Dotonbori Canal District
Osaka's neon-drenched entertainment heart โ a canal lined with giant illuminated signs, takoyaki stalls, crab restaurants, and the iconic Glico Running Man billboard. Unmissable at night.
Osaka Castle
Osaka's defining landmark โ a magnificent reconstructed castle keep ringed by stone walls and moats, surrounded by a vast park that becomes one of Japan's top cherry blossom spots each spring.
Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine
One of Japan's oldest and most architecturally significant Shinto shrines, predating Chinese influence โ the unique sumiyoshi-zukuri style buildings and famous arched stone bridge are over 1,800 years old.
Shinsekai Retro District
A wonderfully atmospheric old neighbourhood built in the 1910s to resemble Paris and New York โ now home to kushikatsu restaurants, old-school pachinko parlours, and the Tsutenkaku Tower.
Umeda Sky Building
Two towers connected by a dramatic floating garden observatory 170 m above the city โ one of Japan's most distinctive pieces of modern architecture with sweeping 360ยฐ views of the Osaka skyline.