Built in the 1500s, Osaka Castle was supposed to be impregnable
Built in the 1500s, Osaka Castle was supposed to be impregnable
As the powerhouse of the Kansai region, Osaka struts its modern architecture, neon-drenched nightlife and alluring street food with unabashed pride.
The frenetic central-city pleasure precinct of Dotonbori is primed for people watching, a head-spinning throng of shops, eateries and neon excess.
The famous Glico billboard is Dotonbori's essential photo-stop in this canal-side entertainment district, which is brimming with pink salons, karaoke bars and pachinko parlours. I also strolled through the splendid Ebisubashi Shopping Arcade, a roofed shopping stretch bursting with kimonos, jewellery, cooking equipment, and fast-food vendors.
The head-spinning neon excess of Dotonbori, great for people watching
Don't miss the centuries-old Hozenji Temple which features a statue completely covered in moss.
The moss continues to thrive with the water that worshippers often pour over it.
For pure sensory escapism, the neon bling of Shinsekai is worth a wander, despite its seedy overtones.
Shinsekai district was developed before the war as an entertainment zone, crowned by an Eiffel Tower lookalike
The district was developed before the war as an entertainment zone, crowned by Tsutenkaku Tower, a nostalgic symbol and observation deck, inspired by the Eiffel Tower. The southern part of Shinsekai was modelled on New York's Coney Island.
A venerable Shinsekai snack is kushikatsu, which is composed of various skewered, battered and deep-fried foods. Varieties on offer range from chicken and beef, to pumpkin and asparagus, to the banana and icecream dessert varieties.
Many of Shinsekai's kushikatsu restaurants are open 24 hours, but only truly burst into life after dark. Osaka is home to a quirky little museum that traces the history of instant ramen, a national craze, which Japanese citizens once voted as their country's greatest invention of the 20th century.
You'll find a sprawling exhibit of instant noodles, the riveting tale behind the first cup of instant ramen ever created in 1958, an instant noodle "tunnel", and a shed dedicated to the birth of chicken ramen.
If you need a breather from all the bling and vertical concrete boxes, the expansive verdant embrace of Osaka Castle Park is a detox delight. It's a gold-rated attraction in spring, given it's home to 1200 plum trees and 600 cherry trees.
The starring centrepiece of this immaculately maintained park, clad with artful statues and shady canopies, is the historic castle. Construction started in 1583 as a display of power by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, after he achieved his mission of unifying Japan.
One hundred thousand workers slogged their guts out building this "impregnable" granite showpiece, which was destroyed three decades later by an invading army.
It was subsequently rebuilt only to fall into disrepair, before being fully reconstructed in 1931. It miraculously survived the city-wide air raids during World War II. Swathed in moats, stone walls, trees and gardens, it's an unremitting photogenic feast.
