Osaka.
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Overview

Ōsaka (大阪) is the beating heart of Japan's Kansai region and the largest of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto trio of cities, with a population of over 17 million people in the greater metropolitan area.

Districts

"Osaka" can mean either the larger Osaka prefecture (大阪府 Ōsaka-fu), covered in a separate guide, or central Osaka city (大阪市 Ōsaka-shi), the topic of this article. The city is administratively divided into 24 wards (区 ku), but in common usage the following divisions are more useful.

Understand

If Tokyo is Japan's capital, one might call Osaka its anti-capital. Ask a local, and they'll proudly tell you that while Tokyoites are reserved, polite and boring, Osakans are warm, friendly and colorful, in speech, clothing and spirit. The Osakan rallying cry is kuidaore (食い倒れ), bringing yourself to ruin through extravagance in food, drink and more – a far cry from the austere Zen discipline often associated with Japan.

Osaka dates back to the Asuka and Nara period. Under the name Naniwa (難波), it was the capital of Japan from 683 to 745, long before the upstarts at Kyoto took over. Even after the capital was moved elsewhere, Osaka continued to play an important role as a hub for land, sea and river-canal transportation. (See "808 Bridges" infobox.)

Hirano, located southeast of present-day Osaka city center, was a "free city" during the Sengoku period, with numerous shrines, temples, and roads converging there. It formed an alliance with Sakai, another free city, to resist the power of the daimyo. During the Edo period, merchants from Hirano played a major role in the construction of Osaka. Afterwards, it prospered as a "cotton city," and like Osaka, its townspeople built a lavish culture.

During the Tokugawa era, while Edo (now Tokyo) served as the austere seat of military power and Kyoto was the home of the Imperial court and its effete courtiers, Osaka served as "the Nation's Kitchen" (天下の台所 tenka-no-daidokoro), the collection and distribution point for rice, the most important measure of wealth. Hence it was also the city where merchants made and lost fortunes and cheerfully ignored repeated warnings from the shogunate to reduce their conspicuous consumption.

During Meiji era, Osaka's fearless entrepreneurs took the lead in industrial development, making it the equivalent of Manchester in the U.K. A thorough drubbing in World War II left little evidence of this glorious past – even the castle is a ferroconcrete reconstruction – but to this day, while unappealing and gruff on the surface, Osaka remains Japan's best place to eat, drink and party, and in legend (if not in practice) Osakans still greet each other with mōkarimakka?, "are you making money?"

Orientation Think of Osaka as a magnet, with businessy, posh, uptown Umeda (梅田) as the north pole (Kita) and the proletarian shop-eat-drink downtown of Namba (なんば) at the south end (Minami). The tree-lined Midōsuji (御堂筋) boulevard, fancifully called Osaka's Champs-Elysees, connects the two and so does the subway line of the same name. Draw a circle around the two—the JR Osaka Loop Line—and that's Osaka in a nutshell.

Tourist information Osaka Info is the official multilingual guide site, jointly run by the city and the prefecture.

Get in

Kansai International Airport is the main international gateway to Osaka (Metropolitan area airport codes: ).

Also, Kobe Airport is nearby and easily reachable by boat from Kansai Airport.

Getting there and away: By monorail – The Osaka Monorail serves the airport, but it doesn't connect to the city center at all, instead tracing an arc around the northern suburbs. For destinations on the Midosuji subway line, including Shin-Osaka for Shinkansen services, transfer at Senri-Chuo.

By train Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen (新幹線) trains arrive at Shin-Osaka station, to the north of the city center. From Shin-Osaka, you can connect to the city center by using the Midosuji subway line, or connect to the local JR network for other destinations. If you are on a JR Pass, Osaka Station in the city centre is connected to Shin-Osaka via the JR Kyoto Line.

With the Japan Rail Pass, Hikari or Kodama services can be used without any extra charge, while Nozomi services require a supplement. Japan Rail Pass holders can use the Sakura (さくら) or Hikari service, which runs at a comparable speed to the Nozomi and makes a few more stops, or pay a supplement for the Mizuho (みずほ) . Slower Kodama trains connect the rest of the stations on the route. Mizuho trains are slightly faster and slightly more expensive.

If travelling from the east without a rail pass, you can take advantage of the Puratto (Platt) Kodama Ticket (now in Japanese only), which offers a discount for Kodama services if you purchase at least one day in advance. You get a reserved seat and a coupon for a free drink (including beer) which can be redeemed at a "Kiosk" convenience counter inside the station. There is only one Kodama service per hour from Tokyo, and a few early-morning Kodama trains cannot be used with this ticket.

During travel periods when the Seishun 18 Ticket is valid, you can go from Tokyo to Osaka during the day in about nine hours using all-local trains.

Those travelling from the Hokuriku region can use Thunderbird (サンダーバード) limited express trains from Tsuruga, the present terminal of the Hokuriku Shinkansen. If you are coming from Kanazawa, you will need to take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga and transfer to the Thunderbird.

There are many regional railway lines connecting Osaka to nearby cities:

From Kyoto, JR offers fast, but slightly more expensive, shin-kaisoku (special rapid) trains to Osaka Station. The cheaper but slower alternative is the Hankyu Railway's limited express service. Both lines terminate in the Umeda area of Osaka. Keihan Railway offers Kyoto-Osaka trains. The Yodoyabashi terminal in Osaka does not connect directly with JR, but it is possible to transfer to the JR Osaka Loop Line at Kyobashi. In Kyoto, Keihan and Hankyu trains do not connect with JR Kyoto Station but both travel to stations which are more convenient for reaching the centre of the city. 30–45 minutes. From Kobe, JR again offers slightly faster and slightly more expensive service than Hankyu. All three lines go to Osaka/Umeda. about 20 minutes. From Nara, JR offers trains to Tennōji and Osaka Stations, and Kintetsu offers trains to Namba. Kintetsu station in Nara is closer to Tōdaiji and Nara Park. From Nagoya, an alternative to the Shinkansen is Kintetsu's premium limited express service, the Urban Liner (アーバンライナー) which goes directly to Namba.

Stations with the same name but belonging to different railway companies are sometimes in different locations. For example, the Nakatsu stations on the Hankyu and subway networks are about a 10-minute walk from each other. Allow up to half an hour for walking between the various Umeda stations and about the same for the various Namba stations, especially if you are a first time visitor.

In Kobe the Sannomiya stations belonging to JR and Hankyu are connected but Hanshin Sannomiya is across a street.

Hokuriku Arch Pass The Hokuriku Arch Pass allows unlimited travel between Tokyo and the Kansai area via the Hokuriku region, using the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa and the Thunderbird from Kanazawa to Kyoto and Osaka. On the other hand, a trip from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka is over twice as long via Kanazawa (5 hr 15 min) compared to the more popular Tokaido Shinkansen (2 hr 30 min).

Overnight travel Overnight trains used to be one of the prides of the national railway network, but aging rail equipment combined with competition between buses and the shinkansen has resulted in the elimination of almost all services to/from Osaka.

Only one daily train remains: The Sunrise Izumo/Sunrise Seto, which passes through Osaka en route to the Chugoku and Shikoku regions. Unfortunately, it may only be useful as a means to travel to and from Tokyo. The daily eastbound service picks up passengers in Osaka at 00:34, arriving in Yokohama at 06:44 and Tokyo at 07:08. The daily westbound service from Tokyo (22:00) and Yokohama (22:23), on the other hand, don't stop in Osaka at all - the first morning stop is in Himeji at 05:25. From Himeji, you will have to backtrack to Osaka on a commuter service or the shinkansen on a separate ticket.

If you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can book a carpeted floor space on the above service at no charge. Otherwise you can travel in a compartment or room by paying the applicable room fee and surcharges. From Himeji you'll be able to backtrack to Osaka in a commuter train, or in a non-reserved seat on the first Kodama shinkansen service of the day, simply by showing your pass.

Failing this, overnight travel can be done with a stopover in another city along the way, which is easy to do with a Japan Rail Pass or a basic long-distance ticket that is valid over a period of several days.

Buses in Osaka drop off and pick up at one or more different locations spread throughout the city, so be sure to check the details before booking a trip. Some of the main stops where buses congregate include the JR Highway Bus Terminal in Osaka Station for JR buses, the Willer Bus Terminal at the Umeda Sky Building, and the Osaka City Air Terminal (OCAT) at Namba Station. Some also serve Shin-Osaka Station for the bullet trains, and Universal Studios Japan.

From Tokyo The run between Tokyo and the Kansai region is the busiest in Japan. Buses use the Tomei or Chuo Expressway from Tokyo to Nagoya, then the Meishin Expressway to Osaka. Trips take between 8 and 9 hours depending on the route and stops.

Fierce competition between operators has led to buses offering better amenities and lower prices. Part of this strategy is the adoption of dynamic pricing on many bus routes.

Two of the major bus operators between Tokyo and Osaka are Willer Express and JR Bus. Tickets for all carriers can generally be purchased at major departure points, and can also be purchased (with some Japanese language help) at kiosks inside convenience stores.

Willer Express runs daytime and overnight trips with a variety of seating options ranging from standard seats to luxurious shell seats. Bus journeys can be booked online in English, and Willer's Japan Bus Pass is valid on all of their routes with some exceptions. Willer's buses in Tokyo leave from the Shinjuku Highway Bus Terminal (Busta Shinjuku), above the JR tracks at Shinjuku Station, which is served by many of Japan's highway bus operators. Willer also sells tickets for other bus operators on their website, but these trips are not valid with Willer's Japan Bus Pass.

JR Bus reservations can be made in English through their Kousoku Bus Net web site. You can also make reservations in train stations at the same "Midori-no-Madoguchi" ticket windows used to reserve seats on trains. Buses depart from Tokyo Station - Yaesu Exit (八重洲口) and from Busta Shinjuku.

The bus carries only 11 passengers, each assigned to a reclining seat in individual cabins with sliding privacy doors. In Osaka, the bus stops at both OCAT in Namba and Osaka Station (in front of ALBi Osaka). In Tokyo, it stops at Ikebukuro Station West Exit and Shinjuku Station West Exit (not at Busta Shinjuku).

From Yamaguchi Prefecture Bocho bus offers a nighttime bus from the cities of Hagi, Yamaguchi, Hofu, Tokuyama, and Iwakuni to Kobe and Osaka. The bus departs Hagi Bus Center at 19:55 nightly, and arrives at Osaka station at 07:15 daily. The bus makes a return trip from Osaka station at 22:05 nightly, and arrives at Hagi bus center at 09:25 daily. It is a good deal if you have time to spare.

From elsewhere There are a variety of nightbus options from Yamagata, Sendai, Koriyama, Fukushima, Maebashi, Mito, Iwaki, Ashikaga, Saitama (Omiya), Tokyo, Kawasaki, Yokohama, Kofu, Karuizawa, Yamanouchi (Yamanaka), Niigata, Shizuoka, Mishima, Kurashiki, Hiroshima, Kurayoshi, Yonago, Izumo, Tsuwano, Imabari, Matsuyama, Kochi, Sukumo, Susaki, Fukuoka, Kurume, Oita, Kumamoto, Miyazaki (Miyako City), and Kagoshima.

Same-day arrivals depart from Tokyo, Kawasaki, Kofu, Nagano, Matsumoto, Minowa, Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui, Obama, Hamamatsu, Nagoya, Takayama, Yokkaichi, Maizuru, Fukuchiyama, Kyoto, Shirahama (Adventure World), Shinonsen, Kinosaki Onsen, Arima Onsen, Okayama, Kurashiki, Tsuyama, Maniwa, Niimi, Shobara, Miyoshi, Hiroshima, Tottori, Kurayoshi, Yonago, Izumo, Tokushima, Naruto, Takamatsu, Marugame, Imabari, Matsuyama, Kochi, Muroto, and Susaki.

Osaka International Ferry Terminal is in Nankō (南港) in the Osaka Bay Area. There are no banks, post office, shops, or restaurants in the terminal. The nearest subway station is Cosmosquare Station (C11), which is about a 15-minute walk from the terminal. A free shuttle bus is available at the station. Taxis are also available at the station.

From JR Shin-Osaka Station (Shinkansen Line).

Osaka-Busan The PanStar Line operates a ferry between Osaka and Busan. The ferry leaves Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, at 15:10 from both Osaka and Busan and arrives the following day at 10:00. In Busan, the luggage check-in time is prior to the passenger check-in time: for the Busan-Osaka run, luggage check in is 12:40-14:00 and the passenger check in time is 14:15–14:45; for the Osaka-Busan run, luggage check in is 13:00-14:00 and the passenger check in time is 13:00-14:30.

Many different room options are available, including family rooms. Tickets can be purchased online, but much of the website content is only available in Japanese and Korean, and may be difficult to navigate for English speakers. Tickets are easily obtainable through agents specializing in Korean or Japanese travel. The ferry holds live musical performances, magic shows, and other entertainment on the run. Schedule varies.

You can take your car on the ferry, but there are documentation requirements. Room upgrades are available. Temporary insurance must be purchased at the port upon arrival in Osaka.

Get around

If you are planning to travel beyond city limits you might consider using the tickets from Surutto Kansai. For use in Osaka and other cities in the west of Japan, there are some other useful tickets.

ICOCA smart card. These rechargeable smart cards are available at vending machines at all transport hubs, and can be used on virtually all rail, subway and bus networks in Kansai area. If you're coming from Tokyo and already have a Suica or Pasmo card, they can be used in and around Osaka as is, so there's no need to buy an ICOCA. Similarly, an ICOCA card can be used interchangeably with Suica and Pasmo cards in Tokyo.

Unlimited Kintetsu Rail Pass. This pass is good for unlimited travel within the Kansai region for up to 5 consecutive days. The Kansai region covers Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Mie, and more.

The Osaka Metro is Japan's second-most extensive metro network after Tokyo, which makes the underground the natural way to get around. The Midosuji Line (colored red on the map) is Osaka's main artery, linking up the massive train stations and shopping complexes of Shin-Osaka, Umeda, Shinsaibashi, Namba and Tennoji.

The signage, ticketing and operation of the Osaka Metro are identical to its larger counterpart in Tokyo, and Tokyo's Pasmo/Suica smartcards are accepted as well. You can use the metro with a contactless payment card (credit, debit, prepaid) or a smartphone linked to an eligible card. Station arrivals are displayed and announced in Japanese and English. Keep your ticket when you enter the train — it is required when you exit.

When using escalators, stand to the right to allow people in a hurry to pass you on the left.

By train True to its name, the JR Osaka Loop Line (環状線 Kanjō-sen) runs in a loop around Osaka. It's not quite as convenient or heavily-used as Tokyo's Yamanote Line (JR Yamanote Line in Tokyo=Metro Midosuji Line in Osaka), but it stops in Umeda and Tennoji, and by Osaka Castle. Namba and Universal Studios Japan are connected to the Loop Line by short spurs.

By bicycle Many residents get around by bicycle, as the city is mostly flat and easily navigable by bike. Riding on the sidewalks is permitted and some sidewalks even have bike lanes marked. If nothing is marked, try to stay to the left where possible (but often you simply need to find the best path through the pedestrians).

Rental bikes are available, but if you are staying longer than a few weeks, purchasing a used bike can be a good deal. Finding a used bike can be a bit tricky, however, particularly if you don't speak Japanese. Craigslist and websites such as Gaijinpot.com have classified listings, and there are a few used bike shops around.

You are required to register your bicycle with the police. Bikes registered under a name other than the rider may be considered stolen, and bicycle theft is not uncommon. Bike shops can help with the simple registration process.

By car It is generally a bad idea to use an automobile to visit Osaka. Many streets do not have names, signs are usually only in Japanese, and parking fees are astronomical. In addition, an international driver's license is required.

Talk

Osaka has a distinctive dialect of Japanese, which is favoured by many comedians in Japanese popular culture. The Osaka dialect is traditionally associated with the merchant class and gangsters, and as such is regarded by many Japanese as rather rough-sounding compared to standard Japanese. While generally not a problem for advanced Japanese speakers, it may be difficult to understand if you have just started learning Japanese. All non-elderly locals are able to speak and understand standard Japanese though, so if you don't understand, politely ask them to repeat themselves in standard Japanese (hyōjungo 標準語) and they will usually oblige.

As with most other major Japanese cities, English is spoken in major tourist attractions and large international hotels, but is otherwise not widely spoken.

See

Osaka's best known sight is the Osaka Castle. While it is a reconstruction, it is pretty and has a nice castle park. The reconstruction is basically only skin deep. The interior is a generic late 20th century building, with some display cases containing artifacts related to the original structure. To learn more about the history of Osaka, you can head to the nearby Osaka Museum of History. Hirano Old CIty (平野旧市街) in Hirano is a well-saved historical city which was originally independent from Osaka. There are many temples and shrines in the city. Osaka Science Museum (大阪市立科学館) on Nakanoshima is an interactive activity center with planetarium and cinema. The Umeda Sky Building is a weirdly shaped building with an observation deck and an escalator suspended between two buildings mid-air. It is near the Osaka station. The Sumiyoshi Shrine is south of the city center. It is one of Japan's oldest Shinto shrines and has a very unusual architecture. It is also famous for a bridge arching over a pond. Japan Mint is in Osaka and is especially famous for the nearby cherry blossom tunnel road, a prime spot to see the annual cherry blossom.

The Tsūtenkaku landmark tower in the Shinsekai area with an observation platform at 91 meters. The Shitennōji temple is near the Tennōji station. It is regarded as maybe the first Buddhist temple in Japan dating back to the 6th century. The building of today's temple however, are a reconstruction. In Ryokuchi Park is the Open Air Museum of Old Farmhouses, a collection of Edo period farmhouses. This gives a good insight in the lives of the common people during this period. It is north of the city center. The Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum in Namba is dedicated to ukiyoe, Japanese woodblock prints. Tobita Shinchi in the South is Japan's largest red-light district that can easily compete with Amsterdam's one. It is well worth a visit, even though not everyone's taste.

Do

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is one of the world's largest aquariums, with 11,000 tons of water and plenty of sharks (including a whale shark), dolphins, otters, seals, and other sea creatures. Nearby are the Tenpozan Ferris Wheel, the Suntory Museum, a mall, and the ferry to Universal Studios across the water. Sumo Spring Grand Tournament of Japan's national sport, sumo wrestling, is usually held mid-March at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium.

Universal Studios Japan in the Osaka/Bay Area is Japan's second-largest theme park. Spa World in Tennoji offers gender-separated European and Asian-themed spas and saunas, and a pool for the family with slides and fun. Outdoor onsen, bar, gym, massages and body scrubs. National Bunraku Theater, near the Osaka Castle, is one of the last places in the world where bunraku, a form of intricate puppet theater from the Edo period, can be seen live. The large puppets, which require three operators each, are accompanied by traditional music and narration, and act out great Japanese plays of the 1600s and 1700s. Osaka Shiki Musical Theater in Kita, is the home of the Shiki Theatre Company, proposing plays and musicals. Kita ward is also the place to head to see jazz at Billboard Live Osaka or pop shows at Zepp Namda. The festival hall in Nakanoshima, near Umeda, and the symphony hall in Umeda host modern and classical recitals, while Umeda Koma in Umeda, and Shin-Kabukiza in Uehommachi host Enka performances. For more independent or underground music, try Banana Hall in Umeda or Big Cat in Amerika-mura. ROR Comedy is an English-language stand-up comedy playhouse in Minami. Touring the Ecomuseum of Hirano, called Hirano Machigurumi Museum (平野町ぐるみ博物館) is a good way to feel city history and ninjo (人情) of Hirano Old City.

Learn

Osaka is home to Osaka University (大阪大学), also known by the shortened form 阪大 (Handai), one of the elite National Seven Universities in Japan.

Work

The occupation of most resident Americans, Europeans and Australians is teaching English (as is the case in most of Japan). There are also many international students and staff at various universities in Osaka. The economy in the Osaka region has been relatively stagnant compared to Tokyo's: although there are jobs in law, finance, accounting, engineering and other professional fields in Osaka, demand for foreign professionals tends to be higher in Tokyo (as is pay). Osaka does have several educational publishers that employ foreign workers, but these jobs require fluent Japanese language ability. Temporary work in a variety of industries is available.

Buy

Osaka's most famous shopping district is Shinsaibashi (心斎橋), which offers a mix of huge department stores, high-end Western designer stores, and independent boutiques ranging from very cheap to very expensive. Within Shinsaibashi, the Amerika-mura (アメリカ村, often shortened to "Amemura") or "American Village" area is particularly popular among young people, and is often said to be the source of most youth fashion trends in Japan. Just west of Amerika-mura, Horie (堀江) is a shopping area with fashionable Japanese boutiques, centered around Tachibana-dori (which is often translated as Orange Street). The many shops in Umeda are also popular among trendy locals, particularly in the Hep Five and Hep Navio buildings adjacent to Hankyu Umeda Station, although these shops tend to be too expensive to captivate most tourists' interest. For example, the “E-ma” buildings next to Hanshin department store, and “Nu-Chayamachi” (Nu 茶屋町) near Hankyu Umeda station. For electronics, the Nipponbashi (日本橋) area southeast of Namba, and particularly the "Den-Den Town" shopping street, was once regarded as the Akihabara of western Japan; nowadays, more people would rather shop at the new, enormous Yodobashi Camera (ヨドバシカメラ) in Umeda or BicCamera (ビックカメラ) and LABI1 in Namba, although Nippombashi still offers good deals on many gadgets, PC components and used/new industrial electronics. For Japanese and foreign books, try Kinokuniya in Hankyu Umeda Station, or Junkudo south of Osaka Station. The Official Hanshin Tigers (baseball team) Shop is on the 8th floor of Hanshin Department Store at Umeda. Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street (天神橋筋商店街 Tenjinbashi-suji Shōtengai) is said to be the longest straight and covered shopping arcade in Japan at approx. 2.6 km length. The arcade is running north–south along Tenjinbashi-suji street, and is accessible from multiple subway and/or JR stations, e.g. Tenma, Minami-Morimachi, and Tenjinbashi-suji 6-chome. Nothing meant for sightseeing, the arcade is a live exhibition of Osaka's daily life, open since Edo period.

Eat

The widest selection of restaurants is in Osaka's main entertainment districts, with the highest concentration of all in the Umeda and Dotombori areas.

Even in a nation of obsessive gourmands Osaka is known as an excellent place to eat, exemplified by the Osakan maxim kuidaore, "eat yourself into ruin". The best place for trying out kuidaore is probably Dōtonbori (道頓堀) and neighboring Hōzenji-yokochō (法善寺横町) or Soemon-cho (宗右衛門町), the whole area containing nearly nothing but one restaurant after another.

Some typically Osakan foods worth trying include:

Battera (バッテラ), is a block type sushi, with mackerel put on rice and squeezed very hard in a wooden box, cut into pieces when served. Battera sushi is a variant and direct descendant of primitive sushi, this one from Osaka is unique for its squarelike shape. Available not only in sushi restaurants but also as take-away in department stores and train stations. Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き), fried cabbage cakes that resemble a cross between a pancake, pizza, and omelette. Takoyaki (たこ焼き), bits of octopus inside fried eggy dumplings. The quintessential Osakan street food snack. Kushikatsu (串かつ), battered and deep-fried skewers of various sorts of food (meat, vegetables, cheese, etc), dipped in a runny black sauce and washed down with beer. Osaka's working class answer to fancy tempura. Doteyaki (どて焼き), bits of beef tendon stewed in miso broth until they fall apart. Fatty, gelatinous and a common accompaniment to kushikatsu.

Okonomiyaki is best eaten in hole-in-the-wall restaurants, while takoyaki is best eaten from street vendors' carts, which can be found all over the major districts around nightfall. The best place to find kushikatsu (串カツ) is in Shinsekai, between Dobutsuen-mae and Ebisucho stations on the Sakaisuji subway line.

For fine dining fans, Osaka is the birthplace of kappo omakase (割烹料理 kappō ryōri), where you sit at an intimate dining counter and the chef prepares each dish in front of you. While superficially similar to Tokyo's Edomae-sushi, the dishes served in kappo omakase are not limited to just sushi, and you can expect to be served a multi-course meal of raw and cooked dishes.

Drink

There are many nightlife districts in Osaka. Nightlife in Osaka is very popular.

Kitashinchi (北新地) This area, south of JR Osaka station, is the most famous nightclub and entertainment district of contemporary Osaka. It's just like Tokyo's Ginza, filled with many hundreds of high-class bars, clubs and small restaurants where Japanese businessmen entertain their clients. Dotonbori (道頓堀) This area is the centre of nightlife. Hozenji-Yokocho (法善寺横丁)

Unlike Tokyo's Kabukicho, Osaka's main red-light district Tobita Shinchi does not have much in the way of nightlife if you are looking to keep your pants on.

Sleep

Osaka has a vast range of accommodation, including some of the best hotels in the world. Most of the city's moderate and expensive hotels can be found in Umeda, Namba, Shin-Osaka and Kyobashi, though they also have their share of budget options.

Backpackers have begun to use budget hotels around the JR Shin-Imamiya (新今宮) and subway Midosuji Line Dōbutsuen-mae (動物園前) stations, in Tennoji area. The area is rather poor and there are many homeless that wander about during the day, but generally they are harmless and safety is not an issue. One benefit of the district being so poor is that prices at the supermarkets and such are generally very low. However, as always use common sense when traveling in unfamiliar areas.