Popular Tourist Attractions in Osaka

Osaka will host Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (also known as Expo 2025 for short), and it is the largest city in west Japan with many tourist attractions that are popular among people visiting the country from overseas. Let’s take a look at some must-see tourist attractions in Osaka, as well as tidbits that will help you enjoy Osaka’s unique and rich appeal.

About Osaka

Osaka is a central city in west Japan, with a population of over 8.7 million people. The city center has many high-rise buildings and shopping centers. There is also a highly developed transportation network in the area covering land and sea, in addition to an international airport. Osaka is well known as an international city with the third largest population in Japan following the capital, Tokyo, and Kanagawa. At the same time, this city preserves its history of being the bustling center of Japan’s politics, economy, and culture since ancient times. Burial tombs, Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, and other historical architecture and scenery can still be seen in the city today. For example, the city is home to the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group, a designated World Heritage Site consisting of burial tombs built for ancient Japanese kings in the 4th and 5th centuries. Prince Shotoku was a prominent man in the political world of Japan in the Asuka period (592–710), and he served as the regent for Empress Suiko. He built the Shitennoji Temple in this area in the year 593, as the first officially administered Buddhist temple in Japan. The temple’s five-story pagoda, corridors, and other features are popular among tourists visiting Japan from overseas. Osaka Castle stands tall against the blue sky and is well loved by many people as a symbol of Osaka. The famous general Toyotomi Hideyoshi originally started building this castle in 1583.

Osaka has been known as “Japan’s kitchen” since around the 17th century, and it has served as the center for trade with many specialties coming together in one place from all over Japan. As a result, many kinds of food culture have developed in the city. Osaka is well known as one of the historical capitals in Japan alongside Kyoto. In general, people from Kyoto characteristically have a special attachment and spend money on clothing, while people from Osaka focus on cuisine.

Enjoying Osaka’s Food

Since ancient times, Osaka has been known as the capital for kuidaore (a word that means spending all one’s money by eating and drinking extravagantly), and it captivates many tourists visiting Japan from abroad who seek to enjoy Japanese food. In addition to a variety of traditional Japanese foods using seasonal ingredients, Osaka is well known for its konamon. This is a general term for takoyaki (wheat flour batter mixed with octopus cooked on a griddle with dome-shaped indentations), okonomiyaki (wheat flour batter cooked on a griddle with different toppings), and other dishes made with wheat flour. These dishes are an essential part of Osaka cuisine.
In Osaka, you can also enjoy the rich and deep flavor of dashi broth made with seaweed or dried bonito flakes. Dashi is used in udon noodles, boiled food, and other dishes. A blowfish hotpot called tecchiri is particularly famous as a type of food from Osaka, and there are many restaurants that specialize solely in this dish.

Kuromon Market

Osaka has many retro shopping streets, and you can commonly see people smiling as they interact with one other and go shopping. The Kuromon Market has endured for over 200 years, and is one of Osaka’s most iconic shopping districts. This long arcade features many carefully selected fresh ingredients such as fish, fruits, and vegetables. You can eat seafood and other dishes cooked by each store on the spot, or take the food with you as you walk along the street. These characteristics have helped the market gain popularity.

Enjoying Osaka’s Culture

Let’s look at some popular attractions among overseas tourists that let you experience and gain a deeper understanding of Osaka’s culture.

Osaka Museum of Housing and Living

One museum in Osaka is dedicated to people’s homes and lifestyles. This museum features fun exhibits and events that help you learn about the lives and culture of people in Osaka from the Edo period (1603–1868) all the way up to modern times. One floor in the museum replicates a neighborhood from the 1830s, and is particularly popular as it makes you feel like you have traveled back in time to an old version of Japan. The museum lets visitors try on kimono and it also holds hands-on workshops related to Japanese culture, letting you experience the country’s traditional customs. What’s more, the museum provides leaflets for overseas tourists and offers multilingual descriptions that you can access through QR codes.

National Bunraku Theatre

The National Bunraku Theatre lets you enjoy an iconic traditional Japanese performing art called bunraku (also known as ningyo-joruri) that was born in Osaka in the 17th century. It also features exhibits with rare materials and items related to bunraku that you can look at free of charge. Bunraku is a style of puppet theater that has been designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property in Japan. Each puppet is large, requiring three people to manipulate it, and the puppets can express human emotions in a delicate way, making this a rare type of performing art that is unlike anything else in the world. In bunraku performances, one person called the tayu speaks for the characters and gives narration, while another person plays a string instrument called the shamisen to help the story progress. Together, these performers deeply move the audience. You can also watch other kinds of traditional Japanese performing arts at this theater, besides bunraku.

Sightseeing in Osaka has limitless appeal, but many people will agree that one attractive aspect unique to Osaka is the friendly personality of people from the city—they love to laugh and they stay close to one other. If you get the chance, why not go to see the lively city of Osaka in Japan and enjoy a special trip with many smiling faces?