Things to do in Osaka

Osaka is Japan's most easy-going big city, famous for its street food, its comedians and the neon canalside of Dotonbori. Osaka Castle rises from its moats in a park full of cherry trees, and the shopping arcades and side streets are packed with places serving takoyaki, okonomiyaki and kushikatsu.

It is also one of the best bases in Japan for day trips. Kyoto is a short train ride away, the deer of Nara wander around great wooden temples within an hour, and to the west lie the hot springs of Arima, the views from Mount Rokko above Kobe and the white walls of Himeji Castle.