In many ways, Osaka is seen as Tokyo's poor relation. The post-war rebuilding was necessarily hasty and resulted in a city that looks like little more than a collection of concrete blocks. This concrete sprawl though, is like a canvas on which Osaka paints its unique personality, and a trip to Japan is lacking without a trip to the 'working heart of Kansai'.
Universal Studios
Major attractions in Osaka include one of only three Universal Studio Parks in the world. Somewhere between Disneyland and Movieworld, Universal Studios is nine-area theme park made up of rides and attractions all based on Universal's most successful films. Each area is named after a US city, so for instance the E.T. Adventure is in 'Hollywood' while The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man - The Ride is in 'New York.' One fictional area is the Land of Oz, where visitors can not only spend time with Toto and Friends, but also take in the hit Broadway show Wicked. Although the Universal Studio Park has plenty of car parking, it is easier and cheaper to use the train to get here. A branch leading off the Osaka Loop Line will drop you at Universal Station, and from there you can either follow the crowds, the signs, or both. The station is closer to the park that most of the car parking spaces, so you won't have far to walk.
Things to See and Do
Other Osaka attractions include the Osaka Aquarium (a huge collection of sea life, including a whale shark, also known as the Mountain of the Deep), and the open-air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses, a combination of replica and genuine homes combined to recreate a village typical of those found in the countryside for more than a thousand years. The National Bunraku Theater is a rare venue where traditional Japanese puppetry is combined with the latest in sound and light technology to give a captivating performance that doesn't call for the need to speak Japanese, as all stories are 'mimed' by the puppets involved. The Shitennoji Temple is more than 1400 years old and has the notable distinction of being perfectly symmetrical. This architectural perfection was so unique at the time that an entire architectural movement was named after it, and now when buildings are precisely proportioned they are said to have been built in Shitennoji Style.
Osaka Castle
Osaka Castle was a royal residence and city defense at the time of its construction in the last decades of the sixteenth century, and now is preserved as a relic in its own right as well as the home of a museum that used holograms and movies to share the history of the region with visitors.
Entertainment
Although Osaka has plenty to see, it is the atmosphere of the city as a whole that makes it so appealing. At night is when it comes into its own, and the drab gray concrete of the day is overlaid with the multi-colored lights reflected from the ubiquitous neon, and all of the city's young come out to play. This is a city that is in many ways as avant garde as Tokyo, and the art, dance and gallery scene is thriving here, as is the world of live music, which is presented in an array of genres. Simply pulling on a pair of comfortable shoes and strolling around the (very safe and clean) night-time streets of Osaka can be a sightseeing excursion in itself.
Hotels
Hotels in Osaka are priced in line with the rest of Japan, and although there are often online specials available, most rooms sell for around $150 per night.
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(Photo:iStockPhoto/iwikoz6)
