Osaka (pop. 2,484,000) is synonymous with business. People in osaka greet each others with "Moo kari makka ?", which in the local dialect means "Are you making any money ?". This gives the mood for the city, which indeed has a vibrant economy, with companies like Sumitomo, Matsushita (Panasonic, National), Sharp or Suntory all coming from Osaka.
Osaka is Japan's third largest city (pop. 2,5 million) after Tokyo and Yokohama. In the Tokugawa era, it was already second only to Edo, which was the largest city in the world in the late 18th century.. Before the Shogunate moved to Edo in the 17th century, Osaka had always been the commercial capital of Japan since the earliest recorded date.
While Kyotoites are refined, elegant and well-mannered, Osakans are direct, loud and pushy, which is very much unlike other Japanese. The joke says that if the food is not good in a restaurant, the Tokyoites will eat silently, leave quickly and never come back again; the Osakan will complain noisily but continue to eat; and the Kyotoite will go and meet the manager discreetly after eating and tell him/her in a posh Kyoto accent that the food left to be desired.
Economically, Osaka's GDP is higher than all but 8 countries in the world. It remains the world's second most expensive city after Tokyo.
Osaka Castle 大阪城
Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered the construction of the castle in 1583 after unifying most of Japan. The huge moat and walls made of massive granite blocks took 100.000 men working for 3 years to complete, and the resulting fortress was supposed to be impregnable. Nevertheless, Tokugawa Ieyasu managed to take it and destroy the castle a mere 32 years later (in 1615).
The castle was rebuilt shortly afterwards under the Tokugawa rule, but destroyed by the same dynasty just before the Meiji restoration (1868). Today's castle is a 1931 reproduction, although the indestructible moat and granite walls are still the original.
Shitenno-ji Temple 四天王寺
Established in 593, Shitenno-ji is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan, although most buildings are modern concrete reconstructions.
The oldest part of the temple is the stone torii gate, which dates back to 1294 and is the oldest of its kind in Japan. Interestingly torii are usually only found in Shinto shrines, not Buddhist temples, making it a noteworthy exception.
Umeda
All the main railway lines have a terminal in Umeda, which makes it the de facto center of Osaka. That is the place to go shopping, with department stores such as Hankyu, Hanshin and Daimaru, as well as the immense underground shopping maze of the Umeda Chika Center.
North-West of Osaka station, the Umeda Sky Building's twin tower are one of Osaka's most obvious landmark. Visitors can access the top floors for free and contemplate the magnificent view on the port and city. The observation deck between the two towers requires a ￥1000 ticket, but the view isn't better than from the towers themselves.
Namba & Dotomburi
Minami-ku (South ward) is roughly the area comprised between Nankai Namba Station and Nagahori-dori Avenue. Other key stations are Shinsaibashi and Nipponbashi (not to be confused with Nihombashi in Tokyo, written with the same kanji).
It is an excellent place to wander around and get lost in the streets of Amerika-Mura, along the Dotomburi-gawa River or other shopping arcades. The area has enough shops, restaurants, pachinko parlours, cinemas, strip clubs or love hotels to keep the more entertainment hungry satisfied.
Universal Studios
The well-known entertainment company opened its Japanese branch in Osaka's Sakurajima district on 31 March 2001. It is the most obvious rival of Tokyo's Disneyland, and has already brought crowds of Japanese from the whole country to Osaka.
Osaka is the main transport hub in the Kansai region. There are trains to most destinations, including shinkansen to Tokyo (2h40min to 3h, ￥14,250), Nagoya (55min, ￥6,580), Hiroshima (1h40min, ￥10,350) and Fukuoka/Hakata (about 3h, ￥15,090).
The nearest airports are Osaka Itami (15min by bus from Umeda station or 25min by bus from Shin-Osaka station) and Kansai International Airport (45min from Shin-Osaka station, ￥1,320). Both have flights to the major destinations within Japan and overseas.
All the main railway lines have a terminal in Umeda, which makes it the de facto center of Osaka. That is the place to go shopping, with department stores such as Hankyu, Hanshin and Daimaru, as well as the immense underground shopping maze of the Umeda Chika Center.