Osaka, Japan's commercial capital, is a large port city on the island of Honshu. Known for its business opportunities along with a heritage of history, culture, and sports, the city offers numerous scenarios for travellers to discover its true character and create their own list for exploring it.
Image by Uphey via Flikr
Planning Your Trip
As a first-time traveller to the majestic city, here are a few pointers that will help make planning a trip easier and more convenient:
As a first-time traveller to the majestic city, here are a few pointers that will help make planning a trip easier and more convenient:
- With four distinct seasons, while planning a getaway to the city travellers must consider the time of the year and weather appropriate clothing to ensure comfort.
- The most pleasant and suitable way to get to the city would either be by arriving at the Itami International Airport right into the city or by taking the Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo.
- The city offers a variety of accommodation types and styles to cater to all type of visitors and budgets. Travellers have an option to choose from five-star luxury hotels like the InterContinental Osaka that offer contemporary glamour and magnificent panoramas to business class hotels or traditional Japanese-style stay options.
- Osaka is known as a city of "Kuidaore" which means "eat till you drop". It offers a truly magical culinary experience to tantalise the senses with its dashi offerings.
Things to See
- As travellers book their accommodations, they can then start planning their perfect days in Osaka. Some of the must-do things in the city include a trip to the Nakanoshima Park to admire the rose garden, the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, and the Osaka City Central Public Hall.
- Dining at the riverside cafes and taking a water bus to the iconic Osaka Castle is a given when one visits. A sunset ride on the on the HEP Five Ferris Wheel that travellers can conclude at the National Bunraku Theatre enjoying a traditional Japanese puppet show will make the journey an unforgettable one.
- Travellers should also reserve a day to visit the district of Dotonbori that is renowned for its entertainment and local delicacies followed by an evening at the Spa World to indulge in hot Japanese bath that will keep you entertained for hours.
Quick, Important Tips for Travel
Travellers who visit this beautiful Japanese city must make note of these small yet important snippets of information especially if they are visiting for the first time.
- There is a regulation on smoking, and smoking in public areas is punishable by law. So it is vital to check the no-smoking zone map, prior to lighting up.
- Major credit cards are accepted in the city, barring a few small stores and shops that may only accept cash.
- Prescription medicine may not be easily available in the city, and hence travellers must carry sufficient medicines for the duration of the trip.
- Despite Japan's east-west demographical spread, it is in the same time zone and does not have daylight savings time.
The beautiful city of Osaka truly imbibes the spirit of welcoming visitors and ensuring all the help that's made available to them through a number of Tourist Information desks, a wide range of maps and staff members fluent in foreign languages to assist; apart from a wealth of information available online.
So put your fears aside and get packing.
~ Heena
So put your fears aside and get packing.
~ Heena
0 comments