The region that is now home to Osaka was originally settled in 7,000 BCE. Now, metro Osaka is home to more than 19 million people. On top of that, it is the place to go to for a relaxed vibe with some of Japan's best food and nightlife., not to mention rich history and culture to explore.
But the best part of Osaka is the unexpected. This is a city that's not afraid to get a little strange, and offer up more than a few opportunities to explore the kind of absurdities that makes Japan special. Plus, you can do it while eating really good food.
Shinsekai District
If you're looking for a neighborhood inspired by places like Coney Island and Las Vegas yet overflowing with the absolute best of Japanese flair, you've found that in Shinsekai. This is the place to find cheap beer, great street food, and a veritable sea of neon signs. There are seemingly endless pachinko parlors, if that's your thing. It's a weird but wonderful vibe in this area.
CUPNOODLES Museum Osaka Ikeda
The passion for a good cup of instant ramen in Japan is hard to describe. That's probably why there are full on museums dedicated to CUPNOODLES in Japan. Now, there is another location in Yokohama but the one in Osaka is especially fun. This is the city where Chicken Ramen and CUPNOODLES were invented, after all. Enjoy the experience where it all began.
Gakutensoku
Created in the 1920s, Gakutensoku was the first robot created in the East and it was made in Osaka. It had a variety of expressions and mannerisms. But the automaton went missing in Germany while on tour in the 1930s. Now, you can see a 2008 reproduction of Gakutensoku in the Osaka Science Museum. People still wonder what happened to the original and where it might be.
Tavern Pachimon Wars
One of the biggest multimedia franchises in the world is, without question, Star Wars. It has millions of fans the world over. Naturally, that leads to endless knockoffs. Tavern Pachimon Wars is a bar that is an living and evolving tribute to knockoff and bootleg Star Wars merchandise that is an expression of fandom and the absurdist lengths it can go to.
Sewerage Science Museum
Have you ever wondered how the sewers of Osaka work? Even if you haven't, going to a museum devoted to the topic still seems kind of intriguing. It is a process that is key to the function of a modern city. The Sewerage Science Museum is six floors of displays and information about the complex system. There's also a petting pool, which is not what you think.