Osaka

Dotonbori is Osaka at its most exuberant — a canal-side strip in the Namba district blazing with enormous neon and mechanical signs, from the iconic Glico running man (a selfie ritual) to the giant crab, octopus and dragon that mark the restaurants below. By night the lights reflect in the canal and the streets heave with crowds eating their way along, and this is the place to dive into Osaka's legendary street food: takoyaki (molten octopus dumplings), okonomiyaki (the savoury cabbage pancake grilled at your table), kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers, dipped once in the communal sauce), and much more, from stalls, counters and tiny izakaya. The neighbouring covered arcades of Shinsaibashi-suji offer endless shopping, the Hozenji Yokocho alley keeps an older atmosphere of lanterns and tiny bars, and a canal cruise gives a different angle on the lights. Eating and wandering Dotonbori and Namba after dark is the essential, joyful Osaka experience.

Osaka's great historic landmark is Osaka Castle (Osaka-jo), a magnificent reconstruction of the late-16th-century fortress built by the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who unified Japan — its green-and-gold main keep rising five visible storeys above massive stone walls and broad moats. The interior houses a museum of the castle's turbulent history, and the top floor gives city views; the surrounding Osaka Castle Park, with its plum and cherry blossoms, is one of the city's loveliest green spaces, spectacular in the spring blossom season. Elsewhere, the city's history runs deep: Shitennoji, founded in 593, is one of Japan's oldest Buddhist temples, with a serene garden and pagoda; the Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine preserves a distinctive ancient architectural style; and the open-air Museum of Housing and Living recreates an Edo-period Osaka streetscape. These historic sites give context and calm amid the city's modern energy.

Beyond food and history, Osaka offers plenty of modern attractions. The Umeda Sky Building, twin towers joined by a “floating” rooftop observatory, gives a dramatic 360-degree city panorama, anchoring the busy Umeda (Kita) district of department stores, dining and underground malls around Osaka Station. The Namba and Shinsaibashi (Minami) districts to the south are the entertainment and nightlife heart, packed with bars, clubs, theatres and the comedy (manzai) for which the city is famous. Families flock to Universal Studios Japan, one of Asia's top theme parks (with the Super Nintendo World and Wizarding World areas), while the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — one of the world's largest, built around a giant Pacific tank with whale sharks — and the big Tempozan Ferris wheel sit on the bay. Add the retro Shinsekai district with its Tsutenkaku tower and kushikatsu joints, the shopping of Amerikamura, and a thriving café and craft-beer scene, and Osaka balances its food fame with plenty more to do.

Osaka's central location and excellent transport make it the ideal base for exploring the Kansai region, home to some of Japan's greatest cultural treasures, all within easy reach by train. Kyoto, the ancient capital of temples, geisha and gardens, is just 15 minutes away by fast train. Nara, Japan's first permanent capital, with its giant bronze Buddha at Todai-ji and the famous free-roaming deer of its park, is about 45 minutes. The stylish port city of Kobe, known for its beef, its harbour and its hillside views, is half an hour west. And the magnificent Himeji Castle — the finest original castle in Japan, a UNESCO World Heritage “White Heron” — is an easy day trip further west. With Kansai International Airport (KIX) on its bay and the dense rail network of the Kansai region radiating out, Osaka is the natural hub for a trip taking in the cultural heart of western Japan, combining its own food-and-fun energy with the temples and history all around.