Osaka

Osaka has a reputation in Japan for two things: food and directness. The city gave the country takoyaki — the octopus-filled batter balls cooked on griddles at street stalls throughout Dōtonbori — and okonomiyaki, the savoury pancake that each neighbourhood makes slightly differently and considers its own. The phrase kuidaore, meaning “eat until you drop” or “ruined by extravagance in food”, is an Osaka invention, and the neon-lit restaurant streets of the Namba district make the claim plausible at any hour of the night. Osaka's residents are also known for being warmer and more direct than the reserved social register of Tokyo, a difference that becomes apparent within the first few hours in the city.

Beyond the food, Osaka has a castle — Osaka-jo, rebuilt in 1931 on the site of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 16th-century original — surrounded by a park that is one of the best cherry blossom sites in western Japan. The Shinsekai district, built in the early 20th century as an entertainment quarter modelled on Paris and New York, has aged into something altogether more characterful: a neighbourhood of kushikatsu restaurants, old-school pachinko parlours, and the Tsutenkaku tower, which Osaka locals regard with the affectionate indifference that residents tend to have for their own landmarks. Halal food in Osaka has expanded significantly, particularly around Namba and Shinsaibashi, where certified halal restaurants and Muslim-friendly establishments are now well-established.

Osaka is the natural base for the Kansai region — Kyoto is 15 minutes by Shinkansen, Nara is 45 minutes by train, Kobe is 20 minutes. Two to three nights in the city gives you Dotonbori, the castle, and enough eating to understand what the fuss is about; a base stay of four to five nights allows for day trips across Kansai without rushing. For travellers arriving or departing through Kansai International Airport, Osaka is the logical entry point to western Japan and one of the most enjoyable cities in the country to spend time in.