Osaka is one of Japan’s largest cities, with about 2.8 million people in the city proper, and the main urban centre of the Kansai region. Its roots go back to ancient Naniwa, an early port and former imperial capital site in the 7th century, and it later grew into a major merchant city known as the “Kitchen of Japan” during the Edo period. Today Osaka is best known for food, nightlife, shopping, comedy, neon streets and a more direct, rough-edged energy than Tokyo or Kyoto. Key areas include Dotonbori and Namba for bars, restaurants and late-night crowds, Shinsaibashi and Amerikamura for shopping and youth culture, Umeda for transport, towers and department stores, and Osaka Castle for the city’s main historic landmark. Osaka also has a strong underground music scene, with rock, punk and metal bars, record shops and small venues spread through Namba, Shinsaibashi, Umeda and surrounding districts. Getting in and around is straightforward via Kansai International Airport, Itami Airport, Shin-Osaka Shinkansen station, JR lines, private railways and the Osaka Metro.

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