Osaka Holidays
Osaka
Holidays
Japan's kitchen and comedy capital — the world's greatest street food city, Dotonbori's neon canals, Osaka Castle, Universal Studios Japan and the most welcoming people in the country
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Flight Time
12–13h to Tokyo or Osaka Kansai direct; Kyoto 15min by Shinkansen
Best Time
March to May (cherry blossom & mild weather); October to November (autumn colours, cooler temperatures)
Country
Japan
Suppliers
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Osaka Holiday Guide
Osaka is Japan's most approachable and entertaining city — a place where the food is extraordinary, the people are warm and funny, and the energy is unlike anywhere else in Japan. It makes an excellent base for exploring the Kansai region, with Kyoto (15 minutes by Shinkansen), Nara (45 minutes), Hiroshima (1 hour) and Kobe (30 minutes) all within easy reach.
Getting there: Osaka Kansai International Airport (KIX) has direct flights from London Heathrow (12-13 hours, Japan Airlines and British Airways). Alternatively, fly to Tokyo and take the Shinkansen to Osaka (2 hours 30 minutes on the Nozomi, 3 hours on the Hikari). The JR Pass covers the Hikari service. From Kansai Airport, the Haruka Express train reaches Osaka Umeda in 50 minutes.
Getting around: Osaka's metro system is excellent — clean, punctual and easy to navigate with English signage. The Osaka Amazing Pass (1 or 2 days) covers unlimited metro travel and free entry to over 40 attractions including Osaka Castle and Tsutenkaku Tower. The Dotonbori and Namba areas are best explored on foot. Taxis are available but expensive.
Neighbourhoods: Namba and Dotonbori (the tourist heart — street food, neon, shopping), Shinsaibashi (upmarket shopping, department stores), Shinsekai (retro atmosphere, kushikatsu), Umeda (business district, excellent department stores, Osaka Station), Osaka Castle area (history, parks), Universal City (USJ theme park).
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Average Temperatures
Jan
6°C
Feb
7°C
Mar
11°C
Apr
17°C
May
22°C
Jun
26°C
Jul
30°C
Aug
32°C
Sep
27°C
Oct
21°C
Nov
15°C
Dec
8°C
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Call 01282 960 460Top 8 Things To Do in Osaka
The street food, neon canals, ancient castles, retro neighbourhoods and theme parks that make Osaka the most fun and flavourful city in Japan.
Dotonbori — The World's Greatest Street Food Strip
Dotonbori is Osaka's most famous district and one of the most visually spectacular streets in the world — a canal-side strip of enormous illuminated signs (the iconic Glico Running Man, the giant mechanical crab of Kani Doraku, the Ferris wheel embedded in a building), packed restaurants, takoyaki stalls, ramen shops and the extraordinary energy of Osaka at night. The canal itself is lined with restaurants and bars; the Ebisu Bridge is the best spot for the classic Dotonbori photo. Eat your way along the strip — takoyaki (octopus balls in batter, topped with bonito flakes and mayo), kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers of meat, vegetables and seafood) and fresh crab are the essential Dotonbori dishes.
Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki & Osaka Food Culture
Osaka's food culture is the richest in Japan — the city that invented takoyaki (golf ball-sized batter balls filled with octopus, cooked on a special iron griddle and topped with Worcestershire sauce, mayo and bonito flakes), okonomiyaki (a thick savoury pancake of cabbage, egg, meat and seafood, cooked on a teppan griddle at your table) and kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers of everything imaginable, eaten standing at a counter — the rule is no double-dipping in the communal sauce). The Kuromon Ichiba market (170 years old, 170 stalls) is the best place to eat fresh seafood, wagyu beef skewers and seasonal produce. Osaka also has the best ramen in Japan — the rich, porky tonkotsu broth of Ichiran and Ippudo is unmissable.
Osaka Castle — Japan's Most Visited Castle
Osaka Castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks — a magnificent five-storey white and green castle tower (reconstructed in 1931 and renovated in 1997) surrounded by enormous stone walls, a double moat and the beautiful Nishinomaru Garden (spectacular cherry blossom in late March/early April). Originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1583 as the largest castle in Japan, it was the site of the decisive Battle of Osaka (1615) that ended the Toyotomi clan. The interior museum traces the castle's history and Hideyoshi's life; the 8th-floor observation deck offers panoramic views over Osaka. The castle grounds (Osaka Castle Park) are free to enter — the castle tower has an admission fee.
Shinsekai — Retro Osaka & Tsutenkaku Tower
Shinsekai ('New World') is Osaka's most atmospheric retro neighbourhood — built in 1912 as a modern entertainment district modelled on Paris (the southern half) and New York's Coney Island (the northern half), it fell into decline after World War II and retains a wonderfully gritty, time-warped character. The Tsutenkaku Tower (103m, built 1956) is the neighbourhood's symbol — the observation deck offers views over the low-rise streets below. Shinsekai is the birthplace of kushikatsu — the neighbourhood's kushikatsu restaurants (Daruma is the most famous) are the best in Osaka. The surrounding Tennoji area has the excellent Tennoji Zoo and the Abeno Harukas skyscraper (Japan's tallest building at 300m).
Universal Studios Japan — World-Class Theme Park
Universal Studios Japan (USJ) in Osaka is one of the best theme parks in the world — consistently ranked alongside Orlando and Hollywood as a top Universal destination. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (an extraordinarily detailed recreation of Hogsmeade village with Butterbeer, Ollivanders wand shop and the Flight of the Hippogriff roller coaster) is the star attraction. Super Nintendo World (a fully immersive Mario Kart experience with wearable Power-Up Bands) is unique to Japan. The park also has Minion Park, Jurassic World, Hollywood Dream roller coaster and seasonal events (Halloween Horror Nights in October is legendary). Book tickets and Express Passes well in advance — the park sells out on weekends and holidays.
Kuromon Ichiba Market — Osaka's Kitchen
Kuromon Ichiba is Osaka's most famous food market — a 580-metre covered arcade with over 170 stalls that has been feeding the city for 170 years. Known as 'Osaka's Kitchen', it sells the freshest seafood (live lobster, sea urchin, giant tuna), wagyu beef, Osaka pickles, fresh tofu, seasonal vegetables and every ingredient of Osaka cuisine. Many stalls sell ready-to-eat food — fresh oysters, grilled scallops, wagyu beef skewers, crab legs and tamagoyaki egg omelettes. The market is busiest in the morning (8-11am) when the stalls are at their freshest. Located in the Namba district, it is a 10-minute walk from Dotonbori.
Day Trip to Nara — Sacred Deer & Giant Buddha
Nara is one of the best day trips from Osaka (45 minutes by express train) — Japan's first permanent capital (710-784 AD) is home to over 1,200 freely roaming sika deer (considered sacred messengers of the gods) that bow to visitors in exchange for shika senbei (deer crackers sold throughout the park). Todai-ji temple houses the world's largest bronze Buddha statue (15m tall, cast in 752 AD) inside the world's largest wooden building. The surrounding Nara Park is beautiful in cherry blossom season and autumn. Kasuga Taisha shrine (3,000 stone and bronze lanterns lit twice a year) and the Naramachi historic merchant district are also unmissable.
Namba & Shinsaibashi — Shopping & Nightlife
Namba and Shinsaibashi are Osaka's main shopping and entertainment districts — a dense grid of covered shopping arcades (Shinsaibashi-suji, America-mura, Hozenji Yokocho), department stores (Takashimaya, Daimaru, Loft), vintage clothing shops, record stores and the extraordinary Don Quijote (a multi-storey discount store open 24 hours selling everything from electronics to food to costumes). The Hozenji Yokocho alley (two narrow lanes of traditional restaurants and bars beside a moss-covered stone Buddha) is one of the most atmospheric spots in Osaka. Namba Parks (a shopping mall built around a terraced garden) and the Namba Grand Kagetsu comedy theatre (home of the Yoshimoto Kogyo comedy company) are also worth visiting.
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