No matter what time of the year one decides to travel to the quirky city of Osaka, they must be warned of the visually stunning trip that lays ahead of them. Spring brings with it a tidal wave of beautiful cherry blossoms that cover the city in a gorgeous light pink. On the other hand, summer is filled with incredibly entertaining traditional festivals and outdoor amusements. The most widely celebrated being the sensational Tenjin Matsuri, an outdoor festival involving a lot of dancing, rituals and a procession of shrines, not to mention a dazzling fireworks display to top it all off. As the humidity of summer wears off, a sea of distinct glowing red leaves appears making for a fascinating setting for outdoor adventure. With Autumn also comes the beloved Danjiri Matsuri, a float-pulling festival brimming with delicately carved wooden floats that resemble ornate shrines and temples that are pulled throughout town as eager onlookers cheer. Finally, with winter settling in, an occasional snowfall can be expected as the end of year festivities illuminate the city in holiday cheer. The highly anticipated Osaka International Women’s Marathon also generates a buzz of excitement in the chilly season.
Alongside Osaka’s highly eventful calendar, it’s jaw-dropping architecture and fascinating historical sites also help to showcase the city’s rich and vibrant culture. For all the history buffs out there who love delving into wonderful narratives of the past on their travels, Osaka is absolutely guaranteed to scratch that itch. Despite being the second smallest prefecture in Japan, the Osaka prefecture has the second most temples in all of Japan. Boasting approximately 3,395 temples there is certainly no shortage of captivating sites to visit. Despite its small size, it was the mighty Ishiyama Honganji Temple built in 1496 that attracted a growing population. As more relocated to the influential city which resulted in the construction of many more temples. For those staying in the city limits, a day trip to one of the numerous ‘temple towns’ such as Tenma, Kaizuka, Yao and more, can prove to be an enchanting escape. The city is also home to many archeological ruins, ancient burial mounds and some of the most historical and retro buildings in Japan that thankfully survived World War II. Tourists can even visit the graves of notable figures such as Prince Shōtoku, who is said to be the founder of Japanese Buddhism. As the origin story dictates, the distinguished Prince was often referred to as the Prince of Eight Ears (Yatsumimi no Miko) due to his unique ability to listen to eight people at one time and understand each. This insane density of remarkable buildings and intriguing historical sites makes for the perfect backdrop for all the lively traditional events and festivals being held here every year. The city even houses the remains of Japan’s very first full-scale palace, Naniwa-no-Miya Palace. Excavations by Osaka City University in 1961 helped bring this 7th-century palace that once served as Japan’s capital somewhat back to the city. The park is one of Osaka’s best kept secrets as it’s lush greenery is never too crowded. This is thanks to the iconic Osaka Castle park only being a mere stone’s throw away.
Osaka Castle, or rather Osaka Jo, is not only by far the most famous building within the city, it certainly one of Japan’s most famous landmarks. The castle is responsible for a large majority of the city’s domestic and international tourism. Originally built in 1583 by order of Japanese samurai and Daimyo (feudal lord) Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the castle has been reconstructed twice since opening. The original castle buildings were burned to the ground as the Toyotomo clan perished to the ruthless Tokugawa clan during the Natsuno Jin battle in 1615. Reconstruction for a Tokugawa Castle began in 1620with a new elevated main tower and new samurai-built wars that still stand to this day made of granite boulders. As luck would have it, the castle was yet to be subjected to an unfortunate series of further damages including another fire this time started by a lightning strike at the gunpowder warehouse, further fires caused by civil conflicts surrounding the Meiji Restoration and American bombing raids that destroyed the reconstructed main castle tower. The castle is now a reproduction of the original and the interior has been designed and intended as a modern museum.
Another almost equally beloved Osaka attraction that never goes unnoticed by visitors has to be Dontonbori. The very popular strip runs parallel to the Dotonbori Canal and is recognised for its glowing neon lights that sparkle in the canal's reflections, flamboyant signage that engulfs building walls as well as an unmatched dynamic variety of exciting places to eat and drink. This captivating entertainment district certainly has an amusement park feel to it with a huge octopus, pufferfish, a clown and crab all competing for your attention, there’s even a one-of-a-kind oval ferris wheel. Despite this, the most recognisable image to come from Dontonbori has to be the Glico running man. Another one of Osaka’s most well known landmarks, this huge LED billboard dates back to 1935 and advertises one of Asia’s largest confectionery companies. Regardless of all these entertainment attractions, the area best highlights Osaka’s notorious obsession with food with widely-adored restaurants such as Zubora-ya, a pufferfish speciality restaurant and Hariju, a prime Japanese beef establishment that has been up and running since 1948.
Osaka is nothing short of a gastronomic utopia armed and ready to blow the socks off foodies from all over the globe. To be perfectly honest, no matter where you may place yourself on the gourmand scale, the city is bound to impress you with their delectable cuisines. Osaka is often referred to as the “nation’s kitchen” as a testament to its long held reputation. The culinary capital used to be the center for rice trade in the Edo period during the 17th and 18th centuries. Thus locals have high expectations towards their local restaurants and street food vendors. Whilst Kyoto is known for saying “kida ore”, meaning to ‘dress to death’, Osaka is famous for the phrase “kuida ore”, which is most often interpreted to mean ‘eat to death’ however the expression is primarily understood to mean to spend so much money on food that you fall into bankruptcy. This hilarious expression is reflective of Osaka’s deep love of food, Dotonbori even houses a clown mascot named “Kuidaore Taro” within a popular confectionary store. For those looking for some of the best neighbourhoods to indulge in some of the city’s cherished culinary delights other than Dotonbori, check out the bar-hopping area Ura Namba and Tenma, characterised by hordes of keen diners looking for an affordable yet delectable meal. Osaka specialities include the classic street snack Takoyaki or “octopus balls”, the thick savory pancakes often made right in front of customers known as Okonomiyaki or sweet Taiko Manju, small fried cakes filled with a sweet red bean paste. Gifting Owl offers some truly unforgettable Osaka dining experiences in our ‘Authentic Culinary’ category. These will have guests meeting friendly and passionate hosts ready to introduce them to the marvelous world of Japanese home cooking.
The people of Osaka love to welcome guests with open arms and are known across Japan for their humour and very friendly nature. This outgoing nature of Osakans is often associated with the strong comedy culture the city bears. Many of Japan’s most famous comedians often hail from Osaka and thus telling an Osakan that they are funny is the best compliment you could give to them! So no matter just how lost you may be in Osaka, the locals are always willing to lend a helping hand and maybe a joke or two!
Osaka is also fantastic for everything shopping and entertainment, with the two often mixed into one. Some say that Osaka is one of the greatest shopping cities in all of Asia and other fans even go as far to say one of the best in the world. Many domestic travellers will journey to the dazzling city simply for a day of unparalleled shopping. The city is a shopaholic’s paradise and even boasts the longest shopping street in all of Japan. The Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai is a 2.6km stretch that houses more than 600 permanent stores, boutiques and restaurants. Wherever you may happen to find yourself in Osaka, you can be rest assured that there will be a diverse shopping district only a stone's throw away. The crème de la crème would have to be the Kita, Tennoji and Minami. For those travelling to Osaka with kids, the city is loaded with amusement parks and attractions perfect for a fun day out. These include the huge Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, the Legoland Discovery Center, the Tennoji Zoo and of course, Universal Studios Japan, made even more immersive with the recent additions of Harry Potter World and Super Nintendo world.
Osaka is one of Japan’s favourite tourist destinations and for good reason. The combination of incredible food, delightful locals, ornate historic architecture and a rich culture makes for an intoxicating concoction. If you happen to know someone travelling to the marvelous city in the not too distant future, consider giving them a Gifting Owl voucher for an unforgettable Osaka experience.
