Introduction to: Osaka

This article is based on a visit made on Sunday, 20 November 2016.

Edit 11 June 2018: Added excursions, and updated article to reflect the sale of the subway system to the private company Osaka Metro.
Edit 7 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.

Osaka (大阪, Ōsaka, lit. 'big slope') is Japan's third-largest city by population (behind Tokyo and Yokohama), and largest in the mid-western Kansai region.  Formerly known as Naniwa (難波), the city briefly served as the capital of ancient Japan in the 7th and 8th centuries AD.  Ever since then, it still served as Japan's economic powerhouse.  Back then, it was an important hub of land and sea trade, and even today many companies are based in the Osaka area, including the electronics companies Panasonic, Sharp, and Sanyo.  As with many industrialised cities in Japan, it was razed by aerial bombing in World War II, so don't expect too many historical sites.  Do expect, on the other hand, a vast array of entertainment and dining opportunities.  Osaka is the home of nationally-famous foodstuffs like takoyaki (grilled octopus dumplings) and okonomiyaki (cabbage pancake), as well as specialised versions of sushi and udon noodles.

Main Attractions

1) Osaka Station City: The area surrounding Osaka and Umeda stations.

2) Umeda Sky Building: A modern, glass-covered skyscraper with a 360-degree viewing deck.

3) Osaka Castle: A reconstructed castle steeped in history.

4) Osaka Museum of History: A museum focused on the history of the Osaka city and region.

By W236 at Japanese Wikipedia [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

5) Shinsaibashi: A collection of shopping avenues, including the youthful Amerika-mura.

6) Dotonbori: A neon-glazed smorgasbord of dining and advertising.

DVMG [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

7) Den-Den Town: Osaka's answer to Akihabara, selling electronics, otaku goods, and more.

8) Shinsekai: A dining and nightlife district with a distinct mid-20th-century flavour.

9) Abeno Harukas: The tallest building in Japan, with a department store and an observation deck.

10) Sumiyoshi-taisha: A Shinto shrine that predates Buddhist cultural influence.

By 663highland [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY 2.5], from Wikimedia Commons

11) Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan: A huge aquarium collecting sea life from the Pacific Ocean.

By momopy [CC-BY-SA-3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

12) Universal Studios Japan: A popular, movie-based theme park.

Orientation

Osaka has two major central districts.  Kita (meaning "north") is centred around Osaka and Umeda stations, and Minami (meaning "south") is centred around Namba Station.  Other stations of note are Shin-Osaka, to the north of Osaka/Umeda, and Tennoji, to the southeast of Namba.  The central parts of the city are surrounded by the JR Osaka Loop Line, similar to the Yamanote line in Tokyo.  Major stops along the Osaka Loop Line include Osaka in the north and Tennoji in the south.  A network of eight subway lines criss-crosses the city, with the Midosuji line being the most useful to tourists.  It runs north-to-south for much of its length, and links all four stations mentioned above.

The following railway companies operate in the Osaka area:

• JR Central operates the high-speed Tokaido Shinkansen to the east.
• JR West operates the high-speed Sanyo Shinkansen to the west.  They also operate many local lines in the area, including the Osaka Loop (O), Kyoto/Kobe (A), and Yamatoji (Q) lines.
• The Osaka Metro network (formerly owned, until April 2018, by the Osaka Municipal Transport Bureau) consists of eight lines throughout the city.  The Yotsubashi (Y), Midosuji (M), Sakaisuji (K), Tanimachi (T), and Imazatosuji (I) lines run north-south through the city centre, and the Chuo (C), Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi (N), and Sennichimae (S) lines run east-west.  Their network also includes the New Tram (P), an automated people-mover along the Osaka Bay area.
• Kintetsu operates a dense network of lines throughout the Kansai region.  Their Osaka (D) and Nara (A) lines depart from Osaka-Namba Station, and their Minami-Osaka (F) line departs from Osaka-Abenobashi Station near Tennoji.
• Hankyu operates a set of lines connecting Osaka to major cities in the Kansai region.  Their Kobe (HK), Takarazuka (HK), and Kyoto (HK) lines all start at Umeda Station, and terminate in their respective cities.
• Nankai operates a set of lines departing southwards from Namba Station.  Their main line (NK) travels south to Wakayama, their Airport (NK) branch line serves Kansai International Airport, and their Koya (NK) line travels south to Mount Koya.
• Hankai, a child company of Nankai, operates a pair of tram lines in the south of Osaka.  The Hankai (HN) line starts near Shin-Imamiya, and the Uemachi (HN) line starts near Tennoji.
• Hanshin operates a line connecting Osaka and Kobe.  Their main line (HS) departs from Umeda Station, and terminates at Motomachi Station in central Kobe, and their Namba (HS) branch line departs from Osaka-Namba Station.
• Keihan operates a line connecting Osaka and Kyoto.  Their main line (KH) departs from Yodoyabashi Station, in the middle of the Osaka Loop, and terminates in the east of Kyoto.
• The Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway (M) is an extension of the Midosuji (M) subway line, linking it with the Osaka Monorail to the north.
• The Osaka Monorail runs east from Itami Airport, and has connections to various subway and Hankyu lines.  It also stops at the former site of the 1970 World Expo.

There are many rail passes which include free use of different lines in and around Osaka.  For more information, please read my article "Rail Passes of the Kansai Region".  There are a few others which are specific to Osaka:

• The Osaka 1-Day Pass covers all Osaka Metro subway lines and Osaka Municipal buses for one calendar day, and also grants discounted admission to many tourist attractions around the city.  It costs ¥700, and is available for non-Japanese visitors only.  More information: (English)
• The Osaka Amazing Pass also covers the same subways and buses, but includes free admission to some tourist sites in the city, and discounts for others.  It costs ¥2,700 for one day, and ¥3,600 for two consecutive days.  The one-day version, but not the two-day, also covers sections of the Hankyu, Hanshin, Keihan, Kintetsu, and Nankai networks. More information: (English)
• The Kansai Thru Pass includes all of Osaka's subways and buses in its coverage area.  Due to its price, however, it is best combined with excursions to other Kansai cities, such as Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe.  When purchased online, it costs ¥4,300 for two non-consecutive days, or ¥5,300 for three days.  More information: (English)

Access

Osaka is served by two airports.  Kansai International Airport (IATA code: KIX), located 40km (25 miles) south of central Osaka, serves both domestic and international flights, including low-cost carriers.  For more information on transportation to and from Kansai Airport, read my Know Your Trains article on the Haruka and Rapi:t express trains.  Osaka International Airport, a.k.a. Itami Airport (IATA code: ITM), is 10km (6 miles) to the north, and serves only domestic flights.  To reach central Osaka from Itami Airport, take the Osaka Monorail and transfer to the Hankyu Takarazuka line (total 30 minutes/¥430 to Umeda) or the Osaka Metro Midosuji line (total 40 minutes/¥710 to Umeda, 55 minutes/¥810 to Tennoji).

From other Japanese cities, the easiest and fastest way to reach Osaka is by bullet train.  Shin-Osaka Station is the junction of the Tokaido Shinkansen, heading east to Tokyo, and the Sanyo Shinkansen, heading west to Fukuoka.  All five Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen services stop at Shin-Osaka.  Travel times and fares from major cities are as follows:

City	Time (Kodama)	Time (Hikari)	Time (Nozomi)	Time (Sakura)	Time (Mizuho)	Fare (Reserved)
Tokyo	235 minutes	175 minutes	150 minutes	N/A	N/A	¥14,440
Nagoya	50 minutes	50-65 minutes	65 minutes	N/A	N/A	¥6,470
Kyoto	15 minutes	15 minutes	15 minutes	N/A	N/A	¥2,860
Kobe (Shin-Kobe)	15 minutes	15 minutes	15 minutes	15 minutes	15 minutes	¥2,940
Hiroshima	150 minutes	95-150 minutes	90 minutes	90 minutes	90 minutes	¥10,420
Fukuoka (Hakata)	300 minutes	160-180 minutes	150 minutes	150 minutes	145 minutes	¥15,280

If you are coming in from other cities in Kansai, and do not wish to spend extra on Shinkansen fare, there are a variety of regular train services you can take instead.  Of the three JR services, Special Rapid trains are both the fastest and cheapest, which often means they get more crowded.  If you have one of the JR West area passes (which cover normal and express trains between the two cities, but not the Tokaido Shinkansen), you may want to consider taking one of the many limited express trains that cover this route, including the Haruka, Thunderbird, and so on.  They take roughly the same amount of time as Special Rapid trains, but because of their extra cost, they should be less crowded.  Non-JR services are slower than their JR alternatives, but also cheaper.  They are not covered by the Japan Rail Pass, but are instead covered by the Kansai Thru Pass.

Line	Service	Start Station	End Station	Time	Fare
From Kyoto
JR Kyoto (A)	Limited Express	Kyoto	Osaka	30 minutes	¥1,750*
	Special Rapid				¥570
Hankyu Kyoto (HK)	Limited Express	Karasuma	Umeda	45 minutes	¥400
Keihan Main (KH)	Limited Express	Sanjo	Yodoyabashi	50 minutes	¥420
From Kobe
JR Kobe (A)	Limited Express	Sannomiya	Osaka	20 minutes	¥1,600*
	Special Rapid			25 minutes	¥410
Hankyu Kobe (HK)	Limited Express	Kobe-Sannomiya	Umeda	30 minutes	¥320
Hanshin Main (HS)	Limited Express	Kobe-Sannomiya	Umeda	30 minutes	¥320
From Nara
JR Yamatoji (Q)	Yamatoji Rapid	Nara	Namba	45 minutes	¥570
			Osaka	60 minutes	¥810
Kintetsu Nara (A)	Limited Express	Kintetsu-Nara	Osaka-Namba	35 minutes	¥1,090*
	Rapid Express			40 minutes	¥570

*Fare for reserved seating.
Times and fares are based on October 2019 schedules and are subject to change.

Excursions

1) Kyoto: The nation's former capital city, with a trove of heritage treasures.
Access: See above tables.

2) Nara: Another of Japan's former capitals, with even more historic shrines and temples, including Todai-ji and its giant Buddha statue.
Access: See above tables.

3) Yoshino: A hillside town surrounded by thousands of cherry-blossom trees.
Access: Kintetsu Minami-Osaka/Yoshino Line from Osaka-Abenobashi to Yoshino (Limited Express: 75 minutes, ¥1,510 reserved; Express: 90 minutes, ¥990).

4) Mt. Koya: A forested mountain with secluded Buddhist temples, many of which accept guests for overnight stays.
Access: Nankai Koya line from Namba to Gokurakubashi (Limited Express: 80 minutes, ¥1,680 reserved), then the Koyasan Cable Car to Koyasan (5 minutes, ¥500).

5) Kobe: A port city opened to world trade in the late 19th century.
Access: See above tables.

6) Himeji: Site of the world-famous Himeji Castle.
Access: Sanyo Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Himeji Station (30-40 minutes, ¥3,810 reserved, JR Pass OK); or JR Kobe Line (Special Rapid) from Osaka to Himeji Station (65 minutes, ¥1,520, JR Pass OK)