive idea!

Opening hours: 10:00 to 20:00 (entrance closes at 19:00)
Note: Special opening hours according to the official website

Address: 1-10, 1-Chome, Kaidori, Minato-ku, Osaka

Popular Events in Osaka

1. Tenjin Festival

The Tenjin Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held every summer for two days, from July 24 to 25, and the most important event is the mikoshi parade, where people dressed in Nara-era costumes parade through the streets accompanied by music and dance. This is not just a daytime event, and in the evening, people light bonfires and hold fireworks displays. At this time, people usually change out of their daytime clothes and put on Japanese yukata to participate in this fireworks display, which is so long that there are many food stalls nearby to feed the hungry people.

Religion in Osaka

2. God of Wealth Festival

The Osaka God of Wealth Festival, also known as "Toka-Ryo", originated in the Edo period, and as Osaka has always been a commercial city, the God of Wealth Festival is a perfect time for Osaka merchants to pray for a prosperous business. On this day, almost all merchants go to Imamiya Ryu Shrine to pray for blessings, which is the place where the God of Wealth Festival is held in Osaka. Not only businessmen but also ordinary families will go to worship the God of Wealth, praying for good luck for their families, to have a better life. If you want to attend in the Osaka God of Wealth Festival, please remember to come from January 9 to 11 and pray for wealth for you and your family!

Travel Tips

1. Try not to eat in the streets of Osaka, it's not polite to the locals.

2. Japanese people are very concerned about environmental management, so to avoid littering and there are not many garbage cans outdoors. Remember to bring a little bag for rubbish.

3. When eating ramen in Japan, it is okay to make the noise. The louder the sound, the better, which means the customer is satisfied with the taste of the ramen.

Osaka is more localized than other cities in Japan, with a strong Japanese style, rich night activity, countless gourmet restaurants and pubs, as well as the warm and welcoming Osaka people. If you are interested in visiting Osaka, please feel free to contact us and our experts will be happy to create a tailor-made itinerary for you. We look forward to hearing from you.