Overview
Osaka is Japan's exuberant 'second city' and its food capital — a down-to-earth, neon-lit metropolis famous for street food and the motto 'kuidaore' (eat till you drop), anchored by a great castle, a buzzing entertainment quarter, and an easy base for the whole Kansai region.
Travel
Osaka is Japan's brash, warm-hearted, food-obsessed second city — the commercial hub of the Kansai region and a complete contrast to the polish of Tokyo or the refinement of nearby Kyoto. Osakans are known across Japan for their humour, their plain-speaking friendliness and their devotion to eating, summed up in the local motto 'kuidaore' — to eat (and drink) yourself into ruin. The epicentre of that culture is Dotonbori, the dazzling neon canyon along a canal at the heart of the Namba district, where giant illuminated signs (above all the famous Glico running man) reflect in the water and the streets throng with people eating their way through the city's specialities: takoyaki (octopus dumplings), okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes), kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers) and more, from stalls and tiny restaurants. The covered shopping arcades of Shinsaibashi, the kitchenware street of Doguyasuji and the fresh-food stalls of Kuromon Ichiba market continue the feast. The city's great historic landmark is Osaka Castle, a striking reconstruction of the 16th-century fortress of the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, rising above moats and stone walls in a large park that blossoms with cherry trees in spring. Modern Osaka offers the Umeda Sky Building's floating observatory, the futuristic shopping and nightlife of the Umeda and Namba districts, the hugely popular Universal Studios Japan, the ancient Shitennoji temple and the aquarium and Ferris wheel of the bay. Above all, though, Osaka is a place to eat, drink and enjoy a more relaxed, gregarious side of Japan. And it makes the ideal base for the Kansai region — Kyoto, Nara, Kobe and the great castle of Himeji are all short train rides away, and Kansai International Airport (KIX) is a major gateway. Osaka is enjoyable year-round; spring (cherry blossom at the castle) and autumn are the most pleasant, summers hot and humid.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Diplomatic missions in Osaka
2 embassies based in this city, grouped by region.
Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.