Osaka is the largest city in Japan and the capital of Kansai region. Located on the river Kiso, Osaka is a cultural hub with numerous theaters, museums, and churches.
Osaka has a long history. In fact, it used to be known as Heorou-Osaka, which translates to City of Peace. Heorou-Osaka was one of three capital cities under the Empera dynasty.
After the Meiji era broke apart Japan in 1868, Heorou-Osaka became its new capital city. Today, it serves as a vibrant business and cultural hub with over 200 foreign embassies based in it. It is also one of Japan’s top tourist destinations due to its historical landmarks and old neighborhoods.
Osaka is famous for its fashion
All over social media, people are talking about Osaka. They’re visiting for the fashion shows, going for style changes, and watching from afar as new trends are created.
Osaka is well-known for its high-tech fashion looks that change frequently. These fashion trends have become popular quickly, with many new looks popping up every few months.
Many designers launch a new look and gain significant popularity within a few weeks, before it becomes old hat and another new look comes out.
Newer looking cities like Tokyo or New York have people move at breakneck speed when a new look becomes popular, but not here. People are taking their time to get used to this style and find it beautiful, creative and amusing!
This attention is paying off in style trends as well as individuals moving up in ranks based on how they wear them.
Osaka is famous for its entertainment
Almost every city has at least one popular topic of entertainment, and many have several. Tokyo has video games, Mediterranean beaches, and of course, television shows and movies. Osaka has both!
In addition to the traditional sights and sounds of a busy city, dozens of theaters and performance venues add to the culture. There are also plenty of nightclubs and bars where people can go for a drink or whatnot.
There are also several classic sports teams such as baseball, basketball, football, and baseball again. People often watch sports or play in the summertime when temperatures are high enough!
As previously mentioned, entertainment is a big part of Osaka. This article talks about some famous areas that people should visit if they are in the area for Expo 2020.
Osaka is famous for its culture
Culture is very important in Osaka. While not considered traditional, many Westerners observe religious customs in the city. In fact, some refer to Osaka as the Japanese New York.
Many large commercial districts and streets are named for specific religions: Gomachin, Yazaki-dori, Nihombashi-dori, and Shin-Osaka-dori.
Many of these districts have public spaces that are used for events and celebrations. The Nihombashi Street Fair is one of the largest street fairs in Japan and happens every June.
Additionally, several shrines and temples are located in the city and are visited regularly for religious purposes. The famous Osaka Shinobus has been around since the 1950s and is used by both locals and tourists to travel between homes and places.
Osaka is famous for its shopping
There’s a reason why so many people flock to Osaka to spend their money – the city is filled with many interesting and fun shopping venues. In fact, there are more shopping malls per capita in Osaka than there are in New York City.
What makes Osaka so popular for shopping venues is the variety of stores available. There are department, specialty, and street-side stores where you can go shopping. Most of these stores offer promotions where you can get some great deals!
Some of the most popular shopping locations in Osaka are:
1. Nishi-Quedyme Park (Nishikicho) – This park has several large open spaces that make great places to shop. It is surrounded by high- rise buildings which adds some greenery and scenic spots!
2. Nakameguro Shinjuku (Shinjuku) – This area has plenty of large department stores where you can go shopping.
What to see in Osaka
There are many things to see and do in Osaka, so we have created this bullet point to help you figure out what is what in Osaka.
Osaka is known for its temples, beautiful water parks, amusement parks, and luxury shopping. Many of these tourist destinations are located in Nihombashi-Kita neighborhood.
In Nihombashi-Kita there are several temples such as Kannon Temple, Fushimi Inari-taisha Temple, Ise Grand Shrine Centennial Shrine Temple and Kushaigawa Jinja. These temples are UNESCO World Heritage Sites so visitors pay higher prices to go there.
There is also Kyoto River Park which has a nice pond where you can sit and relax. People enjoy watching wildlife such as ducks and fish like plants that grow vertically.
Hirano Shrine
Hirano is one of the most famous beer cities in the world. There are so many places to try and enjoy the beautiful beer, so we have decided to highlight some of them in this article.
Shrine-beer is now a common drink in Japan, mainly because it is so delicious! You can find many varieties such as soft or crisp sakigakeki (soft beer) or kanai-kan (harderly sold hard beer) which are usually paired with soft food.
Kirin-zuke (apparently named for its color) is a trademarked name for a cloudy, bold beer typically packaged in cans. It is sometimes called aburaage because of its thick, woody taste.
Sakigakeki are commonly referred to as rice wine because of the pale color that they often have.
Japanese Garden Hoshino
A typical morning in Osaka is one of the most anticipated experiences in town: visiting the Japanese Garden.
Located just outside of Nihonbashi Station, the Japanese Garden is a beautiful oasis in the busy street that surrounds it. Once you visit, you will be back many times!
Many people start their day by going there and enjoying the beautiful scenery and relaxing atmosphere. Others enjoy the food so much they come early to eat!
The garden also has a coffee shop and restaurant that people can visit once they get tired of admiring nature.
Tenpo-son Lake Tempo
Tenpo-son is the legendary water of Osaka. Created by the fusion of five rivers, Tenpo-son Lake Tempo is one of the biggest water bodies in Osaka.
Sitting at an altitude of 620 m, Tenpo-son Lake Tempo is a gorgeous blue lake surrounded by green hills. The water looks very beautiful when it is illuminated at night!
A popular place to hang out is on weekends and weekdays from mid February to late March. There are bars, clubs, restaurants, and a beach located right next to the lake.
If you want to enjoy some good music or just relax, go on a Friday or Saturday night as there are sometimes live performances happening at the lake.
There are also boat tours that take you out to see the lake and its surroundings.
