Osaka Vacation Travel Guide | Expedia

Osaka sits in Japan's Kansai region, on the southern coast of the island of Honshu. By bullet train, this metropolis is two and a half hours west from Tokyo, and just 15 minutes south from Kyoto. There's no better entree to the city they call Japan's kitchen than a visit to Osaka Castle, whose tower museum serves up the story of Osaka's past. When the castle was built in the 16th century, merchants settled around its protective walls and prospered. By the 18th century, Osaka was an industrial and trading powerhouse, known throughout the world as the Manchester of Asia. Today, Osaka is a city that continues to work hard, play harder, and eat like there's no tomorrow. Osakans love to say, kui daore, which means, eat till you drop. So, when in Osaka, the best way to explore the city is to let your belly lead the way. Follow the twinkle of Michelin stars and gleaming glass to the Kita District, Osaka's northern downtown area. Here, under the futuristic shadow of the Umeda Sky Building, centuries of culinary tradition is honored and built upon by the city's finest chefs. Besides their legendary appetites, Osakans have had a long reputation as insatiable shoppers. At the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living, wrap yourself in a kimono and take a stroll along an Edo-period shopping street to taste life from simpler times. Osaka's famous shopping streets have certainly grown since the 1600s. Just a few steps away is the one-and-a-half-mile-long Tenjinbashi-suji, home to over 600 stores. After hiking through Japan's longest shopping street, put your feet up and take an aquiliner cruise for a floating feast of some of Kita District's finest civic buildings, bridges, and parks. Once you're back on dry land, follow the sounds of steaming batter, sizzling octopus, and dancing bonito flakes to Minami, Osaka's southern downtown. Takoyaki is Osaka's number one street food, and at Dotonburi, you'll find the best. Named after its neighboring canal, Dotonburi is a mind-bending riot of restaurants, food stalls, and bars. But it's after dark, when the mechanical crabs and neon signs light up, that the foodies really descend in their thousands. Food is more than just a pleasurable pastime in Osaka. It's a divine obsession. Just across the canal in Hozenji Yokocho, partake in an age-old tradition with fellow diners, and throw water upon the moss-covered statue of Fudo, the Buddhist god of fury. Then, follow the roar of blowtorches to Kuromon Market, and feast upon mountains of barbecue crab leg, scallops, and sea urchins, and maybe pick up a few snacks for later. If you're a glutton for more shopping, the Minami District caters to every taste imaginable. You'll find a full buffet of designer brands along Midosuji Boulevard, and in the city's most popular shopping street, Shinsaibashi Suji. For style that's closer to the edge, spend an afternoon in nearby Amerikamura, where you'll find Osaka's most adventurous streetwear, and characters. Looking for Osaka's answer to Tokyo's Akihabara? Lose yourself in the anime, manga, and old-school collectibles of Denden Town. But for the ultimate in retro eye candy, take the 10-minute walk south to the bright lights of Shinsekai. Over the century, the fortunes of this entertainment district have flickered. But today, it's running on high voltage once again, luring lovers of Japanese kitsch and another of Osaka's guilty pleasures, deep-fried kushikatsu skewers. If all that food, shopping, and neon has left your synapses a little frayed, Osaka offers plenty of places to plug into a little zen. Pay your respects at the Namba Yasaka Shrine, where a lion's mouth awaits to devour any pesky spirits that might be bothering you. Once you're free of troublesome karma, stock up on positive vibes nearby at Imamiya Ebisu Shrine, home to Ebisu, one of the seven gods of good fortune. For the ultimate soul food, follow the trail of incense east to Shitenno-ji. Founded in the 6th century, the temple was built by Prince Shotoku, who introduced Buddhism to a strife-torn, feudal Japan, hungering for calm. Osaka offers plenty of green spaces to nourish the spirit too. Just a 10-minute walk from Shitenno-ji, take in the mirror-like serenity of Kei Takoen Garden, or spend an afternoon at Sumiyoshi's Park and Shrine, and see how Osakans relax when they're not eating and shopping. Of course, for kids, the best kind of parks are amusement parks, and at Universal Studios Japan, you'll find one of Asia's best. The park's star attraction is the wizarding world of Harry Potter, where, for the millions who visit each year, the most magical stories ever written can at last be touched and tasted. It's no accident that the Hogwarts Express came to Osaka. From the city's tranquil gardens, to its mechanical crabs, from its epic castle, to its floating fish, this is a city where anything seems possible. Just like the city's favorite comfort food, okonomiyaki, which means cooked just how you like it, Osaka is a city to be feasted upon and shared over and over, day after day, until you drop.