Osaka
Kyoto’s rebellious neighbour
After Tokyo and Yokohama, Osaka is the third largest city in Japan, with 2.66 million inhabitants. Located just a short distance from popular Kyoto, the economic capital of Kansai is often neglected by tourists.
As Honshu’s transport hub and a hotspot for travel all over Japan, it has an extremely dense and well-developed transport network (at the western end of the famous Tokaido road), especially its airport, its Shinkansen 🚅 station and its subway 🚇.
However, Osaka seems to attract more visitors who are just passing through and don’t necessarily bother to seek out its attractions, of which there are many. Few know, for example, that it is home to the first Buddhist temple built in Japan by order of the emperor.
By scratching the surface of its reputation as "Western Japan”, or even for being "dirty", you will discover a host of hidden wonders in Osaka, which we are going to try to help you discover and appreciate.
Think about setting aside a few days in your itinerary to discover the charms of the beautiful city, which is too often overshadowed. And take the opportunity to meet its residents, who are definitely different to the rest of the Japanese!