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Namba Yasaka Shrine

If you visit just one shrine in the Namba district, make it Namba Yasaka Shrine (Namba Yasaka-jinja). Its enormous lion head-shape building and cherry blossom trees dotted around the sh

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Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho

Located inside the Tempozan Marketplace, this is a faux Edo-era shopping street lined with small restaurants selling all the usual Osaka specialties like okonomiyaki, takoyaki and kushikatsu. This is

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Naniwa No Miya Palace Ruins

A short walk from Osaka Castle leads you to the Naniwa-no-Miya Palace Ruins - arguably Osaka's best secret park. It's a great place to kick back and relax as it's not too crowded. ![

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National Museum Of Art Osaka

Those who love contemporary art won't want to miss the National Museum of Art (NMAO). Located on Nakanoshima Island in the Kita district, NMAO boasts a

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Negiyaki Yamamoto Umeda Est

Comfy all-ages dining and a craft beer menu, with a spotlight on okonomiyaki's scallion-stuffed sibling. ![Close up of a portion of pork negiyaki on the teppan in the Yamamoto restaurant, Osaka](http

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Nifrel

Nifrel is a futuristic new attraction that's part aquarium, part zoo and part science museum. It's a little pricey, but it would be a great way to occupy the kids for a few hours, especially on a rain

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Nishihara

December 2023: We've heard reports that foreigners are unwelcome at this restaurant now, so it might be better to try elsewhere. A short walk east of Osaka Castle Park, Nis

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Nishiya

Located a hop and a skip away from Shinsaibashi Station, Nishiya is a long-standing, popular udon restaurant that's great for a hearty meal in between all the shopping. They serve other dishes besides

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Northern Osaka

There are several great attractions in northern Osaka, including the superb Open-Air Museum of Japanese Farmhouses and the lovely Minoh Falls. But best of all is the brilliant collection of sights at

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Odoru Udon

If you're looking for a super-fast, cheap, hearty meal, udon is the way to go. Odoru Udon near Umeda Station is a great place to get your fix without the crowds. ![Bukkake udon with maitake tempura,

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Oizumi Ryokuchi Park

Located in Sakai City, south of Osaka, this massive park is arguably the best-uninterrupted expanse of green lawn in the entire Kansai region. Besides the spacious lawn, there's also a sheep enclosure

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Onyado Nono Osaka Yodoyabashi

The Onyado Nono is a good Japanese-style hotel located in the convenient Yodoyabashi area. The main draw here is the "onsen" and the ryokan feeling throughout. ![Brightly-coloured guestroom with larg

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Open Air Museum Of Old Japanese Farmhouses

The Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses is a wonderful collection of 12 traditional Japanese farmhouses. Each of the farmhouses were transported from all over central Japan and reconstructed he

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Osaka 1 Day Cherry Blossom Itinerary

Osaka might not be as famous as nearby Kyoto for cherry blossoms, but there are actually plenty of good cherry blossom spots in the city. Here's a 1-day Osaka cherry blossom itinerary, plus a few tip

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Osaka 2 Day Itinerary With Children

Osaka is full of great child-friendly attractions. This itinerary is the best way to sample the best of them during a 2-day visit. ![Dotombori Arcade in Minami](https://photos.smugmug.com/Osaka/Osaka

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Osaka 1 Day Itinerary

Even 1 day is enough to get a good taste of Osaka. I've put together the perfect 1-day itinerary to help you get the most out of one full day in Osaka. ![Osaka Castle and tall buildings](https://phot

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Osaka 1 Day Itinerary With Children

Osaka is a great place to travel with children with some of Japan's best child-friendly attractions. Here's the perfect 1-day itinerary for families with children. ![Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. Photo Cr

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Osaka 2 Day Itinerary

Two days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Osaka. This 2-day itinerary allows you to get the best of the city without tiring yourself out. ![Osaka Castle and Kitahama Area](https://photos.smu

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Osaka 3 Day Itinerary

If you have three days, you can really explore the different districts of Osaka. Our 3-day Osaka itinerary allows you to see the best sights efficiently and easily. ![Yodo-gawa Rive and Kita Area](ht

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Osaka Aquarium

Osaka Aquarium is one of the city's premier attractions, and one of the best aquariums in the world. It does come with a slightly expensive price tag, but we think it's worth it. Just be prepared for

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Osaka Bay Area

The Osaka Bay Area is home to two huge entertainment complexes: Universal Studios Japan, an American-style theme park, and Tempozan, which includes the superb Osaka Aquarium, a giant Ferris wheel and

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Osaka Buses

Osaka has a great bus system, but few travelers use it because the subway system is so much easier and more convenient. For those who do want to ride the buses in Osaka, we provide all the details her

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Osaka Castle Area

Osaka Castle and Osaka Castle Park form the most attractive part of Osaka and should be high on any visitor's list. Nearby, there are some great restaurants and hotels, making it a good place to stay.

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Osaka Castle Park

Visiting Osaka Castle? Make sure you spare some time for the surrounding park. There are often street performers and free concerts on the park grounds, and it's a fun, lively place for cherry blossom

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Osaka Districts

Osaka is a bipolar city -- it's divided into two major urban hubs: Kita and Minami (which mean North and South in Japanese). There are three other major hubs around these, as well as Shin-Osaka (the c

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Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle (known as Osaka-jo in Japanese) is the city's premier tourist attraction, and with good reason: it's a stunning sight, rising up and commanding the skyline of the entire east side of the

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Osaka Cherry Blossoms When And Where

Osaka is a surprisingly good place to check out Japan's famous cherry blossoms. The trees are beautiful and the locals are always up for a party. Here are the best spots and average blooming dates. !

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Osaka Fall Foliage

Osaka is more than just tall buildings and neon -- it's got some great parks and green spaces. Starting in mid-October, the leaves turn color and you can enjoy the autumn foliage right through Decembe

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Osaka Hotels

Osaka has great hotels in all budget classes. Here are the best Osaka hotels in each budget class, all personally inspected. ![Large bed angled towards ceiling-to-floor windows overlooking a daytime

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Osaka Itineraries

Make the most of your time in Osaka with my carefully planned itineraries for trips from 1 to 5 days. Or use one of my special interest itineraries. And don't miss my Osaka-Kyoto and Osaka-Kyoto-Tokyo

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