Bay Area

The Osaka Bay Area is a relatively new district in the city, a popular neighborhood for families and youngsters filled with entertainment, shopping, museums, theme parks and restaurants. The area is situated on a series of man-made waterfront islands and peninsulas overlooking Osaka Bay and the Inland Sea. A large variety of tourist attractions are featured in the neighborhood including the famous Osaka Aquarium, the Tempozan Ferris Wheel, and Universal Studios Japan. Visitors will find many fine dining options situated around the theme park area featuring Japanese and Western style food, a mall and marketplace around the Ferris wheel, outlets malls, shops, restaurants and amusement facilities situated around the ATC (Asia Pacific Trade Center) in the south harbor.

Kita Umeda

The Kita district is also known as Umeda and is one of Osaka`s two main city centers. Located between the two main stations, Osaka and Umeda, which makes it one of the busiest transportations hub in the city`s business district. The district features narrow streets packed with restaurants, shopping, hotels, bars, clubs, and entertainment. Shopping is a big draw with several department stores and an underground network of malls and the HEP (Hankyu Entertainment Park) entertainment park featuring six floors of shopping and restaurants along with a cluster of department stores, boutiques, and buildings filled with fashion shops situated around Umeda Station. This is a great place to stay in the city filled with plenty of hotels and providing easy access for exploring the sights during the day. It is a lively buzzing neighborhood at night filled with bars, restaurants and karaoke bars.

Minami

Minami is Kita`s counterpart district located south of the Osaka Station, it is a cultural, commercial hub with the main train station Namba situated here. The neighborhood was the main theater district back in the day and still features many theaters today where comedy shows known as `manzai` are the main attraction and a big part of the Kansai culture dating back to the Edo period. Home to the Namba Grand Kagetsu which is the main stage for Yoshimoto Kogyo a famous comic in Japan, the National Bunraku Theater and Shochiku-za are also located in the area. One of the city`s most famous entertainment and shopping districts with a wide variety of famous restaurants in the Dotombori district which is filled with neon lights and signs and one of the best places to eat in the city. The main fashion districts can be found in Horie and Shinsaibashi where traditional shopping streets are filled with unique boutiques, high-class brand name shops, and quaint cafes.

Osaka Castle

The Osaka Castle and Osaka Castle Park area are one of the most attractive and visited neighborhoods in the city. The castle is one of the main symbols of the city and the most visited attraction in Osaka dating back to the 16th century. The massive park covers 260 acres decorated with pristinely manicured lawns and beautiful cherry blossom trees which are best viewed during spring (early April) with their spectacular blooms `hanami`. Many attractions can be found in the surrounding neighborhood including the Osaka Municipal Museum, the Toyokuni-Jinja Shrine, Osaka-jo Hall and the Tenjin-matsuri Festival during the summer. The castle area is surrounded by waterways providing river cruises and promenades on each side of the river which is perfect for strolling along. High-class hotels, great restaurants, and shopping streets can be found in this historical location.

Tennoji

The neighborhood of Tennoji is named after the Shitenno-Ji Temple of the four heavenly kings located in the area. This is a well-known location of some of the tallest skyscrapers in Japan, including Abeno Harukas. The Tennoji station is the city`s main southeastern train station and one of largest transport hubs in the city. Some popular attractions featured in the area include the Tennoji Park and Zoo, Shitennoji Temple, Osaka Municipal Museum of Art and the Tennoji Botanical Gardens. Tennoji boasts such a convenient location with an old town charm making it a popular place to live and stay. The Kintetsu Department Store takes up the first 14 floors of the Abeno Harukas building making it one of the largest department stores in all of Japan. Other major shopping destinations include Mio, Station Plaza, Hoop and Q`s Mall. Shinsekai is a great entertainment district offering an abundance of restaurants with some of the best food around.