Osaka is the second largest metropolitan area in Japan after Tokyo. For many centuries, it has been the Kansai Region’s vibrant economic centre. Before the Nara Period, Osaka was formerly known as Naniwa. At that time, the capital used to be moved with the reign of each new emperor, so Naniwa was once Japan’s first capital city. Lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi chose Osaka as the location for his castle in the 16th century, and it came close to also being Japan’s first political capital if Tokugawa Ieyasu had not ended the Toyotomi lineage upon Hideyoshi’s death and established his new government in the distant Edo region, now known as Tokyo.
Nowadays, Osaka is a large and bustling city, the beating heart of the Kansai region, and it attracts visitors from all over Japan and the world who come to view its iconic traditional architecture, shop in its lively markets, and eat hearty Osaka cuisine. There are plenty of great hotels to book rooms & suites in for your Osaka stay, if you are planning to visit Japan, an Osaka sojourn is an absolute must!
Let’s take a look at just a sampling of this lively ancient capital’s many unique attractions!
Osaka Castle – Construction began in 1583 and was directed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi who intended the castle to be the centre of a new, unified Japan under the Toyotomi clan’s rule. At the time, it was the largest castle in Japan. A few years later in 1615, after Hideyoshi’s death Tokugawa Ieyasu’s samurai destroyed the castle and terminated the Toyotomi lineage. Tokugawa Hidetada rebuilt the castle in the 1620s, but in 1665, the main tower was struck by lightning, causing it all to burn down. It wasn’t until 1931 that the present reconstruction of the castle was built from ferro-concrete. It miraculously survived city-wide air raids during WW2. Today the castle tower is entirely modern on the interior and even has an elevator to the top! The castle is now home to a museum detailing the castle’s storied history.
Shitennoji Temple – This is one of the oldest temples in Japan. It was founded in 593 by Prince Shotoku to promote the introduction of Buddhism into Japan. The temple’s buildings have burned down a few times over the centuries; they have been carefully reconstructed to resemble the original 6th century design. The pebble-strewn courtyard of the inner precinct houses a five-storied pagoda from which visitors can ascend to the Main Hall in which Prince Shotoku is enshrined within a statue of Kannon, the female aspect of the Buddha.
Dotonbori District – This is one of Osaka’s most beloved destinations, a popular shopping and entertainment district on a street that runs parallel to the Dotonbori canal. It is famed as a food destination, the perfect place to sample Osaka delicacies like kushikatsu, a dish composed of a variety of battered and deep-fried foods on skewers. Dotonbori is best visited at night; the district never closes and many restaurants are open 24 hours. Dotonbori after dark is lit up by hundreds of neon lights and giant mechanized signs like the famous Glico Running Man and the enormous Kani Doraku crab.
The city of Osaka is where Japan’s past and present meet.