Things to do in  Osaka

Built in the 6th century by Prince Shotoku—a cultural hero who helped to bring Buddhism to the country—Shitenno-ji is one of Japan’s oldest temples. The complex includes a multi-tiered tower, pagoda, lecture hall, and gate. Though most of the current structures are from the 1963 rebuilding, they still reflect the 6th century design.

Dotonbori (also called Dotombori) is a bustling nightlife district in Osaka’s Minami area. It stretches along the Dtomborigawa River, with a multitude of small restaurants, bars, and neon lights that come alive after nightfall. An entertainment neighborhood, Dotonbori is famous for its varied cuisine and huge animated signs.

Among the most famous castles in Japan, Osaka Castle (Osaka-jo) dates back to the 16th century, when it played a major role in unifying the nation. Today the reconstructed castle houses a museum filled with artifacts from the history of Japan and from the castle’s creator, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The main tower provides a nice view over urban Osaka.

A large covered market selling fresh and cooked food, Kuromon Ichiba Market is nicknamed “Osaka’s kitchen,” because many chefs and home cooks come here for supplies. It has since branched out from purely seafood options, and is typically bustling with locals and visitors hoping to get an inside look at local ingredients and cuisine.

Kitschy and cute Tsutenkaku, Osaka’s answer to the Eiffel Tower, rises 338 feet (103 meters) above the streets of Shin Sekai. The neon-outlined building was the tallest in town when it was first built in 1912. An observation deck offers stellar nighttime views and the chance to see beloved Billiken, god of “things as they ought to be.”

A popular Osaka destination for shopping and entertainment for more than 350 years, Shinsaibashi is a 1,698-feet- (600-meter- long shopping arcade. Countless boutiques, specialty shops, department stores, cafes, and restaurants line either side of the strip, making it is a great place to both shop and people-watch.

Universal Studios Japan™ is second only to the Tokyo Disney Resort® as Japan’s most visited amusement park. Highlights include The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, home to the epic Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™, which was voted the world’s number one ride for five consecutive years, and Super Nintendo World™, where iconic game characters such as Mario and Donkey Kong come to life.

The narrow, neon-lit streets of Den Den Town (Nipponbashi) are a magnet for shoppers on the hunt for electronics and comics. Multitudes of shops selling anime, manga, video games, action figures, tools, electronic equipment, and even furniture compete for business among young Osakans and visitors alike.

Located in the heart of Nara City, Nara Park (Nara Koen) is famous for the 1,300 semi-wild sika deer that have roamed its grounds for centuries. Spanning 1,360 acres (550 hectares), the scenic public park is also home to several popular attractions, including the Todai-ji Temple, home to the sacred Daibutu (Great Buddha), and the vermillion Kasugataisha Shrine, shrouded by a primeval forest of cedars and Chinese black pines.

The narrow alleys, paper lanterns, and traditional tea houses of Hozenji Yokocho are a far cry from the neon lights and pulsing atmosphere of Dotonbori. The historic alley’s most famous attraction is the 17th-century Hozenji Temple, where devotees come to splash water over a moss-covered statue of the Buddha.

At 984 feet (300 meters) tall, Abeno Harukas (Osaka Harukas) takes the coveted superlative of Japan's highest skyscraper, narrowly rising above the former title holder, the Yokohama Landmark Tower. Part of the sprawling Abenobashi Terminal Building, it stands atop the Kintetsu Osaka Abenobashi Station and houses a department store, art museum, five-star hotel, and observation deck.

Visiting the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living is like stepping back in time to the streets of mid-19th-century Osaka to see how they might have looked during the Edo Period. The museum is laid out in a series of recreated houses—each depicting an element of daily life—including merchant houses, a bathhouse, and a town hall.

Built to protect fisherman and sailors, the 3rd-century Sumiyoshi-taisha (Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine) is Osaka’s most famous shrine. Renowned for its classic Japanese architecture and vivid red-and-white colour, the shrine

America-Mura (American Village) is the go-to Osaka district if you want to get a taste of the city’s street culture. The area earned its name in the 1970s when it began filling up with shops selling imported goods from the United States. Today it’s an enclave of youth-focused and offbeat stores, as well as cafes, bars, and nightclubs.

In the heart of Osaka’s business district, Nakanoshima is home to some of the city’s most historic buildings, including City Hall, Nakanoshima Festival Tower, and the first branch of the Bank of Japan. This 1.8-mile- (2.9-kilometer- long island between the Dojima and Tosabori rivers is also home to the urban oasis of Nakanoshima Park.