Osaka Hotels

Introduction to Osaka
Osaka is a booming Japanese port city on the Yodo River, famous for its shopping, street food and neon-lit entertainment districts. Ultra-modern skyscrapers tower above historic alleyways and waterways, while traditional gardens and temples stand alongside 21st-century malls.

Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY)

Official language: Japanese

Climate: Warm, temperate and rainy. Jul–Sep average 26C; Dec–Feb average 6C; highest rainfall Jun & Sep

Religion: Shinto and Buddhism

Getting around: Subway; water bus; train; metered taxis

From Kansai International Airport: Rail (Kansai Airport Rapid Service) to central Osaka approx 65 mins; taxi approx 50 mins (50km)

Top things to see & do

Cherry blossoms, Japanese art and a high-rise spa

• Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan – see whale sharks and dolphins at a waterfront aquarium
• Universal Studios Japan – enjoy Hollywood movie-themed rides and a night parade
• National Museum of Art – see Japanese and international art in a bamboo-shaped subterranean building
• Tempozan Ferris Wheel – marvel at mountain and city views during a ride on this huge, illuminated wheel
• Spa World – relax at a high-rise bathhouse with zones resembling ancient Rome and Persia
• National Bunraku Theatre – experience the centuries-old art of bunraku puppetry
• Kema Sakuranomiya Park – gaze at thousands of springtime blossoming cherry trees
• Hanshin Tigers – watch Osaka’s professional baseball team

Where to shop

Kitchenware, baseball gear and electronics

• Denden Town – neighbourhood known for electronics and gaming stores
• Doguyasuji – street specialising in cookware and kitchen utensils
• Hanshin Department Store – huge store in Umeda with a food hall and Hanshin Tigers baseball shirts
• Tenjin-bashi-suji – street specialising in souvenirs and takoyaki makers
• Americamura – a centre of youth fashion close to Holiday Inn Osaka Namba

What to eat

Griddled beef, noodles and squid-filled pancakes

• Teppan-yaki – fresh beef cooked on an iron griddle at Dojima, at the ANA Crowne Plaza hotel
• Kushikatsu – kebab-like skewers of deep-fried meat and vegetables at Noka Roast and Grill at Intercontinental Osaka
• Kitsune udon – udon noodles with fried tofu in a salty broth
• Ikayaki – a squid-filled Osaka variation on the ever-popular grilled pancake

Special events in Osaka

New Year good luck and a river procession

• Toka Ebisu (Jan) – celebrate New Year at Imamiya Ebisu shrine
• Sakura No Toorinuke (Apr) – see cherry tree blossoms in Osaka Castle Park
• Otaue Rice Planting Festival (Jun) – ancient event to pray for a good harvest
• Tenjin Matsuri (Jul) – ancient ceremony including a river procession and an enormous firework display
• Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri (Sep) – groups of men pull huge wooden floats at high speed, at Kishiwada