OSAKA Walking Tour [Customize Your Itinerary]

is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

Until the end of the Meiji Era, the Kuromon Ichiba Market used to be called Emmeiji Market, because there was once a large temple called Emmeiji nearby. Since there used to be a black gate northeast of this temple, the marketplace later came to be called"Kuromon Ichiba Market"(Black Gate Market). The market has a total length of close to 600 meters with 170 shops, the vast majority of which specialize in the freshest and best quality meat, vegetables, eggs and other ingredients from around the country and abroad. Although well over half of total sales are for the business (professional chef) market, Kuromon Ichiba caters also to the general public. For more than 170 years, everyone from restaurant chefs to housewives have come here, drawn by the taste, freshness and variety of its products.

The widely known cup noodles are popular not only in Japan, but all around the world as well. Along with the standard flavors, new flavors keep getting introduced every year. A type of cup noodles sold only in Japan might be great for a souvenir as well.
However, there is an even more memorable souvenir when it comes to cup noodles. At the Cupnoodles Museum Osaka Ikeda in Osaka, you will be able to make your very own original cup noodles!

Standing 300 meters tall, Abeno Harukas in Osaka is the tallest skyscraper in Japan. The building stands on top of the Kintetsu Osaka Abenobashi Station and is conveniently located across from JR Tennoji Station. It houses a department store, an art museum, a hotel and an observation deck.
The observation deck is called "Harukas 300" and occupies the building's top three floors (floors 58 to 60). The observation deck is accessed by elevators from the 16th floor. With large floor-to-ceiling glass panels all around, the 60th floor offers 360 degree views of Osaka, while the 58th floor features an attractively designed inner court with a wooden deck and cafe. A souvenir shop and restrooms with views are also available.

Tsutenkaku Towerhinsekai ("New World") is a district in Osaka that was developed before the war and then neglected in the decades afterwards. At the district's center stands Tsutenkaku Tower, the nostalgia-evoking symbol of Shinsekai.
The area was developed into its current layout following the success of the 1903 National Industrial Exposition, which brought over five million people to the neighborhood within just five months. Shortly after the expo closed its doors, work began to improve and update Shinsekai.

Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street, which runs east to Mido-Suji Avenue, is the best-known shopping area in Osaka, and an enduring symbol of the city. With a history of 380 years, it was already an established shopping area in the Edo Period. Shops of all kinds and for all ages line the street, a roofed arcade 600 meters long. There are traditional kimono tailors, western clothing and footwear retailers, restaurants and fast food outlets, jewelers, and boutiques featuring the latest fashions. It's great to take a casual stroll through the Shinsaibashi area. Many people enjoy window-shopping and savoring the food along the way.

It is also known as "Minami", meaning south since it is located in the southern part of Osaka. The area is filled with so many restaurants and places to visit, and it becomes remarkably vibrant at night.

Namba Yasaka Shrine has one of the most unique buildings of any shrine in the world! This Osaka shrine's iconic lion head-shaped building was built in the 1970s and isn't actually very old. However, the shrine itself has a long history, and its annual festival held in January(which incorporates an awesome tug-of-war competition) is designated as an intangible folk cultural property by the Japanese government.

Sennichimae Kitchenware StreetLocated near Osaka's Namba Station, 'Sennichimae Dogayasuji Shotengai' is a shopping street that is almost entirely filled with kitchen-related shops. You can find everything from pots and pans, to knives and cutlery, to beautiful artisan dishes. Having such a strong food culture, it only makes sense that Osaka should have such an awesome kitchenware shopping street. Whether you want to bring back some high-quality Japanese dishes for a souvenir, or are searching for an awesome Japanese knife for slicing fish at home, you can find it here!

A bustling commercial street that is representative of the Minami area of Osaka, always busy with playhouses and food shops from the Edo Period to today.

The Kansai region’s biggest hot spring style theme park Solaniwa Onsen, spanning 16,500m², is set open on floors 2 to 5 at Osaka Bay Tower North on February 26, 2019.
Osaka Resort City 200 (ORC 200) changed its name to Osaka Bay Tower on March 27, 2018. Following that, Hotel Osaka Bay Tower―which welcomes all guests from business people to families―underwent a re-branding and re-opened on March 29. The tower is now set to expand its facilities even further with the grand opening of Solaniwa Onsen.
The hot spring theme park is themed on “Beauty, Healing, Taste.” It will be decked out with natural hot springs, stone saunas, relaxation facilities, restaurants, stores and more. Based on the concept of the Azuchi–Momoyama period of Japanese history, the park fuses traditional Japan with the modern to offer a unique and exceptional experience.
The area in which the park is being set up is where an already hugely popular theme park is based. A world fair is set to take place there in 2025 which will bring more international attention to the Osaka Bay area.

Universal Studios Japan (USJ) was the first theme park under the Universal Studios brand to be built in Asia. Opened in March 2001 in the Osaka Bay Area, the theme park occupies an area of 39 hectares and is the most visited amusement park in Japan after Tokyo Disney Resort.

Shitennoji (四天王寺, Shitennōji) is one of Japan's oldest temples and the first ever to be built by the state. It was founded in 593 by Prince Shotoku, who supported the introduction of Buddhism into Japan. Although the temple's buildings burned down several times throughout the centuries, they were always carefully reconstructed to reflect the original 6th century design.

The Umeda Sky Building (梅田スカイビル) is a spectacular high rise building in the Kita district of Osaka, near Osaka and Umeda Stations. It is also known as the "New Umeda City".

The 173 meter tall building consists of two towers that are connected with each other by the "Floating Garden Observatory" on the 39th floor. The observatory offers great views of the city through its windows and from its open-air deck. In the basement, there is a restaurant floor that replicates a town of the early Showa Period, while offices occupy most other floors.

Osaka's Sumiyoshi Taisha (住吉大社, "Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine") is one of Japan's oldest shrines. Founded in the 3rd century before the introduction of Buddhism, it displays a unique style of shrine architecture, called Sumiyoshi-zukuri, that is free of influence from the Asian mainland. Only two other shrine architecture styles are also considered purely Japanese: Shinmei-zukuri as seen at the Ise Shrines and Taisha-zukuri as seen at Izumo Taisha.