Travel advice for Japan
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Japan
Book your individual trip, stress-free with local travel experts
written by Tamara Hinson
updated 14.01.2019
But there's more to Osaka than the food. Add to that buzzing canal sides, blossom-filled parks and the country's most luxurious toilets and you've got a winning combination. Here are six reasons why Osaka should be your next trip.
13 days / from3535 USD
Small Group Tour: Splendours of Japan
Discover the allure of Japan on our small group tour (max 16 guests). Unveil Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, and Okayama through guided explorations. Immerse in tea ceremonies and relish in the captivating beauty of these iconic destinations. Regular departures ensure an unforgettable journey.
view tour ⤍14 days / from4070 USD
Small Group Tour: Secrets of Japan
Embark on an exceptional small-group tour, available monthly, unveiling Tokyo, Hakone, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, and beyond. Uncover Japan's hidden gems, from serene shrines to bustling cities, and immerse in enchanting forests.
view tour ⤍10 days / from2795 USD
Small Group Tour: Highlights of Japan
Exciting small-group tour with monthly departures. Immerse in Japanese culture, challenge a pro in a sumo suit, wander Arashiyama's bamboo groves in Kyoto, and relish a kaiseki feast with Maiko entertainment - all included in this fascinating small group tour.
view tour ⤍7 days / from4000 USD
Japan highlights: Tokyo to Osaka
From Tokyo to Osaka, this Japan trip features fantastic experiences. View a sumo session, visit ancient temples, and climb the Tokyo Skytree tower. Explore the resort town of Hakone in Mt Fuji’s shadow, savor a tea ceremony in Kyoto, and see cherry blossoms, in season, to complete a wonderful trip.
view tour ⤍10 days / from3000 USD
Self-Guided Adventure Tour in Japan
Immerse yourself in the breathtaking natural beauty, history, enchanting culture and warmhearted people of Japan, with our self-guided tour of Japan. Walk-through a bamboo forest, see how sake is made, join Samurai lesson, go bar-hopping in Tokyo and Osaka and extend your journey to Hiroshima
view tour ⤍10 days / from6000 USD
Culinary tour across Japan
This trip takes you from Tokyo to Kyoto, where you will experience authentic Japanese foods, visit morning markets in the local cities, learn how to make Japanese food and enjoy a unique stay at a monastery. A once in a lifetime experience.
view tour ⤍13 days / from3706 USD
Hiking the Japanese Alps
Traverse Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, hike Kamikochi's ancient forest, and marvel at Yake volcano. Explore Tokyo's palaces, Kyoto's temples, and Mt. Fuji's beauty. Relax in tranquil hot springs and discover Kanazawa's Kenroku-en Garden, along with Shirakawago's charming villages.
view tour ⤍12 days / from3415 USD
Japan Winter Tour with Monkey Onsen
Zip through snowy landscapes on a bullet train, exploring Tokyo, Kyoto, and Kanazawa's iconic attractions. Encounter snow monkeys in Nagano, wander through Shirakawa-go's picturesque village, and unwind in a traditional onsen ryokan. Experience Japan's winter charm at its finest!
view tour ⤍15 days / from5155 USD
Family Adventures in Japan
Discover Tokyo's shrines, Hakone's Mt. Fuji views, and Nagoya's Toyota Museums. Traverse Nakasendo's historic trails, experience Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine and Nijo Castle, and savor a traditional tea ceremony. End in Osaka with a cooking class and a visit to Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway.
view tour ⤍9 days / from2495 USD
Japan Essentials
Experience Japan's essence! From Tokyo's modernity to serene Hakone, historic Kyoto, and bustling Osaka. Marvel at Mt. Fuji, cruise Lake Kawaguchiko, stroll Fushimi Inari-Taisha's torii gates, and savor Kansai's cuisine in Dotonbori. This journey captures Japan's diverse beauty and culture.
view tour ⤍Thought canals were a European thing? Think again. Osaka has miles and miles of them.
The Dōtombori neighbourhood is the best place to check them out. This is also where you'll find some of Osaka's best eating spots (though the area is particularly famous for its vending machine restaurants).
While there aren't any barges, there are plenty of tour boats. We recommend hopping on a night-time cruise to admire Osaka in all its dazzling glory: enormous neon crabs, shrimps and dumplings are especially popular displays. Most tours depart from Dōtombori's Tazaemonbashi Bridge boat dock: expect to pay around ¥700 (£5) for a 20-minute cruise.
Pot Noodles will look rather plain after a visit to Osaka.
Ramen noodles were invented here and there's even a tourist attraction dedicated to this Japanese delicacy. Stop by the Instant Ramen Museum and you'll find a replica of a Japanese street, arty displays of colourful ramen pots and a food court where you can try out the many (and we mean many) different varieties.
But there's more to Osaka than noodles – in fact, it's got the country's most diverse food scene. One of our favourite gourmet haunts is the Nipponbashi district; it has several of Osaka's quirkier eateries, including some of Japan's famous maid cafés.
Oddly, Osaka is also one of Japan's largest producers of plastic food: that is, the synthetic sushi, noodles, dumplings and crabs you'll see displayed on plates outside almost every restaurant in Japan. At Design Pocket in Namba, you can even learn how to make some fake food yourself.
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Osaka Castle is a beautiful, towering fortress, surrounded by citadels, a moat and some 600 cherry trees. It may seem as though it has always stood here – but don't be fooled. Although work on the first version started in 1583, the castle was destroyed in 1615. Its replacement burned down in 1665, and in 1931, a concrete version was built.
Head to the castle's museum to learn about Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the fearsome general who ordered the original castle's construction.
Japan can get rather hot – in fact, the mercury can regularly hit 40°C during the warmer months. But Osaka's position on the coast helps keep the temperature under control, thanks to the cooling breeze rolling in across Osaka Bay.
This means the city's many parks are a delight year round. Our favourites include Osaka Castle Park (prettiest in autumn) and the flower-filled Kema Sakuranomiya – the latter is best avoided in spring when it's filled with the hanami (cherry blossom-viewing) crowds.
As if there's not enough to keep you in Osaka, Kyoto is just a 15-minute train ride away. With time at a premium, priorities should be visits to Nijō Castle, followed by the Sentō Imperial Palace, with its beautiful gardens.
And just 40 minutes on the super fast Shinkansen trains, you'll find Nara, Japan's first capital city, which dates back to 710. While you're here, check out the Todai-ji Temple and Kasuga-Taisha Shrine (the latter is famous for its glittering lanterns) and say hello to Nara Park's famous bowing deer.
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Okay, admittedly, this is a country-wide phenomenon. But park your behind on a heated loo seat and there's really no going back. In Osaka, they're not just in five-star hotels, either. You'll find ludicrously luxurious loos everywhere: in department stores, budget hotels and ryokans (traditional inns).
You'll usually find at least five settings relating to washing and drying – and as for that button bearing a single music note? Press it and you'll hear a pleasant little jingle – this particular function is known as otohime (translation: sound princess).
Top image © Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Discover more of Osaka with The Rough Guide to Japan. Compare flights, find tours, book hostels and hotels for your trip, and don’t forget to purchase travel insurance before you go.
written by Tamara Hinson
updated 14.01.2019
Tamara is a former snowboard instructor who's been a freelance travel writer for 12 years. She loves snowboarding, hiking, mountain biking and scuba diving, and the regions she knows best are Asia, America and Africa. Europe-wise she knows Germany and France very well. In normal times she does two or three trips a month. Follow her on Twitter @tamarahinson
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From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Japan