🐙 Sights & Street Food in Osaka, Japan

Places of Interest in Osaka

Dotonbori

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This is one of the main tourist destinations in Osaka. It runs along the Dotonbori canal from Dotonboribashi to Nipponbashi in the exciting Namba district. It’s home to the well-known Glico man sign, amongst other flashy signage. Head here for tasty food and soak up Osaka’s lively energy.

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Dotonbori Glico Sign

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The perfect photo opt spot!

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Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street

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Shinsaibashi is a lively and hip area in the Namba district. It’s the largest shopping area in Osaka and is filled with cool shops and cafes. It’s pretty eclectic and is a fun place to walk around.

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America-mura

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A notable area within Shinsaibashi. American-mura Village has amazing street art, vintage stores, and random assortment of goods primarily from America.

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Osaka Castle

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Osaka-jo is spectacular and quite stunning. The gold details and beautiful, ornate designs add to its beauty. Seeing it in the spring was also nice because some of the cherry blossom trees were in bloom. If you pay for admission, you can enter the castle and go to the viewing deck. There, you can see an incredible view of the city. Otherwise, you can enjoy the castle and castle park for free.

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Cup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda

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After the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum, the Instant Ramen Museum is my second favorite. I love how interactive the museum exhibits are, and the story behind instant noodles is quite interesting. Learn about the history and make your own CUPNOODLES for less than $4 USD. It’s best to go earlier in the day when the line isn’t as long. Of course, weekdays are preferable over weekends.

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Asahi Beer Museum

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Asahi Breweries was founded in Osaka, and there’s no better place to learn about Asahi beer than at one of the brewery factories. At the Suita brewery, you can take a tour that ends with a tasting. I enjoyed the tour and learned some unique facts about Asahi! Suita is about 30 minutes of the city center. There are a couple train stations nearby, but it is better accessed with a car or by taxi. More information for reservations can be found on their website.

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Pokémon Center Osaka

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The Osaka Pokemon Center is located in Daimaru Mall near Osaka Station. Osaka Station has tons of ins and outs, as well as multiple malls and shopping centers surrounding it. Being in a major city, Osaka Station is bustling with business people, city people, and tourists. It’s a little confusing to navigate, but the people at the information desks are very helpful and can direct you to the Pokemon Center.

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Tsūtenkaku

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Shinsekai is an old neighborhood located next to the downtown area. It’s remained largely untouched over the years and is quite nostalgic. At the district’s center stands Tsutenkaku Tower, the symbol of Shinsekai. The area is nice to walk around and explore, but be sure to try kushikatsu while you’re here.

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Namba Yasaka Jinja

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This lion shrine is one of the notable shrines to visit in Osaka. It hides within the alleyways of Namba district, but can be found on most maps. During the Meiji Restoration the shrine shrank in size. Then in the midst of WWII, it was damaged and rebuilt. Today, the lion spans over 12 meters high and 11 meters wide and features a meditation place in its mouth area.

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Tsuruhashi

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Tsuruhashi is Osaka’s Koreatown, which is filled with some of the best Korean food and shops in Japan. Walk around the fresh market area to sample kimchi and other Korean specialities, as well as buy food products. The newer outer market area is where you can do some shopping.

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Universal Studios Japan

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Japan Travel Tip: If you’re traveling in Japan, you can usually rely on the day lockers in the train stations. They typically range from 300-700 JPY for an entire day. A great option for travelers who need to store their belongings!

Food & Drink in Osaka

Okonomiyaki

This savory Japanese pancake is just that: a batter-based food with various mix-ins and topped with sweet-tangy brown sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, bonito flakes, and parsley flakes. It’s probably Osaka’s most famous dish, and one of its most popular. At many okonomiyaki spots, they also serve up a variety of teppanyaki dishes: foods made on large, flat grill tops.

Okonomiyaki Okaru

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Houzenji Sanpei

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Okonomiyaki Kiji

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Takoyaki

Takoyaki is another Osaka original dish. These piping hot balls consist of octopus (“tako”) stuffed inside gooey and savory batter. They are commonly topped with a sweet and tangy brown sauce, mayonnaise, and bonito flakes. You can find it throughout the city and Japan as a whole. Though, it is much more wallet-friendly in Osaka compared to other parts of Japan.

Takoyaki Kukuru Dotonbori

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Takoyaki Wanaka Namba

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Takoyaki Juhachiban Dotonbori

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Kushikatsu

Kushikatsu, also known as kushiage, are deep-fried skewers of meat, vegetables, eggs, and other tasty foods. In Japanese, "kushi" refers to the skewers while "katsu" means a deep-fried cutlet of meat. This is Osakan working-class food that originates from Shinsekai in Osaka. (No double-dipping in the sauce is allowed!)

Kushikatsu Daruma - Shinsekai Main Shop

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Shichifukujin Higashishinsaibashi

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Kushikatsu Ittoku Namba-Sennichi-mae

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Other Places to Try in Osaka

Osaka is the place in Japan to try street food. It’s best to share orders of street food and eat as you go. In most places in Japan, it is viewed as rude to eat and walk. Many people will either move to the side to stop and eat or simply sit down at the small benches provided near the food stalls to enjoy their food. However, there are plenty of sit-down options, too.

KFC Lala Port Expocity

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This all-you-can-eat buffet is way better than any KFC I’ve eaten in America. There are no reservations, so it’s first-come, first-served. The check-in process is entirely in Japanese, but Google Translate worked perfectly to complete the simple process. There are a few KFC Buffet locations in Osaka, but the one I went to is located in the Lalaport Expocity mall in Suita, Osaka.

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MARCA BREWING

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Marca is a small, hole-in-the-wall brewery located on the outskirts of the Shinsaibashi area. It’s dimly lit with brewing equipment behind a glass door in the back area of the shop. Room for about 10-15 people to post up at the bar, it’s small and intimate. The seasonal Yuzu Pale Ale was light and refreshing with a subtle citrus hint—great beer and atmosphere.

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Curry Yakumido

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Rikuro’s Namba Main Branch

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Make sure to try some of the famous jiggly cheesecake from Rikuro Ojisan no Mise. It’s fluffy, light, and of course jiggly. There are locations sprinkled throughout the city.

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Osaka Accommodation

The best areas for visitors to stay in Osaka are Kita, Minami, Honmachi, and the Shin-Osaka. The Tennoji and the Osaka Castle neighborhoods are also popular locations for tourists. It is advisable to stay in walking distance of a subway station to make traveling around Osaka more feasible. Below are two hostels and a hotel to start your accommodation search.

The Pax Hostel

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The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi

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The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Osaka-Midosuji

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