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| Osaka
In the 7th century, the first capital of Japan was established in Osaka. Thereafter, though the capital was subsequently moved to nearby Nara and Kyoto, Osaka continued to flourish uninterruptedly, serving as the gateway to culture and trade. During the Edo period, people called Osaka the "Nation's Kitchen" due to it being a gathering and distribution center of numerous materials and commodities. |
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= Architecture |
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= Art |
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= Eating |
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= Experience |
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= Friendship |
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= Playing |
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= Shopping |
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= Sightseeing |
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= Studying |
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= Technology |
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= Traditional |
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= World Heritage |
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| Kita |
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| Osaka's main shopping area surrounding JR Osaka Station. |
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| Floating Garden Observatory |
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 Overlooking the City of Osaka, Umeda Sky Building is Japan's first tall building with a rooftop observation deck--the Floating Garden Observatory.
At basement level is the restaurant mall Takimi Koji, which recreates the atmosphere of Osaka as it was from Taisho era to early Showa era
(about 1915 - 1935). |
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| Osaka Temmangu Shrine |
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 Famous for the Tenjin Festival held in early summer. This shrine is also dedicated to the deity of scholarship.
If you stroke the head of a cow statue in its grounds, it is said, you might win divine grace for academic achievement. |
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| Osaka Museum Housing and Living |
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 The Osaka Museum of Housing and Living is a remarkable facility located in the northeastern part of the Kita Area. The museum has re-created buildings and streets that show what life was like in Osaka in the past. A model of the entire city during the Edo Period, the only one of its kind in Japan, is housed in the building. Visitors can learn all about Osaka's development, experiencing via interactive exhibits the different ways of life in the city during different Periods of its history. |
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| The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka |
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 The museum, opened in November 1982, was established to commemorate the donation to Osaka City of the world-famous Ataka Collection" by the 21 Sumitomo Group companies.
The museum currently owns as many as about 2000 pieces of Oriental ceramics. |
| http://www.moco.or.jp/en/index.html |
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| Minami |
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| Kuidaore(Eat until you drop), center of Youth Culture... Minami is an Energetic, Primary-color-suited, Multi-faceted area including the famous shopping areas, Shinsaibashi, Nanba and Nihonbashi. |
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| Nipponbashi Den Den Town |
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 Den-den Town (electric town), also called the "Akihabara of Osaka," is clustered with electric appliances wholesalers' shops standing side by side on Nipponbashi 3-Chome through
6-Chome. Many shops give an in-house advertising broadcast in Korean or Chinese. The advent of an increasing number of computer shops is a recent phenomenon. |
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| Sennichimae Doguyasuji |
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 Here you will find about 40 utensil shops, selling cutlery, hardware and tableware, as well as shops dealing in plastic food replicas and lanterns. |
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| Dotonbori |
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 Dotonbori represents the food culture of Osaka known a gastronomists town, an unbelievable number of restaurants and amusement facilities are lined up along the Dotonbori River with large famous billboards drawing attention. It is also known as an entertainment district, featuring theaters and entertainment halls. |
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| American Village |
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 The western area of the Shinsaibashi is nicknamed as the American Village, with over 3,000 young fashion boutiques and clothes dealers. Casual shops for trend-conscious young people are concentrated in the American Village, giving off a contrasting atmosphere. |
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| Hozenji Temple |
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 Built in 17th century it is a tiny temple hidden down a narrow alley and is surrounded by restaurants, bars and cabarets. Decorated with many paper lanters and filled with the smell of incense, the temple is a symbol of traditional Osaka and the people of the city. Visiting the temple is supposed to be helpful to those in pursuit of true love. |
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| National Bunraku Theater |
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 Bunraku is a traditional puppet drama developed over 300 years ago in the Edo Era. Each puppet is manipulated by three puppeteers, and the plays usually feature tragic stories of the feudal era. There are only 6 performances a year and each lasts for about 20 days. |
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| Shin Kabukiza |
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 The theater is easily recognizable for its characteristic architecture in the Momoyama Period, leading actors and singers perform kabuki once a year in April for about a 25 day run. |
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