- things to do in seven Osaka districts, plus four day trips, with entry prices and hours checked on 14 November 2026
- 23
- for the city at a calm pace, a fourth if you add Universal Studios Japan, which takes a full day on its own
- 3 days
- for a one-day Universal Studios Japan ticket in 2026 ($53), sold online only, with a price that changes by date
- From ¥8,400
On this page
The best things to do in Osaka sit in a few compact districts: Namba and Dotonbori for neon and street food, Shinsekai for old Osaka and kushikatsu, Osaka Castle for history and Umeda for the views. Add a day at Universal Studios Japan and one or two day trips, and three to four days fill up fast. Below are 23 of them by district, with prices and hours checked on 14 November 2026, then a full Universal Studios Japan section, the food to try, the Amazing Pass and a budget.
The 10 best things to do in Osaka for a first trip
| What | District | Adult price |
|---|---|---|
| Dotonbori canal and the Glico sign at night | Namba | Free |
| Osaka Castle main tower and park | Chuo | Park free, tower ¥1,200 ($8) |
| Breakfast or lunch at Kuromon Market | Nippombashi | Free entry, food from about ¥500 |
| Tsutenkaku and kushikatsu in Shinsekai | Shinsekai | Tower ¥1,500 ($9) |
| Sunset from the Umeda Sky Building | Umeda | ¥2,000 ($13) |
| Universal Studios Japan and Super Nintendo World | Bay Area | From ¥8,400 ($53) |
| Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan | Bay Area | ¥2,700 to ¥3,500 |
| Sumiyoshi Taisha and its red bridge | Sumiyoshi | Free |
| Cafes in the old houses of Nakazakicho | Kita | Free to wander |
| Abeno Harukas 300 observatory | Tennoji | ¥2,200 ($14) |
Tours and activities in Osaka
Six bookable experiences with strong reviews, from the theme park ticket to sumo, sushi and a coach day to Nara and Kyoto.
Osaka: Universal Studios Japan Entry Ticket
A dated one-day ticket to Universal Studios Japan, bought before you go, since the park no longer sells tickets at the gate.
4.5(1,683 reviews)
From $76per person
See prices & availability
Osaka: Dotonbori River Cruise with Glico Sign & Neon Views
A 20-minute boat ride along the Dotonbori canal, under the bridges and past the Glico running man and the neon signs.
4.5(2,714 reviews)
- 20 minutes
- Free cancellation
From $13per person
See prices & availability
Osaka: Sumo Experience with Live Show & Audience Challenge
A 90-minute live sumo show in Osaka with the rules explained, and a chance for people in the audience to face a wrestler.
4.9(2,234 reviews)
- 1.5 hours
- Free cancellation
From $31per person
See prices & availability
Osaka Castle: Museum and Tower Entry Ticket
Entry to the main tower of Osaka Castle and its museum, eight floors of Toyotomi history that end on the open observation deck.
4.5(4,399 reviews)
From $8per person
See prices & availability
Osaka: Roll and Authentic Sushi Making Class in Dotonbori
A 100-minute class near Dotonbori where you make rolled sushi and nigiri yourself, then eat what you made.
4.9(521 reviews)
- 100 minutes
- Free cancellation
From $57per person
See prices & availability
Kyoto/Osaka: Nara, Fushimi Inari Taisha, Arashiyama Bus Tour
A full day by coach from Osaka or Kyoto: the deer of Nara, the red gates of Fushimi Inari and the Arashiyama bamboo grove.
4.8(4,097 reviews)
- 9 to 10 hours
- Free cancellation
From $51per person
See prices & availability
Osaka attractions that need a reservation in 2026
Most of Osaka takes you as you come: the markets, shrines, the castle park and Dotonbori need no ticket. The one place to sort out before you fly is Universal Studios Japan, which no longer sells tickets at the gate.
| Place | Adult price | When to book |
|---|---|---|
| Universal Studios Japan, 1-day Studio Pass | From ¥8,400 ($53), varies by date | Online, weeks ahead for weekends and holidays. Prices rise as a date sells |
| Universal Express Pass | From ¥6,800 ($43) for 4 rides | With your ticket, it sells out on busy days |
| Super Nintendo World timed entry | Free | In the official app, once inside the park, as early as possible |
| Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan | ¥2,700 to ¥3,500, varies by date | A few days ahead online, more in school holidays |
| National Bunraku Theatre | About ¥4,000 to ¥7,000 | Before the season opens, popular shows fill up |
Things to do in Namba and Dotonbori: neon, markets and shopping
Minami, the area around Namba Station, is where most visitors spend their evenings. Dotonbori, Hozenji Yokocho, Kuromon, Shinsaibashi and Den Den Town are all within a 15-minute walk of each other.
1そらみみ, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsNamba, the heart of Minami
Dotonbori canal and the Glico sign
Osaka's best-known street runs along a canal lined with giant signs: the Glico running man, the moving crab of Kani Doraku, the puffer fish lanterns. Come after dark, when the neon is on, and stand on Ebisubashi bridge for the classic photo. It costs nothing, the food stalls stay open late and some restaurants never close. The 20-minute canal boats leave from the Tombori River Walk below the bridge.
- Entry
- Free
- Best time
- After dark
- Station
- Namba (Midosuji line)
2.
Two minutes south of Dotonbori
Hozenji Yokocho
A stone-paved alley of small restaurants and bars around a tiny temple. Its statue of Fudo Myoo is covered in thick green moss because visitors splash it with water as they pray. It is the quietest corner of Minami, free to enter, and at its best at night when the lanterns are lit.
- Temple
- Free
- Best time
- Evening
3DVMG, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsNippombashi, 10 minutes on foot from Dotonbori
Kuromon Ichiba Market
A covered market of about 600 metres where stalls grill scallops, wagyu skewers and crab legs to order. Stalls usually open from about 8:00 to 18:00, but many sell out and close earlier, so go in the morning or for lunch. Prices are tourist prices: compare a few stalls before you order, and eat at the stall, as walking while eating is frowned upon.
- Hours
- About 8:00 to 18:00, varies by stall
- Best time
- Morning or lunch
4.
North of Dotonbori
Shinsaibashi-suji and Amerikamura
Shinsaibashi-suji is a covered shopping street that runs about 600 metres north from Dotonbori, with chain stores, drugstores and department stores. Cross Midosuji avenue to the west for Amerikamura, the youth district of vintage clothing, record shops and street art around Triangle Park. Shops usually open from about 10:00 or 11:00 until 20:00 to 22:00.
- Entry
- Free
- Shops
- About 10:00 to 21:00
5.
Nipponbashi, Osaka's answer to Akihabara
Den Den Town
A grid of streets south-east of Namba packed with anime shops, retro game stores, figures, maid cafes and electronics. It is smaller and easier to cover than Tokyo's Akihabara. Most shops open from about 10:00 or 11:00 to 19:00 or 20:00.
- Entry
- Free
- Shops
- About 10:00 to 20:00
6.
Nippombashi Station, exit 7
National Bunraku Theatre
Bunraku, the puppet theatre that grew up in Osaka, is performed here by three puppeteers per doll with a narrator and a shamisen player. Seasons run for about three weeks in January, April, June, July to August and November, and tickets usually cost ¥4,000 to ¥7,000 ($25 to $44). English audio guides are offered for some shows.
- Tickets
- About ¥4,000 to ¥7,000
- Seasons
- Jan, Apr, Jun, Jul to Aug, Nov
View on Google MapsThings to do in Shinsekai: Tsutenkaku, kushikatsu and Spa World
Shinsekai was built in 1912 as a "new world" of amusements, fell on hard times after the war and kept its retro look. It is a 10-minute subway ride south of Namba, and best from late afternoon.
1Sakai Yayoi, CC0, Wikimedia CommonsShinsekai, the 1912 entertainment district
Tsutenkaku Tower
The steel tower at the end of Shinsekai's main street has an observation deck, a statue of the lucky god Billiken whose feet you rub, and a 60-metre tube slide that drops you out at street level. Entry to the deck costs ¥1,500 ($9) for visitors 15 and over and ¥800 for children 5 to 14, rising to ¥1,800 from 30 December to 3 January. The slide costs ¥1,100 more.
- Entry
- ¥1,500 ($9), child ¥800
- Slide
- ¥1,100
- Station
- Ebisucho or Dobutsuen-mae
2.
The covered alley between Shinsekai and Dobutsuen-mae
Kushikatsu in Jan Jan Yokocho
Shinsekai is where kushikatsu, deep-fried skewers of meat, fish and vegetables, became Osaka food. Jan Jan Yokocho, the narrow covered alley south of the tower, is lined with standing counters that sell skewers from about ¥100 to ¥300 each. The one rule: the sauce pot is shared, so never dip a skewer twice. Use a piece of cabbage to scoop more.
- Skewers
- About ¥100 to ¥300 each
- Best time
- Evening
3.
Next to Shinsekai
Spa World
A large bathhouse with two floors of hot spring baths themed on Europe and Asia, which alternate between men and women each month, plus a pool floor where swimsuits are worn. The baths alone cost ¥1,500 ($9). With the pool, it is ¥2,000 on weekdays and ¥2,700 at weekends and on holidays. It is an easy first onsen for visitors who have never tried one.
- Baths
- ¥1,500 ($9)
- Baths and pool
- ¥2,000 weekdays, ¥2,700 weekends
Osaka Castle: tickets, opening hours and the park
1663highland, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia CommonsOsaka Castle Park, Chuo
Osaka Castle main tower
The white and gold tower was rebuilt in concrete in 1931 on the walls of the castle that Toyotomi Hideyoshi began in 1583. Inside is a museum on Hideyoshi and the sieges of 1614 and 1615, and an observation deck on the eighth floor. Entry, which now includes the Toyotomi Stone Wall Museum, costs ¥1,200 ($8). The tower opens 9:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:30, and closes from 28 December to 1 January.
The park around it is free and huge: allow an hour to walk in through the Otemon gate, past the moats and the giant stones of the walls. In spring it is one of the city's most popular cherry blossom spots, which our cherry blossom guide for Japan places in the season's calendar.
- Entry
- ¥1,200 ($8)
- Hours
- 9:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:30
- Station
- Tanimachi 4-chome or JR Osakajokoen
2.
Inside the castle grounds, south-west side
Nishinomaru Garden
A lawn with about 600 cherry trees and the best view of the tower from below. It charges ¥300 ($2), or ¥350 during the cherry blossom season, opens 9:00 to 17:00 (16:30 from November to February) and stays open until 21:00 for evening viewing in late March and early April. It is closed on Mondays.
- Entry
- ¥300, ¥350 in blossom season
- Closed
- Mondays
Things to do in Umeda, Nakazakicho and Tenma
Kita, the north of the city around Osaka and Umeda stations, is the business and department store district. Its best sights are a free walk from the station: one tower, one old quarter and one very long shopping street.
1Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsUmeda, 10 minutes on foot from Osaka Station
Umeda Sky Building, Floating Garden Observatory
Two 40-storey towers joined at the top by a ring-shaped deck, with an open-air walkway on the roof 173 metres up. Go at sunset, then stay for the city lights. Entry costs ¥2,000 ($13) for adults and ¥500 for children aged 4 to 12, and the deck opens 9:30 to 22:30, last entry 22:00. In the basement, Takimi Koji is a restaurant street built like a 1930s Osaka lane.
- Entry
- ¥2,000 ($13), child ¥500
- Hours
- 9:30 to 22:30, last entry 22:00
2.
One stop or 10 minutes on foot east of Umeda
Nakazakicho
A few blocks of pre-war wooden houses that survived the bombing of 1945, now turned into small cafes, vintage shops and galleries along narrow lanes. It is the calm counterpoint to the towers of Umeda, five minutes away. Come in the afternoon, as many shops open late and some close one or two weekdays. Nakazakicho Station is on the Tanimachi subway line.
- Entry
- Free
- Best time
- Afternoon
3.
Tenma, north-east of Umeda
Osaka Tenmangu and Tenjinbashi-suji
Tenjinbashi-suji claims to be the longest covered shopping street in Japan, at about 2.6 km, with cheap restaurants, old shops and izakaya. Halfway along stands Osaka Tenmangu, the shrine of the god of learning, free and open from about 6:00 to 18:00. Every 24 and 25 July it hosts Tenjin Matsuri, one of Japan's three great festivals, with boats and fireworks on the river.
- Shrine
- Free, about 6:00 to 18:00
- Festival
- Tenjin Matsuri, 24 and 25 July
Tennoji, Abeno Harukas and Sumiyoshi Taisha
South of Shinsekai, Tennoji mixes Osaka's tallest tower with its oldest temple, and Sumiyoshi Taisha is a short train ride further south. Combine them with Shinsekai in one day.
1Laitche, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsTennoji, above Osaka Abenobashi Station
Abeno Harukas 300
The observatory on floors 58 to 60 of a 300-metre tower, with glass on all four sides and an open-air courtyard in the middle. On a clear day you see Osaka Bay, Kobe and the mountains towards Nara. Same-day entry costs ¥2,200 ($14) for adults and ¥900 for children 6 to 14, and it opens 9:00 to 22:00 every day of the year.
- Entry
- ¥2,200 ($14), child ¥900
- Hours
- 9:00 to 22:00, all year
2.
15 minutes on foot north of Tennoji Station
Shitenno-ji Temple
Founded in 593 by Prince Shotoku, it is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan, even if the buildings are post-war rebuilds. The outer grounds are free. A small fee opens the inner precinct with its five-storey pagoda and main hall, and the Gokuraku Jodo garden has its own ticket. On the 21st and 22nd of each month, a flea market fills the grounds.
- Outer grounds
- Free
- Flea market
- 21st and 22nd of each month
3Saigen Jiro, CC0, Wikimedia CommonsSouthern Osaka, 10 minutes from Namba by train
Sumiyoshi Taisha
The head shrine of more than 2,000 Sumiyoshi shrines in Japan, with halls in a style that predates the arrival of Buddhism and a steep red bridge, the Sorihashi, over its pond. Entry is free, from 6:00 to 17:00 (6:30 from October to March). Take a local train on the Nankai Main Line from Namba to Sumiyoshi Taisha Station, about 10 minutes and ¥240, or the old Hankai tram from Tennoji. Faster Nankai trains do not stop there.
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- 6:00 (6:30 Oct to Mar) to 17:00
- Train
- Nankai from Namba, 10 min, ¥240
Osaka Bay Area: Kaiyukan aquarium and the ferry to Universal City
1At by At, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsTempozan, Osakako Station
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
One of the largest aquariums in the world, built around a central Pacific Ocean tank nine metres deep where whale sharks and manta rays swim. You walk down a spiral ramp around it, floor by floor. Tickets cost ¥2,700 to ¥3,500 ($17 to $22) depending on the date, and the aquarium usually opens 10:00 to 20:00, last entry 19:00, with a few irregular closing days.
- Entry
- ¥2,700 to ¥3,500, by date
- Hours
- Usually 10:00 to 20:00
- Station
- Osakako (Chuo line)
2.
From the pier next to Kaiyukan
Captain Line ferry to Universal City
A small ferry crosses the harbour from the Kaiyukan pier to the Universal City side in about 10 minutes. It turns the aquarium and the theme park into neighbours, which helps if you plan the aquarium on the evening before or after a day at Universal Studios Japan. Check the timetable on the day.
- Crossing
- About 10 minutes
Universal Studios Japan in 2026: tickets, Express Pass and Super Nintendo World
Universal Studios Japan, or USJ, is on the west side of Osaka Bay, 15 minutes by train from Osaka Station. Its ten areas include The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Minion Park, Jurassic Park and Super Nintendo World. The park is open every day, usually 9:00 to 20:00, with hours that change by date, so check the calendar on the official site before you plan the day.
Universal Studios Japan ticket prices in 2026
The one-day ticket, the Studio Pass, has a price that changes with the date and can go up as a day sells out. The figures below are the lowest prices for 2026. Buy on the official USJ website or app, or from an authorised seller, as there is no ticket office at the gate any more.
| 1-day Studio Pass | Price from |
|---|---|
| Adult, 12 to 64 | ¥8,400 ($53) |
| Child, 4 to 11 | ¥5,500 ($34) |
| Senior, 65 and over | ¥7,600 ($48) |
| Under 4 | Free |
Universal Express Pass: prices and is it worth it
The Express Pass is an add-on to your ticket that lets you skip the regular queue once on each ride it lists, at a set time for some of them. The 4-ride version starts at ¥6,800 ($43), the 5-ride at ¥12,200, the 7-ride at ¥14,100 and the 8-ride at ¥15,500, with prices that vary by date and by the rides included. On a weekend, in school holidays or in the weeks around Halloween and Christmas, it is the difference between five rides and a dozen. On a quiet weekday in January or early June, you can do without it.
Super Nintendo World, Donkey Kong Country and the timed entry
Super Nintendo World opened in March 2021 with Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge and Yoshi's Adventure, and grew on 11 December 2024 with Donkey Kong Country and its roller coaster, Mine-Cart Madness. Entry to the area often requires a timed ticket. It is free: open the official USJ app as soon as you are through the gates and pick a slot. When the slots run out, the app may offer a lottery for the remaining ones. Some Express Passes include guaranteed entry, which is the only way to be sure of getting in on a busy day.
Best days to visit Universal Studios Japan
Go on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday outside Japanese school holidays: late December to early January, mid-March to early April, Golden Week (29 April to 5 May), late July to the end of August and the autumn three-day weekends are the busiest periods. A low ticket price on the calendar is a good sign of a quieter day. Arrive 30 to 60 minutes before opening, as the gates sometimes open earlier than the posted time.
How to get to Universal Studios Japan
From Osaka Station, take the JR Yumesaki Line to Universal City: several direct trains an hour, about 15 minutes, ¥200. Other trains need a change at Nishikujo. The park entrance is a five-minute walk from the station, past the hotels and restaurants of Universal CityWalk. From Kansai Airport, the JR airport rapid to Nishikujo and a change takes about 75 minutes for ¥1,180, and direct airport buses take 50 to 70 minutes for ¥1,800.
What to eat in Osaka: takoyaki, okonomiyaki and kushikatsu
Osaka calls itself the kitchen of Japan, and its local saying, kuidaore, means to eat until you drop. Three dishes come from here, and each has its own district.
Takoyaki are balls of batter with a piece of octopus inside, cooked in a cast-iron mould and topped with sauce, mayonnaise and bonito flakes. Stands along Dotonbori sell a tray of six to eight for about ¥600 to ¥800. Let them cool a minute: the inside is very hot. Okonomiyaki is a savoury pancake of cabbage, batter and pork or seafood, grilled on a hotplate at your table. In Osaka everything is mixed into the batter, unlike the layered Hiroshima style. Expect ¥1,000 to ¥1,800 for one in Namba or Umeda. Kushikatsu, the fried skewers of Shinsekai, end the list: order a few at a time, and never double dip in the shared sauce.
For a guided tasting, the food tours of Namba and Shinsekai cover the three in one evening, and a stop at Kuromon Market adds grilled seafood at lunch. Our 10-day Japan itinerary keeps an evening in Dotonbori for exactly that.
Expo 2025 site in 2026: what is left on Yumeshima
Expo 2025 ran on the artificial island of Yumeshima from 13 April to 13 October 2025, and the pavilions have since been taken down. Plans announced in autumn 2025 keep a section of the Grand Ring, the giant wooden walkway, as part of a future park, and the rest of the island is being prepared for MGM Osaka, Japan's first casino resort, and other private projects. We found no official confirmation that any part of the site has reopened to visitors in 2026, so do not plan a trip there: check expo2025.or.jp for updates before you go.
The legacy you can visit is older. Expo '70 Commemorative Park in Suita, north of the city, keeps Taro Okamoto's Tower of the Sun from the 1970 World Expo in a large park, next to the EXPOCITY shopping centre and its giant Ferris wheel. It is about 30 minutes from Umeda by subway and monorail.
Osaka Amazing Pass 2026: price and is it worth it
The Osaka Amazing Pass costs ¥3,500 ($22) for one day and ¥5,000 ($31) for two. It gives free entry to about 40 sights and free rides on trains and buses in the city, and around 50 shops and restaurants add small discounts. Versions sold at Itami Airport cost ¥3,800 and ¥5,400, and a 28-hour version from Kansai Airport costs ¥5,300.
The pass pays for itself only if you visit three or four paid sights in a day: for example the castle (¥1,200), Tsutenkaku (¥1,500) and Umeda Sky (¥2,000) already make ¥4,700. It does not cover Universal Studios Japan. On a day of free sights, the Enjoy Eco Card is better value: unlimited subway and city buses for ¥820 on weekdays and ¥620 at weekends and on holidays. Check the current list of included sights on the official pass website before you buy, as it changes from year to year.
How many days in Osaka, and how to plan them
Three days suit most first visits: two for the city and one for Universal Studios Japan or a day trip. With a fourth or fifth day, Osaka becomes a base for Kyoto, Nara and Kobe, often cheaper for hotels than Kyoto itself.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon and evening |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Kuromon Market, Shinsaibashi, Amerikamura | Den Den Town, then Hozenji Yokocho and Dotonbori at night |
| Day 2 | Osaka Castle and Nishinomaru Garden | Nakazakicho, Umeda Sky Building at sunset |
| Day 3 | Universal Studios Japan from opening | Stay until closing, or the Kaiyukan by ferry |
| Day 4 | Sumiyoshi Taisha, Shitenno-ji | Abeno Harukas 300, then Shinsekai and kushikatsu |
Day trips from Osaka: Kyoto, Nara, Kobe and Himeji
Kyoto, the temples and geisha district
A JR special rapid train links Osaka Station and Kyoto Station in about 30 minutes for ¥580, and the Hankyu and Keihan private lines reach central Kyoto from Umeda and Yodoyabashi. One day covers Fushimi Inari and Gion, or Kiyomizu-dera and the old streets of Higashiyama. Our guide to the best things to do in Kyoto sorts the temples by area so that a day from Osaka is not spent on buses.
Nara, the deer park and Todai-ji
Kintetsu trains from Osaka Namba reach Kintetsu Nara Station in about 40 minutes, a short walk from Nara Park. The park's deer roam free, and Todai-ji houses a 15-metre bronze Buddha in one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. Half a day is enough for the park, Todai-ji and Kasuga Taisha. Do not feed the deer anything but the crackers sold in the park.
Kobe, the harbour and Kobe beef
JR special rapid trains reach Sannomiya, central Kobe, in about 20 minutes from Osaka Station. Come for the harbour front, the old foreign residences of Kitano, the Chinatown of Nankinmachi and a Kobe beef lunch, which is cheaper at midday than at dinner. Arima Onsen, one of Japan's oldest hot spring towns, is a 30-minute bus ride behind the mountains.
Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle is the finest original castle in Japan, 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka by Shinkansen or about an hour on a JR special rapid. Our Himeji Castle guide has the tickets, hours and the best route up.
A Japan Rail Pass rarely pays off for these short trips: Kyoto, Nara and Kobe each cost under ¥1,500 return. Our Japan Rail Pass guide shows when it does, and the Shinkansen guide covers the bullet train from Tokyo, about 2 hours 30 minutes to Shin-Osaka.
Osaka budget per day for tourists in 2026
Our estimates per person and per day, two people sharing a room, at 160 yen to the dollar. They exclude flights, shopping and the Universal Studios Japan ticket.
| Per person, per day | Budget | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where you sleep | Hostel, capsule: ¥5,000 | 3-star hotel: ¥10,000 | 4 to 5-star hotel: ¥25,000 |
| Food | ¥3,000 | ¥6,000 | ¥13,000 |
| Subway and trains | ¥820 Enjoy Eco Card | ¥1,000 | ¥3,000 with taxis |
| Sights and tickets | ¥1,500 | ¥3,500 or the Amazing Pass | ¥5,000 |
| Total | about ¥10,300 ($64) | about ¥20,500 ($128) | about ¥46,000 ($288) |
Osaka is a little cheaper than Tokyo for hotels and noticeably cheaper for food: a tray of takoyaki costs under ¥1,000 and a kushikatsu dinner with a drink about ¥2,000 to ¥3,000. Our Tokyo guide has the same table for comparison.
Where to stay in Osaka for sightseeing
Namba suits a first trip, with Dotonbori on the doorstep and direct trains to Kansai Airport, while Umeda is better for day trips by JR and for the Yumesaki Line to the theme park. Our guide on where to stay in Osaka compares the areas and hotels. Coming from Hiroshima? A stop at Miyajima fits on the way.