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Osaka: where to eat, what to see

More than 500 days in Japan, filtered down to Osaka: from okonomiyaki to the knife makers of Sakai, 48 addresses in 14 categories.

Eel and seafood on the grill at Kuromon Market
Kuromon Market, Osaka
A smith at the forge in Sakai
Sakai
A visitor before the great tank at Kaiyukan
Kaiyukan, Osaka

Neighbourhoods

Minami

  • Namba and Dotonbori 14Neon, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, crab; Kuromon Market right next door.
  • Shinsaibashi 6Curry, yakiniku, bars; the shopping streets.

Kita

  • Umeda 4Around the station: kushikatsu, tempura, katsu sando.
  • Kitashinchi 4Nightlife, gyoza and curry.
  • Tenma and Honmachi 5Sushi, tempura, a standing bar.

Around Osaka

  • Sakai 8Japan’s knife town.
  • Yamazaki 2The whisky museum, between Osaka and Kyoto.
  • Osaka Castle and east 4The castle and neighbourhood diners.
  • Elsewhere 5The aquarium, teamLab and the city’s outer edges.

Where to eat, what to see

Things to see 6Okonomiyaki, takoyaki and kushikatsu 4Sushi and seafood 3Tempura 2Meat and katsu 4Unagi 2Curry 3Gyoza and Chinese 4Ramen and udon 2Fine dining and creative cooking 2Burgers, yōshoku and sweets 4Bars and izakaya 3Shopping 8Hotels 1

Things to see6
  • Osaka CastleOsaka Castle
  • Kuromon MarketNamba’s marketNamba
  • KaiyukanAquariumTempozan
  • teamLab Botanical GardenIn Nagai Park, at nightNagai
  • Yamazaki Whisky MuseumSuntory’s Yamazaki distilleryYamazaki
  • Asahi Beer Oyamazaki VillaArt museumYamazaki
Kaisendon with uni and ikura at Kuromon Market
Kuromon Market, Osaka
Okonomiyaki, takoyaki and kushikatsu4
Okonomiyaki on the griddle at Fukutaro
Fukutaro, Namba
Sushi and seafood3
Tempura2
Tempura donburi at Tempura Tarojiro
Tempura Tarojiro, Namba
Meat and katsu4
Wagyu cut for yakiniku at Itto
Itamae Yakiniku Itto, Shinsaibashi
Unagi2
Curry3
Curry with aubergine and a fried egg at Kusaka Curry
Kusaka Curry, Osaka
Gyoza and Chinese4
Ramen and udon2
Fine dining and creative cooking2
  • KashiwayaKaisekiSuita
  • Shintan MadaraCreative cooking over wood and charcoalTenma
Burgers, yōshoku and sweets4
Bars and izakaya3
Shopping8

Sakai knives

Stores

Forged knife blades in Sakai
Sakai
Hotels1
  • Hotel Forza Osaka Namba DotonboriNamba

The full Osaka list on Google Maps →

More of the Japan guide

Listen before you go

Nilay and I gave Japan two episodes of our podcast Yemekte Bile Yemek Konuşuyoruz (in Turkish).

Cover of Yemekte Bile Yemek Konuşuyoruz, episode 17Episode 17 · Japan, part 1What Turks Love ThereRecorded in Tokyo. From sushi to Japan’s relationship with bread, the place of rice at the table, izakaya culture, tempura and curry.Listen (in Turkish) → Cover of Yemekte Bile Yemek Konuşuyoruz, episode 19Episode 19 · Japan, part 2The Food CultureWhy are more Turks traveling to Japan? Sushi legends from Jiro to Harutaka, the Japanese you need on a menu, jazz bars and junk food.Listen (in Turkish) →

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