Why Osaka should be on your travel list in 2026

Unpopular opinion: Osaka > Tokyo.

Admittedly, Tokyo is fantastic, futuristic, sweeping you up with its speedy pace, skyscrapers, neighbourhoods with quirky fashion, popular culture, neon lights, trendy districts similar Ginza, Michelin-star restaurants, immersive creation exhibitions, bustling nightlife and nutrient scene. The vibe, I thought, was unmatched, till I reached Osaka.

This larboard city, connected the Japanese land of Honshu, has maine wrapped astir its small finger. I bash not cognize if it is the laid-back charm, the geniality of the locals, their absorbing manner choices (I saw a batch of pinks, from candy floss and neon to raspberry and fuchsia), the cleanable weather, the nutrient scene, the shopping, oregon the information that I managed to snag a brace of aureate Onitsuka Tiger sneakers successful my size (which Tokyo failed to root for me). The gamut of experiences present scope from accepted beverage ceremonies, peaceful shrine visits, and sumo experiences to Mario kart tours, pub crawls, and barroom hopping to izakayas. Sensing its potential, luxury edifice chains and bars are investing successful existent property successful Osaka. The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts opened its archetypal outpost present successful 2024. Gucci unveiled its Gucci Giardino barroom past twelvemonth successful the Umeda district, said to beryllium the second-ever aft Florence. 

But my archetypal halt is simply a dungeon: 1 that lets maine swipe my recognition card. Tucked beneath six interconnected Umeda stations successful the area, is simply a satellite I ne'er knew oregon expected. I consciousness similar Harry Potter entering Diagon Alley. I travel the steps that pb to the cavernous belly and participate a bustling underground satellite commonly known arsenic Umeda Dungeon — a web of buying malls, stores, and diners. There are alleys that pb to much alleys. Yes, you volition get mislaid and find yourself emerging retired of 1 of the 5 different stations but wherever you are you volition ever beryllium ensconced successful the comfortableness of retail therapy. I highly urge the Lucua analyzable that houses 2 buildings brimming with boutiques showcasing section designers and planetary brands.

Post this, driven by greed to bargain more, I find myself entering Don Quijote, the store wherever chaos meets consumerism. Popularly known arsenic Donki, this is simply a discount store concatenation with aggregate floors — I gave up counting aft 3 — brimming with cosmetics, tegument care, electronics, snacks, costumes, pre-loved bags and nary wide instructions connected wherever to find an escalator oregon steps to determination up to the adjacent floor. The agelong queue from the billing antagonistic spills betwixt the aisles but the unit astatine the counters are businesslike and the queue moves fast. I walk 2 hours astatine Donki but successful hindsight, I would person liked to walk that clip astatine the Umeda Dungeon.

Heaving with bags, arsenic I locomotion the streets, the traditional-modern fusion becomes much apparent. An illustration is the Four Seasons Osaka that I cheque into. While the edifice is glitzy with each the trappings of modern life, an full level is dedicated to the accepted Japanese benignant of living. Titled ‘Gensui’ Modern Ryokan floor, it has rooms with tatami flooring wherever you locomotion barefoot, a debased furniture with a peculiar futon, and a bath with a heavy quadrate tub, a stool, and Japanese bath bucket. The level to ceiling windows place the Osaka skyline — a opposition to this mounting — that dazzles astatine nighttime with its shiny precocious emergence buildings. The meal country connected this level serves Japanese staples successful bento boxes, and you tin besides effort your manus astatine accepted arts similar origami, kirigami etc.

The adjacent greeting I americium up aboriginal to research the city, archetypal from its waterway. A backstage Four Seasons vessel waits for maine and steers maine astir the Dojima stream arsenic we walk by the Osaka Castle, parks, gardens and dancing fountains. From this sanctuary of calm, I proceed to the vibrant, in-your-face territory of Shinsekai that looks similar the emotion kid of Times Square (New York) and specifically Bangkok’s China Town. Exuding a carnival vibe, this spot pulses with retro-style shops, aged schoolhouse arcade games, intimate lasting bars with inexpensive nutrient and alcohol, whisky bars, crippled stalls, thoroughfare nutrient counters with agleam boards and installations, and lanterns sporting bold Japanese letters. It resembles a meticulously put-together movie acceptable from the 80’s and I consciousness similar an other walking done this maze with hordes of others. And here, I conscionable Billiken — a portly carnal with a tuft of conical hair, pointed ears and an impish grin. He is considered to beryllium a awesome of bully luck and is everyplace — connected facades of buildings, keychains, T-shirts, you sanction it. In astir spots, helium sits with his legs stretched retired atop a tiered pedestal with the words Billiken, followed by THINGS-AS-THEY (shortened mentation of “God of things arsenic they ought to be” arsenic that is what helium is believed to beryllium ). Though rather the leader successful Osaka, it is said Billiken was created by Florence Pretz, an American illustrator successful the aboriginal 1900s.

Peckish by now, I bash what I americium chiefly present to bash — drawback a assortment of highly-recommended kushikatsu (deep-fried nutrient and veggies connected skewers): shiitake mushroom, lotus root, cheese, sausage, chickenhearted thigh. It is hard to halt but delight do, arsenic much options await down the alley. Gyoza, takoyaki (wheat balls filled with minced octopus, pickled ginger, greenish bulb and tempura scraps), nikujaga (meat and murphy stew), okonomiyaki (a savoury pancake), Japanese jerky and thing that resembles a South Indian kozhukattai. The nutrient present is truthful fashionable that determination are section guides offering overmuch recommended nutrient walks. No wonder, Osaka is called the ‘kitchen of Japan’. Nearby, a vending instrumentality gives maine the come-hither look with its show of beauteous dessert. I prime a banana dipped successful chocolate. This 1 adjacent has eyes and a mouth, and looks similar a enactment of creation acceptable for Art Basel. 

I americium told Shinsekai was built successful 1912, inspired by New York’s Coney Island and Paris. The Paris notation becomes wide erstwhile I announcement the 108-metre gangly Tsutenkaku operation looming ahead. Drawing inspiration from the Eiffel Tower, this was rebuilt successful 1956 aft a occurrence engulfed the archetypal landmark. You tin instrumentality an elevator to its reflection platform to get a bird’s oculus presumption of the city.

As evening falls, the neon-lit Dotonburi territory beckons. The celebrated Glico moving antheral billboard overlooks a canal with agleam boats. Tourists mill astir to drawback a representation successful beforehand of the celebrated sign. Nearby, a elephantine crab plastered crossed a facade of Kani Doraku edifice garners attention. Joining the accepted billboards present are LED lit and 3D billboards. The storefronts and facades excessively are a interaction melodramatic with 3D effect, life-size octopus, gyoza, and faces of people.  

A chill breeze blows from the stream and I marque my mode to the covered Sinsaibashi-suji buying thoroughfare wherever you find precocious thoroughfare brands similar Uniqlo, Zara, and H&M, lined up with cosmetic shops, and nutrient stalls. Like successful Tokyo, the Onitsuka Tiger showroom present is packed with people. Mostly travellers, possibly present for their beatified grail. I queue up too, jostle for abstraction wrong and confuse myself with the metallic options. But 1 cannot instrumentality excessively agelong to determine due to the fact that portion you do, what you privation whitethorn conscionable beryllium whisked distant to the billing counter, close successful beforehand of your eyes!

I could linger astatine Sinsaibashi for longer but the thought of sundowners astatine Bar Bota, connected the 37th level of the Four Seasons hotel, seems inviting. The barroom serves cocktails crafted with section botanicals, innovative snacks and stellar views of Osaka gilded by the sun’s orangish rays. Post that, I reward myself with a massage. I americium transported to the spa connected the 36th level wherever I fto the masseuse enactment her magic portion I look retired of the floor-to-ceiling windows. The metropolis lights travel on, clouds waft done the precocious evening sky, and yet a gentle snore escapes my mouth. Good night, Osaka!

The writer was successful Japan astatine the invitation of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts