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 entrée 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 ‘til 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 honoured
and built upon by the city’s finest chefs.
Besides their legendary appetites,
Osakans have long had a
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 of 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 Aqualiner 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 Dotonbori you’ll find the best!
Named after its neighbouring canal,
Dotonbori 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 BBQ
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 Mido-suji 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 Amerika Mura,
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 collectables of Den Den Town.
But for the ultimate in retro eye-candy,
take the ten-minute walk
south to the bright lights of Shin-sekai.
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 ten-minute walk from Shitenno-ji,
take in mirror-like serenity of Keitakuen 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 kinds of parks are amusement parks,
and at Universal Studios
Japan, they’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 favourite 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!
