Every Place in the Catalogue
1,610 spots
Den Den Town
Locally knownDen Den Town (でんでんタウン, short for 'denki no machi' 電気の街 'electric town') is Osaka's answer to Tokyo's Akihabara — a distr…
Day Trip to Mount Koya
Locally knownThe cable car climbing Mount Koya tilts at 26 degrees — steep enough that my feet pressed hard against the floor as we a…
Illustration — not a photographDay Trip to Nara
Locally knownNara, Japan's capital from 710–794 CE, is from Osaka by train and offers one of Japan's best day trips. The city's main…
Tenjin Matsuri
Locally knownTenjin Matsuri (天神祭) is one of Japan's three great festivals — a 1,000-year-old celebration honoring Sugawara no Michiza…
Karaoke Culture
Locally knownKaraoke (カラオケ, 'empty orchestra') was invented in Kobe (1971) but Osaka perfected the private-room format now ubiquitous…
Modern Osaka Architecture Walk
Locally knownOsaka showcases post-war Japanese modernist architecture including Metabolism movement buildings (1960s–70s architectura…
Illustration — not a photographSakai Traditional Knife Workshop
Locally knownMaster Nakamura's hands are scarred from 47 years of knife-making — pale white lines across his knuckles from where blad…
Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street
Locally knownTenjinbashisuji Shopping Street (天神橋筋商店街) holds the Guinness World Record as Japan's longest shopping arcade at 2.6 kilo…
Kobe Beef Steak
Locally knownWalking into a Kobe beef teppanyaki restaurant, you smell the sweet aroma of caramelizing fat before you see your table.…
Tsuruhashi Korea Town
Locally knownTsuruhashi Korea Town (鶴橋コリアタウン) is Osaka's largest Korean community, concentrated around Tsuruhashi Station. The distri…
Tombori River Walk
Locally knownTombori River Walk (とんぼりリバーウォーク) is a riverside promenade running alongside Dotonbori Canal, offering elevated views of…
Minoo Park
Locally knownMinoo Park (箕面公園) is a forested valley from central Osaka, famous for Minoo Falls (33m waterfall) and autumn maple color…
Instant Ramen Museum
Locally knownCupnoodles Museum Osaka Ikeda (カップヌードルミュージアム 大阪池田) celebrates the invention of instant ramen by Momofuku Ando in 1958 an…
Nakanoshima
Locally knownNakanoshima (中之島, 'island in the middle') is a 3km sandbar island between two rivers (Dojima and Tosabori) forming Osaka…
Hozenji Yokocho
Locally knownHozenji Yokocho (法善寺横丁) is a narrow 80-meter stone-paved alley lined with traditional restaurants, bars, and the moss-co…
Illustration — not a photographAbeno Harukas
Locally knownAbeno Harukas (あべのハルカス) is Japan's tallest building at 300 meters (60 floors), opened in 2014. The top three floors (58F…
Osaka Ramen
Locally knownWhile Osaka is more famous for okonomiyaki and takoyaki, the city has developed distinctive ramen styles blending tonkot…
Sumiyoshi Taisha
Locally knownSumiyoshi Taisha (住吉大社) is one of Japan's oldest Shinto shrines (founded 211 CE), predating Buddhist influence in Japan.…
Takoyaki
Locally knownTakoyaki (たこ焼き, 'fried octopus') is Osaka's signature street food — golf-ball-sized wheat-batter spheres with diced octo…
Okonomiyaki
Locally knownOkonomiyaki (お好み焼き, 'grilled as you like it') is Osaka's soul food — a savory pancake made from cabbage, batter, and top…
Kyoto Gyoza
Locally knownWhile gyoza (餃子, Chinese-style dumplings) originated in China, Kyoto has developed its own regional style emphasizing ve…
Kyoto International Manga Museum
Locally knownThe Kyoto International Manga Museum (京都国際マンガミュージアム) occupies a renovated elementary school building and houses 300,000…
Illustration — not a photographSento Imperial Palace
Locally knownSento Imperial Palace (仙洞御所) served as the residence for retired emperors from 1630 onward. The palace buildings no long…
Kyoto Machiya Stay
Locally knownMachiya are the narrow wooden townhouses that line Kyoto's older neighborhoods—three meters wide, 20 meters deep, built…
Estimated from distance to the nearest airport or shinkansen station. Confirm actual journey times before you travel.