Osaka is a city best appreciated from above, particularly after sunset, when thousands of illuminated buildings stretch towards the horizon. One of the most memorable places to experience that view is Umeda Sky Building. Located a short walk from Osaka Station, this unusual twin-tower skyscraper is famous for its circular rooftop observatory, dramatic glass escalators … Read more
Osaka is famous for street food, lively izakayas and late-night drinking, but one of its most unusual dining experiences begins after the main meal has finished. Hidden on the third floor of a building in Kitashinchi, Ijou Maru is a small dessert bar where elaborate Japanese parfaits are served with the ceremony usually reserved for … Read more
Imagine ordering a matcha drink at a small café in Osaka and, instead of being greeted by a barista, watching an enormous fluffy bear paw emerge from a hole in the wall to hand you your order. The paw might offer a little wave before disappearing again. You never see the person behind it. This … Read more
Searching for Rikimaru Robatayaki in Osaka creates an unexpected problem. There isn’t just one. You may see Isaribi near Osaka Station, Magome around Umeda, Rikimaru Chaya near Hozenji, Tanuki Chaya around Sennichimae and several more with completely different names. Look quickly at the menus and the confusion gets worse. They all seem to sell the … Read more
A scallop lands in front of you on the end of a long wooden paddle. A few minutes earlier, it was sitting beside the grill. Now it’s bubbling with butter and sauce, still in its shell, and costs ¥385. That’s the part of Rikimaru Robatayaki Isaribi that photographs don’t explain particularly well. Yes, this is … Read more
Cherry blossoms get most of the attention in Japan. But if you’re visiting Osaka in February, waiting for sakura means missing one of the best signs that winter is beginning to loosen its grip. At the foot of Mt Ikoma in Higashiosaka, Hiraoka Plum Grove starts changing well before Osaka’s cherry trees. Some plum varieties … Read more
Most first-time Osaka trips don’t involve hiking through a forest. They’re spent around Dotonbori, Namba, Osaka Castle, Shinsekai and Umeda, with neon signs, restaurants and train stations never very far away. Hiraoka Park feels very different. Head east towards the foot of Mt Ikoma and Osaka begins to fall away beneath you. The streets become … Read more
Japan’s vending machines stop being surprising fairly quickly. After a few days in Osaka, buying water, coffee or an energy drink from a machine beside the road feels completely normal. Then you find one that gives you a cake. Not a packaged slice from a refrigerated shelf. At SpielKuchen in Osaka, you put ¥500 into … Read more
If you have an overnight layover, late arrival or early flight at Kansai International Airport, you don’t necessarily need to travel all the way into Osaka just to find somewhere to sleep. Kansai Airport has a capsule-style hotel directly connected to the airport, a 24-hour lounge where you can rest, showers, and a conventional airport … Read more
Osaka after midnight is when the city truly comes alive with its famous kuidare spirit, the joyful “eat until you drop” energy that defines Osaka’s nightlife. When the last train has left and the neon of Dotonbori reflects on the canal, the streets fill with locals and visitors hunting for late-night ramen, sizzling kushikatsu, steaming … Read more