OSAKA TRAVEL GUIDE AND TOURIST ATTRACTIONS FOR 2024

Being the 2nd largest city in Japan, Osaka is also the central metropolis of the Kansai region and it is by far the biggest city among the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto trio. The city is located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay and on Japan's main island of Honshu. In general, Osaka is commonly referred to as the "nation's kitchen" or the gourmet food capital of Japan. Most of the districts in Osaka get their names from the bridges made during the Tokugawa-era. The bridges are built when the city emerges as the transportation hub for Japan.

At present day however, only Yodoyabashi and Kyobashi names retain their crossings. The others which include bridges in Yotsubashi, Nagahoribashi and Shinsaibashi are no longer in use.

Osaka has a main international gateway/airport known as the Kansai International Airport (IATA: KIX). Another airport in Osaka, Osaka International Airport or more commonly called Itami Airport Domestic mainly serves domestic flights within Japan.

The Itami airport is linked to the expensive Osaka Monorail. A better alternative if you want to go to the centre of the city is to make a transfer to a suburban Hankyu railway line.

For more convenience however, you may try the Airport Limousine Buses which has frequent routes from Itami to various other places within Osaka and elsewhere in the region (including Kansai Airport). Price fares for taking the limousine buses starts around 500-600 yen.

Osaka has a few famous shopping districts which includes :-

•   The American Village, a fashion hub for youngsters
•   Den Den Town, an electronic goods shopping paradise
•   Do-tonbori, Namba which is actually where Osaka's major shopping area is
•   Shinsaibashi which caters to high end luxury goods and department stores
•   Umeda which features theaters, boutiques, and department stores located close to the train station.