What to do in Osaka · merchants, comedians and food

A free public travel map by Offbeat Japan · 10 places

All 10 places on this map are pinned at their exact location. Each one comes with a short note on what it is and why it is worth your time. Browsing is free, and with an Ikuzo account you can copy the whole map and reshape it into your own trip.

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Dotonbori

An unashamed tourist trap, and you should still go: at night around 9 p.m., when the bars light up. The Glico Running Man has been there since 1935; it survived the war because the company took it down to salvage the bulbs.

Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku Tower

A district laid out in 1912, modeled on Paris to the west and Coney Island to the east, and it still shows in the streets. Working-class Osaka, the home of kushikatsu. The rule: never double-dip a skewer in the shared sauce.

Osaka Castle

A 1931 concrete reconstruction, with a glass elevator in the facade that you notice as soon as you walk around it. Decent museum, striking silhouette, pleasant park. Best in spring, for the cherry blossoms.

Daisen Kofun, the tomb of Nintoku

The largest tomb in the world by area: 486 m long, keyhole-shaped from the air, dating from the 5th century. Off limits, it's sacred. UNESCO since 2019.

Sakai City Hall observatory

This is where the kofun makes sense: from the ground you only see a wooded hill. The view changes how you think about Japanese archaeology, and entry is free.

Katsuō-ji, the Daruma temple

45 minutes by train from the center, deep in the Mino forest. Thousands of small red daruma left after a wish came true, on every ledge, every step, every tree trunk. The opposite of the minimalism you expect from Japan.

Tenjinbashisuji and Tenma Market

Japan's longest shopping street, and the market that still serves the neighborhood. Go here rather than Kuromon; it's also a very good izakaya area at night.

Nakanoshima

The island between the two arms of the river, with its museums and rose garden. Where Osakans spend a slow afternoon, far from the neon. The exact opposite of Dotonbori.

Koshien Stadium

Technically in Nishinomiya, between Osaka and Kobe. A Hanshin Tigers game is the burst of fervor that foreigners always miss. The stadium dates from 1924.

Kuromon Ichiba

Know this before you go: since 2018 it has largely become a tourist trap, with doubled prices and stalls that sell only to foreigners. I list it so you know what to expect, not to send you there.