Agoda: Top 10 Things to do in Osaka

Three million residents make up Osaka, Japan’s third largest city and definitely one of its most colorful. Visitors are treated to a bustling landscape of action, bright flashing lights, and surprises around most corners. Famous as an electronics center, Osaka also blends in traditional sites and values, making it one of the country’s more pleasing metropolises to visit. Here are a few spots you’ll want to be sure to include on your trip (in alphabetical order):

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Osaka’s Food Scene

There are plenty of places in Japan where one can go to sample fine food, but there are few that have the culinary reputation that Osaka does. Indeed, the city and its inhabitants have embraced something called kui-dao-re (食い倒れ), which in Japanese means “eat until you die.” Osakans take eating seriously, and this is reflected in the many (many) great places to dine. There’s no room for amateur experimentation here – if a restaurant doesn’t meet the high standards of the food-happy locals, it’s time to close down. When you consider that Osaka has 99 restaurants that make the Michelin guide (4 of them rated 3-stars),  and is home to the Tsuji Culinary Institute, widely considered Japan’s finest, it’s clear that Osaka’s eating culture is very much worth checking out.

Like most big cities, you’ll find the highest concentration of restaurants near to the busiest shopping and nightlife districts. This includes exclusive reservation-only establishments with outrageous prices to local hole-in-the-wall eateries with no frills and no guidebook write-ups. No matter which one you choose, you’re bound to have a good meal.

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Japan: Insider Guide to Osaka

One of Japan's oldest cities and its first capital, Osaka is a class act in a scenic setting. Flanked on three sides by mountains, the city at the heart of the Kansai region opens onto Osaka Bay in the west and is laced with a network of rivers. Hence its nickname, the 'city of water'.

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