Osaka travel guide

Go On, eat Yourself Bankrupt - A city of great food and incredible progress.

Sprawling Osaka has its fair share of temples and museums, but Japan's second-largest city seduces locals and strangers alike with something more urge-satisfying than architecture: food. Traditionally dubbed “the nation's kitchen,” Osaka is a gourmand's paradise. Hit up a street stand for volcanic takoyaki – octopus fritter balls – or watch your squid-stuffed okonomiyaki pancake bubble on a griddle. Still hungry? Try inhaling the fried tofu blanketing a bowl of kitsune udon soup. Contrary to appearances, though, Osaka's charms aren't all culinary. Sights of interest include the Bunraku puppet theater, Tennoji Zoo, Universal Studios Japan, and Shitennoji Temple. For throbbing nightlife, visit Umeda or head further south to look for the iconic crab statue in the neon chaos of Dotombori. Despite its size, Osaka somehow manages to blend city hipness with town brashness. Audacious cyclists “share” the sidewalks with pedestrians, turning each walk into an obstacle course. Shopkeepers howl their welcomes in Osakaben – an earthy dialect that has become deeply associated with laughter due to the many famous comedians this region has produced. And amid all of the takoyaki slurping and bike dodging, the winglike eaves of Osaka Castle seem to crouch above the city below – a monument to its samurai past.