Osaka

Japan’s second city, Osaka is every bit the energetic, bustling, neon-lit Japan that many imagine.  A commercial and industrial hub without any major ‘sights’, your time in Osaka is really about diving headlong into  the noise and colour of modern, urban Japan. Picturesque Osaka Castle, the vast aquarium, and the three principle museums of Art, History, and Science are all worth a visit, but we especially encourage getting stuck into Osaka’s nightlife, entertainment, and shopping. Namba is the busiest district, particularly the area around Dotombori street and its iconic ‘Gilco Man’; Shinsekai has an older, nostalgic charm; while the newer districts of Umeda and Shin-Osaka are packed with skyscrapers and salarymen. Above all else Osaka is renowned as the food capital of Japan, with the locals known for the art of ‘kuidaore’ - to eat oneself to bankruptcy. Dive in!