Tourist Attractions in Osaka

The Kansai region's capital, home to more than 18 million people, attracts travellers with its distinctive traditional cuisine, nightlife and cultural attractions. The rich history of the city area goes far back to the Jōmon period, from 14,000 until 300 BC, but the city's origins date back to the 4th century, when Osaka became an important port linking the western part of the island with the eastern part. The port of Naniwazu, among other things, linked traders and travellers from Korea, China and other Asian nations, through which Japan acquired ceramic products, technological and engineering innovations and the Buddhist religion, which had a profound influence on Japanese culture. The town has been renovated several times throughout its historical eras.

Osaka's main cultural activity is manzai comedy, and the residents are considered to be the friendliest and funniest people in Japan. Traditional Japanese stand-up comedy is usually written for two actors. The roles of Tsukkomi and Boke are a wordplay of composed messages, complemented by humour and comic quirks. The characteristics of the roles of Tsukkomi and Boke show the mood expressed in Boke's forgetfulness and Tsukkomi's precision. Boke's misunderstanding is always explained by the role of Tsukkomi, who interferes in every statement Boke makes. The theme of Japanese comedy is present in modern forms of Japanese media such as anime, drama and film. Stand-up comedians perform manzai comedy in the Kansai dialect.

Tourist map with activities for anyone

Universal Studios Japan is a theme park, where countless fun games, shows, movies and attractions await you. You can choose from a variety of offers presented by the park. The theme park is made up of around thirty restaurants and fifty shops. The park opened in Osaka, Japan, in 2001, the first Universal Studios theme park to open outside the United States. The theme park is visited by over 10 million visitors a year, who can relax in the land of Harry Potter, Hello Kitty, Jurassic Park, Spider-Man, as well as in the clouds with Snoopy.

teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka is a tourist attraction and an outdoor botanical garden with 1200 different species of plants. The botanical garden opened its doors in 1974 in Nagai park, an urban city park, which was opened to the public in 1944. The Nagai Botanical Garden covers more than 240,000 square kilometres and is home to a variety of bird species, such as the goshawk and the owl. As day turns to night, teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka transforms the park into an art installation, where the visitor himself becomes part of the art installation in relation to nature and other visitors.

Sakai Knife Factory is a small city museum named Sakai Traditional Crafts Museum, where you can see the process of knife making and the traditional Japanese technique of knife sharpening. The Sakai Traditional Crafts Museum offers traditional handicrafts and Japanese sweets on the first floor, where the shop is located, and a collection of traditional Japanese knives on the second floor. The museum's exhibition space shows the making of traditional industrial activities, with an overview of the historical background and working methods. Sakai Knife Factory has been open for visitors for over a hundred years.

LEGOLAND is a children's amusement centre with 3 million LEGO bricks, where kids can watch a 4D LEGO movie with special effects or take time out to play on the DUPLO Farm. In the village and on the DUPLO Farm, children learn how to assemble the blocks and prepare for their journey to the LEGOLAND Research Centre with the songs of the DUPLO Jams. The DUPLO Farm is especially suitable for children aged from 1 to 5 years. The LEGOLAND amusement centre shows a large diorama of Osaka built with LEGO bricks and some other attractions in the centre with a bar and a shop.

Himeji Palace and Arima Onsen Spa Resort is an offer for a 9-hour trip outside the area of Osaka. A visit to a 14th-century palace in Hyogo Prefecture is complemented by a visit to the natural thermal springs of the mountain area near Kobe. Himeji Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, representing an important part of Japanese cultural history. Arima Onsen's natural thermal springs are divided into two types of springs. Kinsen, the golden hot spring and Ginsen, the silver hot spring. Instead of the springs, you can see the western part of Kyu Kyoryuchi and the architecture from the 1800s.

Culinary challenge and accommodation with Hostelling International

Try out traditional Japanese dishes in the Shinsekai neighbourhood, which was inspired by New York and Paris. The southern part of the neighbourhood is built on a model of New York, while the northern part is built on a model of Paris. Shinsekai neighbourhood was founded in 1912. Trying out 10 different Japanese dishes starts out with a food stall and continues to a market, a restaurant, a Japanese bar izakaya and a traditional Japanese restaurant. Explore the non-touristic locations of Osaka and get to know the city's abandoned districts, retro areas, streets, red-light districts, casinos, etc. Learn about the past and modern times through historical facts and anecdotes from the lives of the people of Kansai, try two Japanese dishes at two stalls and learn about taboo topics in Osaka.

Book your room at the Shin-Osaka YH hostel in a fantastic location close to Shin-Osaka Station, where you can access all the districts of the city. One or two day metro ticket offers discounts on up to 30 attractions, including Tsūtenkaku Tower and Osaka Palace. The ticket can also be used for the city bus. A booking at the Shin-Osaka YH Hostel comes with a large collection of popular Japanese manga comics, Monday nights of Nintendo Wii games, computers and a common room with a TV. The hostel is located inside the KOKO Plaza Youth Centre, on the 10th floor, with a beautiful view of the city.

What to do for a fun day?

Osaka offers many options for sightseeing, with a wide variety of tourist attractions from different eras and for different purposes. You can spend the day in the Dotonbori entertainment district, famous for the iconic 1935 Glico Man or the ROR Comedy Club and English-language stand-up comedy. Local produce and traditional Japanese dishes can be found at Kuromon Market and Sennichimae Doguyasuji shopping street. For an American-style leisure experience, visit the Amerika-mura shopping centre, where the Misono Building serves typical Ossac drinks and Japanese cuisine. For more travel tips on how to survive a trip to Osaka, check out the article by the HI Slovenia – Osaka, Self-organised trips.

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