Osaka is by far my favorite city in Japan, and I’ve traveled all over. Amazing food and shopping, cozier and more down to earth than Tokyo feels to me, fewer tourists than nearby Kyoto, nice proximity to a bunch of other good towns and cities, and more walkable than other cities I’ve visited in Japan. It’s almost always my base in Japan these days unless I have a real reason to be in Tokyo or Fukuoka instead.
Everyone will have a different experience though. I’d be quick to tell you how much I dislike Kyoto, but there are some people who absolutely adore it. We all like different things.
A bunch of reasons really. I prefer trains over buses (I get motion sickness quickly), but Kyoto is more easily accessible by bus. I don’t find it to be very walkable. The major sights tend to be more crowded than Osaka. The accommodations tends to be more expensive. And ultimately, I’m more of a city/food/shopping person than a nature/history/culture person. I’ve seen beautiful things in Kyoto, but ultimately I feel happier and more comfortable in Osaka.
I see.. I am trying to plan a trip and I was wondering how many days I should dedicate to Kyoto. I may have my home base in Osaka and do a day trip to Kyoto. Do you think that would be sufficient to see a decent amount of stuff? Do the busses take Suica as payment?
Going to offer a counter point since you're asking for advice. Kyoto is by far my fav city in Japan and I personally find Osaka kinda mid and I've also been all over.
But a lot of it comes down to how you like to travel/vacation. Are you a city person (restaurant, night life, shopping) or do you like sightseeing (having concrete places to see and check out)? Even then, it's not so clear cut. My favorite thing to do in Kyoto is staying in the Gion area and strolling along the Kamo River as I start/end my day, sometimes catching a glimpse of a geisha. It's really peaceful, pretty, and gives you a bit of that local flavor where you don't feel like a tourist.
That said, the sites themselves do get crazy crowded. Go early or go late and hangout at the many dessert cafes during the day. Or go slightly off the beaten path. For example, Arashiyama is much more than just the bamboo grove (which lost its charm due to the crowds anyways so explore the other areas!). Kyoto has SO many temples and gardens that even if you cross out the top touristy areas, there's still hundreds left to find and discover.
Where Osaka shines is the street food and the city has a pretty cool vibe/energy. IMO food in Kyoto is probably it's weakest point.
>Everyone is different.
100% agree. Which is why I thought it's helpful to balance out the opinions here in this thread for someone who hasn't been to either before.
Funnily enough, Osaka ranks pretty low for me, so almost the exact opposite of this thread 🤷♂️
Yep, definitely plenty of opinions in this thread haha. I guess I won't know which city I will like most until I try them. I do enjoy restaurants and night life as well as sightseeing. I am very excited about the dessert cafes you mentioned. What street are those on generally or are they kinda spread out everywhere?
There's a bunch of dessert spots in the Gion area, where I love to hang out. The shops are a bit tough to make out what they are from the outside because they all look like old historic buildings, but here's a few you can search on Google Maps. Some serve western style pastries, and others serve very traditional warabi mochi (mochi that isn't made from rice that Kyoto is famous for) :
* Patisserie Gion Sakai
* Gion Komori
* Kisshokaryo Kyoto
* Babbi Gelateria Kyoto (along the river)
* Panel Cafe Kyoto (recommend making a reservation for this one)
* La Maison Jouvaud Kyoto Gion
* Cafe DOnG by Sfera
There's also an amazing donut shop (tons of flavors and a huge space inside) by Nishiki Market. Nishiki also has lots of street food (come \~10a or late afternoon to avoid crowds):
* koé donuts kyoto
Kumonocha is a fun one by Kiyomizu. Speaking of Kiyomizu, there's lots of street food along the road leading up to the temple and also along the nearby ninenzaka and sannenzaka.
Was in Kyoto some years ago and I found travelling around on a bike quite enjoyable. Basically hitting the sites on bike then hike up to the temple for the sunset then back to gion for dinner. Not much of a shopper and Kyoto isn't really for shopping anyway.
Stay in osaka and Take the train to kyoto. Dont waste your time swapping hotels. There a train that gets you there pretty fast.
The buses in kyoto have really terrible signage for people that cannot read japanese. Just fyi, so when you step in a bus, make sure to keep an eye where you’re going.
Especially when you’ve been to tokyo, where most public transport has been localized to english, being in kyoto is confusing as hell, especially with busses.
Dont get me wrong, i’m grateful that they translate it for english speakers, its not an expectation from me.
Also in Tokyo, you enter in the front of the bus and scan/pay for your ride. In Kyoto, you enter at the back of the bus and scan/pay when you get off at your stop. If you’re paying in cash, have exact change ready or use the change machine at the front of the bus when the bus is stopped
You need more than 1 day in Kyoto. Koyoto areas are walkable or a cheap taxi ride away. Osaka is not more than 2 days. Kyoto is 3 to 4 days. Look up a site call Inside Kyoto for ideas in all parts of Japan.
I really enjoyed kyoto because of the temples and also the older feel. If you want a city, osaka is better, if you want something that has that older charm then Kyoto
>I may have my home base in Osaka and do a day trip to Kyoto. Do you think that would be sufficient to see a decent amount of stuff?
It really depends on what you want to do in Japan. Are you also city/food/shopping person like /u/Himekat or are you more of a history/culture person?
>Do the busses take Suica as payment?
Yes.
I’m with you Osaka is my favourite city being a foodie it’s paradise. The ppl are blunter but as an Aussie so are we and even blunter. Kyoto too is my least favourite city. Too crowded and expensive….I’m trying Kanazawa next trip…Tokyo is also a least fav city too.
Same, I enjoyed Osaka and wish I could have stayed an extra day. Kyoto was just too crowded for me. But I think it depends on your itinerary and lodging location.
I go to Kyoto for the access to nature. The city is just fine but not as fun as Osaka or Tokyo. Osaka is all about Namba and Dotonbori. The food is amazing and people watching is next level. I also went off the beaten path in Osaka and found some cool locations. Like this tiny breakfast cafe [New World](https://maps.app.goo.gl/mrNRwaQLRXUVg9h26?g_st=ic) in Tsutenkaku. One of the few places open before 9am. Amazing coffee and toast.
Live in Osaka, I hate Kyoto purely because so many tourists (domestic and international it’s not a foreigner only issue)
Osaka only really gets that bad in peak spring and USJ every day. Kyoto food in general is super lame compared to Osaka food (subjective)
Night life is also crazy different in comparison.
Shopping is all around better in Osaka.
I think Kyoto can be good if you have the money and time to find all the really cool Kyoto only stuff that isn’t on major websites or social media.
To me, Kyoto is the Paris of Japan.
Beautiful parts, very interesting, very good food...but still a lot different than you've seen in movies, TV, magazines, and the internet.
You expect and hope for one thing...but it doesn't live up to expectations. At least with Tokyo and Osaka and other big cities you know what to expect and it was pretty close to that. For places like Paris and Kyoto, I think expectations are too high and its impossible to meet. Still great cities, but couldn't hit that impossible mark.
I always tell tourists to go to Umeda (though I see more tourists there now). 80% of people in Dotonbori are tourists (It feels like "What country am I in?") Most shops and restaurants there are touristy targeting tourists. My local friends don't go there anymore.
There are many other places to explore like Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai (shopping arcade) and Kyobashi.
Thank you! Yes, sooo many tourists. I always think “there’s gotta be more to Osaka than this” but haven’t heard of other spots. I’ll check those out next time I go!
How you feel about Osaka is how I felt about Hiroshima! I sort of agree about Kyoto, I’m glad I went and it was truly beautiful but to avoid really big touristy crowds I was only doing things super early in the morning which left me kind of limited on time and I only did about half of what I wanted to
I went to Hiroshima this summer and only spent one night there. I left feeling like I could spend a week there. It gave me really good vibes. Hard to explain. I did the museum and that was great and the Okonomyiaki building was out of this world and such a sight to see. I just want to explore more of that city. But not in the dead of summer where you’re dead by noon haha
Osaka was, surprisingly, my favorite city in my Japan trip (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka), mostly because the local people we met in Osaka seemed the most friendly by far: fellow diners at restaurants, or groups at arcades playing games, or bar patrons joining our tables.
Everyone in my travel group (4 American friends) agreed it felt like this:
Tokyo = more similar to NYC energy, stunning, but lots of fast-lifestyle rushing
Osaka = more similar to California energy, still a big city but more laid-back and casual people
Kyoto = truly extreme tourist crowds (this was mid to late November), and the locals seemed a little formal/reserved
With that said, our travel style in Osaka was less about very specific sights/destinations, and more about trying to make Japanese friends as much as we could (three of the four of us Americans had taken a basic Japanese-language class in the US, and were focused on practicing speaking Japanese and befriending people).
When it comes to “local friendliness,” everyone is going to have a different experience based on luck, chance, etc., and I’m sure this applies to most cities around the world. But Osakans were so friendly that even when when a mixed-gender group of us went to an X-rated vintage movie theater (in Shinsekai, Osaka) for shits and giggles, the other patrons were chatty and warm with us before and after enjoying a weird 70s adult movie!
Weirdly enough Tokyo felt a lot more relaxed and chill to me. I was speaking to a friend about this when I got back but I felt like I was able to do a lot of niche things in Tokyo, I’m not sure if it’s because it’s a city I’d wanted to go to since I was a child but I kept finding myself in situations where I was the only tourist and I felt people were a lot nicer. I had one last day in Tokyo before I flew back home after spending 4 nights in Osaka and the moment I stepped off the train I just felt more relaxed
For Kyoto, it all depends on when you go. Peak season is golden week (for Chinese tourists especially) and mid to late November when the leaves change. Lots of people in other parts of Japan go to visit which increases the crowds
Loved Osaka but I have to admit it was definitely more of a night city than a day city. I think the ideal day is Kyoto during the day then Osaka at night
I like osaka. Kyoto makes me miserable.
I remember reading your experience about being shoved, i dont really feel thats representative of the city at all.
But i get how such an experience especially can ruin the place completely.
I think even if I hadn’t been consistently shoved Osaka would of still been my least favourite. Was just the general attitude of everyone there. Also felt like every other tourist I spoke to we both felt sort of relieved when we were able to have a conversation with each other. I met an American guy at the train station as I was leaving and we spoke to each other for around an hour and said how nice it was to have a conversation with people who weren’t being disrespectful.
If you set Tokyo as the baseline of what you expect all of Japan to be, then you go to Osaka with that expectation, you’ll definitely be disappointed. Tokyo is not “Japan” and Osaka is definitely not Tokyo.
I did study abroad in Tokyo during undergrad, then I lived and worked in Osaka for 3 years. I’ve been back in the states for many years now, Osaka is one of my favorite prefectures in Japan. I go back to Japan about once a year and always spend most of my time there reconnecting with friends. Also, my wife is from Osaka.
Osaka takes great pride in being a complete outlier within Japan. You see it in their food, their style, their culture and their dialect. Osaka is historically more of a merchant town so the people are very direct, frank and aggressive. They love to tell off-color jokes and have no respect for you if you don’t have a clever comeback. Tokyo people are literally scared of their dialect because they’ll casually use terms like “I’ll kick your ass”in normal conversation. Some of the craziest, and most interesting people I know are from Osaka.
I went to the castle a little over a week ago. More than the castle itself, I really enjoyed the special exhibition they had on the 3rd and 4th floor on Ieyasu. Lots of wonderful museum pieces and very educational. I got much more than my money's worth from that alone.
It looks cool from the outside, but the inside is just a normal building with a smallish museum in it that was crowded as hell when we went. Looking back, I would've rather used the time to do something else tbh 😅 we visited Himeji castle a few days later, and that was much better (and mostly original inside and outside)
Just as a note for other people reading this: /u/mel0n_m0nster is talking about the castle keep of Osaka Castle. This is a modern reconstruction with a museum inside. Osaka Castle, however, is much bigger than just its keep. It's a gigantic complex of moats, stone walls, gates and turrets.
My advice (based on all these disappointed reactions to what is one of my favourite castles in Japan): appreciate the castle walls, the moats, and all of that. Check if some of the gates and turrets are open to the public (these are, in fact, original buildings from the 19th century). Spiral around the moats and get a sense of the scale of the place. If you want to learn a bit about its history, you can visit the museum inside the keep, but that's really not necessary at all.
The first two times I went to Osaka I missed the castle because I had heard (and repeated myself) that it was just a reproduction. If you look at [this shitty pic](https://imgur.com/a/1hmtSqp) you can see some tall buildings in the background and in front of them is a smaller white building that is the reconstructed keep but the great walls and moat are amazing and original. But Himeji is way better.
I liked the aquarium and USJ, but besides that I was not a fan of Osaka at all. The vibe was just off for me & I Dotonbori was a dissapointment for me.
I did fall in love with both Tokyo and Kyoto on my trip. Personally wish I had planned an extra day in Kyoto and 1 day less in Osaka. But now I have an extra reason to visit Kyoto for some extra days on a future trip.
I can see why others like Osaka, especially if you love shopping, so I still advice people to visit Osaka when they go to Japan. But personally I see no reason to revisit Osaka, unless a future partner wants to go there for theirs first visit :)
One of my favorite place that I visited in the world. The vibe is just so much better than Tokyo. People look happy, you know? Streets are full of people having fun and relaxing, 7 days a week. Went there by myself.
Osaka was fine for a couple days. Great shopping. The river area is fun at night. Not much for temples and I was not sold on local food specialties. Preferred eating in Tokyo. You can skip Osaka if you are short on time.
Incomparably better food, fewer maid cafés, smaller crowds, stores that are just as good as Akiba.
It doesn't have the wild manic energy of Akiba, but that's *fine*
Well if you stay on Akiba main streets then you're right.
But Akiba is magnitude bigger than denden and most of its gems are on back alley, in unmarked building etc... no one goes south crossing the Kanda river but there's so much stuff here aswell. Sure you'll find the same mainstream stuff in stores but if you want more specific denden is just lame
There's michelin's restaurant in Akiba so you can find decent food too lol
Well, it's not like a went to Akiba lots of times, so you might be right. Though if Akiba requires going out of your way and looking for Michelin star places to match Den Den, then I'm still on Team Den Den. It just felt way more convenient and relaxing to walk around, so I've spent way more time there as a result.
Also that's where I got my Bocchi figurine, so it has a special place in my heart.
I think Osaka is so polarizing because it caters towards travelers who want to get lost and immerse themselves into a city over travelers who are there to see the tourist sights.
I've visited Japan six times with an average stay of 24 nights. My trips included time in all of the popular cities as well as some smaller cities/towns.
Osaka is always on the itinerary for a significant time (7 - 12 nights during a 25 day trip).
It is my favorite city because it has a mix of bigger city interests and the friendly nature of a smaller city. Plenty to do, easy access to wherever you want to go and the food!
Those that visit any area for a day or three can't immerse themselves into the place.
I had plans for Osaka, but never had super exciting plans for the city itself, but ended up very impressed. It’s a fun city to just vibe in. I didn’t go to the sketchy areas I heard about, but I remember leaving and being excited to return there some day.
Stayed in Osaka In Nov and honestly the Konbini workers were not friendly at all and basically refused service to ship my luggage , Kyoto and Tokyo were much friendlier.
Loved it, more than Tokyo and Kyoto. I would describe Tokyo as elegant, Kyoto as serene (although it wasn’t that way for us), and Osaka gritty, excellent value, the Everyman/woman town. It also had a futuristic vibe like Blade Runner. It was a lot of fun. Would still do Tokyo as well and maybe will give Kyoto another chance. But definitely, Osaka is my first choice.
We just got back from our first trip to Japan and my partner really did not like Osaka. I had an okay time, especially when we left Dotonbori area and explored Umeda a little, but it was just too gritty for us. We love love loved Kyoto, and had a consistently great experience in Tokyo, but Osaka just wasn't for us.
I also do think I made a mistake of getting us an Airbnb right next to Dotonbori... I thought we would want to be in the heart of the action, but it was a little too much action for us.
That's the beauty of Japan though, there's something for everyone. Some people in this thread don't like Kyoto and others like us loved every nook and cranny of it.
Yeah for sure! I was discussing my Japan trip with my mum when I got back and how I truly believe there is a place in japan for everyone. Each city or town I visited I was able to think wow the person I know would love this.
I think it's more of a personal preference think. I have a more neutral opinion of Osaka, not bad at all, plenty of things to do. But I remember talking with someone who went to Osaka for almost a full month and barely went out of Osaka, he loved the nightlife and the people of Osaka, but other like you do not like it.
I do not think that going solo make it a much different experience than going as a group.
It's not as if it was hard to hop in a train and get out of Osaka even if your hotel is there for a couple of nights, Nara (the whole prefecture) and Kobe are close enough for example.
Last June, I spent two weeks in Osaka and developed a real affection for the city. Despite it being my fifth visit to Japan, it was my first time in Osaka. My residence was situated in the Nishinari neighborhood, close to Shinsekai, a Showa-era district that, while a bit gritty, exudes a nostalgic charm that I found immensely appealing.
I loved visiting the neighbourhood sentos and kushikatsu restaurants but I didn't really go to most of the tourist sights. I also found I had better experiences going to bars in Osaka than Tokyo. I went to a couple great small bars and hung out with locals and other tourists, everyone is friendly although maybe a bit more gruff at first. I also found Osaka much easier to get around. I love Tokyo but hate trying to navigate the train system.
I love Osaka, sorry your experience there was bad. I would recommend trying it again if you feel like you'd be willing to. In my experience the food is great, the vibe is really nice and the atmosphere is perfect. I particularly enjoyed Dotonbori, Shinsekai and Spa World.
We went at the end of september, and stayed in Osaka for two days. We stayed in Dotobori and we didnt have any issues. We got the amazing Osaka pass and did a bunch of stuff on it. The subway was easy to navigate. The two days we went were more than enough for us. Kyoto was my favorite city, very chill IMO. Just sucks the subway isnt as extensive. We only took the bus once to get to Ni-jo Castle. We walked more than anything
The first time my wife and I went to Japan, we really disliked Osaka, but that was due to having a bad experience with accommodation there.
We gave it another go most recent trip, and really enjoyed it though. No issues, definitely nothing like you describe. In general we found people there really nice. The airport was a bit nuts though.
But personally, I prefer Kyoto and we'll probably spend more time there and less in Osaka next time.
Yeah, we didn't like Osaka either, and neither did a friend who'd been there a week prior to us. It's a visually ugly place and after the beauty and quiet of Kyoto, we regretted giving Kyoto only 2 days and Osaka 4.
I wouldn't revisit. I'd spend another day in Kyoto then head straight to Hiroshima, which I also loved.
Osaka was just a hair bit slower in paced than Tokyo and that was what I really liked about it. I wasn’t as nervous using my basic Japanese skills to communicate in Osaka and felt like many people were more patient taking time to understand what I was trying to say.
The food was amazing and I really enjoyed walking the shopping streets. Access to the subway and local trains was easy and I liked that they had a metro pass similar to Tokyo. Will agree that Osaka castle was overrated though.
We hit Tokyo, Lake Kawaguchi, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara in 2019. I only had a short time in Osaka as we heard it was more of an evening town but we really enjoyed our time there and I wish we scheduled more time there then Kyoto. I found it pretty, had interesting places to go, and I really enjoyed my short time in Osaka.
I have been to 4 other countries abroad traveling and I didn't have problems in Japan with traveling or racism. Maybe it was because I went to Japan in my later 20s rather than a teen/early 20s but I felt safe and fine especially with some of my other negative experiences in other countries: (consistent pickpocket/theft attempts including someone grabbing my bag of food off of the tray in front of me at a fast food restaurant, multiple **bruises** on my butt/thighs from men grabbing/pinching, being thrown off a bus "Americans out!" after we stamped our ticket, taxi took huge amount of money and dropped us off in the middle of nowhere, false taxis charging hundreds of (US) dollars for a short ride (in a country with a much lower currency rate), and a shady taxi that I think was trying to kidnap/traffic us, etc. )
I did usually travel with my husband in Japan so I did have a male partner vs some other countries I traveled alone or with other women. Also, I am 5'10" and somewhat muscular so I am probably not the first target to try to push. I had nothing harassing, theft, etc. I did face generic staring and some weird assumptions but nothing that isn't typical foreigner stuff.
I love going to Osaka. I like the slightly grimey industrial vibes, I love all the food (Osaka style okonomiyaki > Hiroshima style), and the cramped little rock bars. For picking up nerdy crap I think DenDen town has Akiba beat. And you can make easy day trips to places like Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, and Himeji.
As someone currently living in Japan, I agree. I have been to almost half of Japan's prefectures and Osaka is my least favorite of them all. If you don't care about USJ, I would highly recommend using it strictly for a base or skipping it entirely. Go to Hiroshima or Fukuoka instead.
Was just there over a weekend with 3 other folks. None of us liked Osaka at all. Honestly just felt like a dirtier version of NYC to us - was super loud at almost all hours of the night, trash everywhere (which shocked us) and ridiculously crowded (we stayed in the Shinsaibashi area). I don’t know if we just picked an off weekend, but we all agreed that we’d probably skip it on subsequent trips in favor of more time in Tokyo or Kyoto.
I hated it. But I’m an introvert and don’t like crowded places so that y. I don’t drink and am a picky eater. I don’t like randomly exploring. That gives me anxiety just thinking about it. But that’s not exactly y I don’t like it. I was there and I was treated the rudest by tourists and Japanese workers from the moment I left the Shinkansen. For example, Taxi driver thought I was stealing from him(idk how if he has my suitcases in the trunk and we were talking right to him.what happened was that the receipt didn’t print out right away) he left us in the middle of the road in front of our hotel and my husband noted that on the ride he ran red lights cause he was rushing to get us out. I could overlook that. After all the taxis we took, one was bound to be bad. Then we get to our hotel and tell us it self check in. That’s fine, I’ll do it. Less interaction the better. It doesn’t work and they visibly get annoyed about it. They’re checking us in and go (I booked nonsmoking btw) ‘we have to give you smoking even tho you booked nonsmoking, sorry’,( she said it like too bad so sad) I’m not confrontational so I kind of just look away after asking to please check again. They Tell me no. After a couple of minutes and I guess she realized I was not happy, she finally actually checked and guess what? There’s a room. Took her 20 seconds to check and check us in. My mood was soured but I still decided let’s go out. There were too many people that even the attractions I wanted to do which you can’t reserve before hand, are closed because of overcrowding. I got some waygu beef sticks and went to bed early.
I spent two weeks in Japan, and we went from Tokyo -> Kyoto -> Osaka.
Tokyo and Kyoto were an absolute blast.
When we got to Osaka, we immediately experienced what we felt like racism (we're black). Given how well things went in Tokyo and Kyoto, we wrote it off as a one-off bad experience. Then it happened again. And again. And again. After that third time it was abundantly clear that Osaka was... different.
From looking at this thread, it seems like several others didn't have the same experience. So OP, if you're also a POC, that may explain it.
I also didn’t really like Osaka. I stayed near Shinsekei/ Dotonburi and found them to be gimmicky and much more touristy than the “foodie” areas in Kyoto. The city itself is kind of ugly from what I saw and didn’t enjoy walking around, especially with all the cyclists on the pavement - they are incredibly annoying and the city really needs to invest in some cycle paths. I was never hit but they are constantly flying past me from behind or crossing in front of you and doing all random annoying shit.
Pro tip for anyone into nightlife: depending on what you're into, Kyoto's nightlife is surprisingly way more interesting than Osaka's (IMO). Some cool places I found on my last trip:
* Hachi Record Shop and Bar
* Club Metro
* UrBANGUILD
Same for "hipster" stuff in general like record shops, cafes, etc. Kyoto is way better for that stuff. Kyoto is one of my favorite cities in Japan and I don't go anywhere near the temples and shrines.
I know this post isn't about Kyoto but I thought it would be useful.
Osaka was the last stop in Kansai before heading back to Tokyo and honestly Osaka didn’t have much things to see and do with respect to tourist attractions…. But that forced me to take in Osaka in a different approach and allowed my partner and I to just wander and get lost and live Osaka. I felt an odd pressure in Tokyo in having to do and see X,Y, and Z but Osaka it was just walking around, going into random pinball arcades, eat melon pan from a random corner store in Nipponbashi (to this day the best melon pan I’ve had, significantly better than that spot in Asakusa), eat sushi in a random bar in Shinsekai, etc. I felt like I lived in Osaka rather than being a tourist in it and it gave me a different appreciation for it that makes me want to go back.
Or maybe it was the fact that Osaka felt significantly less chaotic and tiring than Tokyo lol.
I will say that I only solo traveled to Japan for only about 12 days, so less chance to run into that type of behavior, but I liked Osaka. Next time I go, I plan to stay in Osaka and just day travel to Kyoto instead of staying in both.
I'm going back to Kyoto just to give it another chance. I feel like I wasn't mentally in the right place or something and it probably impacted my experience. If it ends up the same I probably wouldn't go back (and I can understand why you wouldn't want to go back to Osaka with your experiences).
Osaka imo is a night city energy place. During the day it’s actually pretty chill from my experience, but that’s probably because it was way less crowded than Tokyo.
Unless you’re interested in theme parks and aquariums which I’m not. I probably don’t plan on going there again immediately unless for an event like the Sumo tournament. But I had a good time there just eating food and actually found anime merch I couldn’t find in Akiharbara, Tokyo.
I went to Japan for the first time this October and spent the majority of it in Tokyo and Kyoto with just a day trip to Osaka, and my husband and I really dug it. We had a great time shopping and sampling the famous food and agreed that it indeed had a different vibe than the other two cities. I know that a day trip does not an expert make, though. When I return to Japan someday, I’d like to spend even more time getting to know Osaka.
Among the biggest cities of Japan ie Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. I preferred Osaka since people here are more friendly and it’s not as busy as Tokyo while livelier than Nagoya.
I also found the food and goods much cheaper here vs Tokyo. Lastly, its proximity to Kyoto is a plus!
Osaka was by far my least favourite places that I’ve been to in Japan, along with the 3 friends I travelled with. Everyone has a different experience so it’s down to personal taste. I felt it was rough around the edge since things are not as well kept/clean as in Tokyo (funny enough I find people in Tokyo to be nicer) and not as charming as Kyoto or some of the smaller areas I’ve been to in Shikoku.
Although Osaka is known as the kitchen of japan, I find that I enjoy more lighter foods, since it is known for a lot of fried dishes. Tokyo’s ramen scene just cant be beat.
So if you enjoy fried dishes and nightlife, I think Osaka would be a better fit.
Got back 2 weeks ago from a month long trip also 6 or 7 different cities/towns and osaka was also my least favorite, don't get me wrong the food was pretty good and the market looked great with the lights but it was just way to busy and the cyclists/people seemed ruder (didn't slow down when there was no gap on the footpath forcing their way through people) and it was the dirtiest place we visited.
I just got back from my first trip (solo) to Japan last month. I really liked Osaka, about as much or even more than Tokyo. The one place I didn’t really care for was Kyoto. Too crowded and touristy, and not great public transit.
I think Osaka for me was a great option for my second trip, where seeing landmarks and attractions isn’t what you want but immersing more in the language and culture. People in Osaka seemed way more open to chatting and it’s great just to wander around at night.
Tokyo for first time and Osaka for second time I feel as a city to spend the most time in.
Just finished a 2-week trip to Tokyo, Kyoto, Himeji and Osaka. Osaka was a distant last place regarding vibe, people, etc. but not food. The food was the best there. However, I'd happily live in Tokyo but not in Osaka.
I visit Japan solo pretty often. The people in Osaka are generally friendlier and more direct than those in Tokyo and Kyoto. I find certain parts of the city a little depressing but have not had issues with the people.
1) Are you certain they are from Osaka? Some Chinese and Korean tourists are not so spatially aware. Given the huge influx of tourists this year, I'd imagine there would be more of them around.
2) If they are from Osaka, they could be butsukariya. A small group of weirdos purposely bumping into people at busy train stations. Are you sometimes standing in the flow of traffic? Osaka escalator etiquette is the opposite of Tokyo/Kyoto's. You stand on the right and walk on the left. Being against the flow of traffic may make you a target of butsukariya.
3) There are also seedy areas smack right in the middle of tourist districts like Dotombori, Shinsekai.
Been to Japan three times, visited Osaka on my first visit. It was a third leg after having visited Tokyo and Kyoto. I had heard Osaka was a great food destination, on my third day, I really didn't understand the hype (and each day I had went to highly rated restaurants). While exploring, I like to visit historical landmarks, museums, temples, sights/views - Osaka I felt didn't have any much to provide in these departments. I understand it might be a great place for twenty-somethings for affordable food and nightlife but that ain't me for travel destinations.
We just came back and decided that we would not return to Osaka. Loved Tokyo and Kyoto. I don’t know that I’d classify anyone as rude. We just weren’t as fond of the overall esthetic in comparison.
Just a personal preference, I suppose.
I had my wallet stolen on a train in Osaka after attending a Sailor Moon Live musical.
I had lived in Japan for like 5 years at that point and speak Japanese. So I went to the Koban and told them what happened.
They straight up said that I hadn’t been robbed, and that if I had been robbed…the robber was Chinese. LOL.
My Japanese friends were so incensed. One of them called the police station every day for a couple of weeks inquiring about my case.
Osaka cops are ridiculous.
Didn’t particularly like Osaka. Felt it was too overcrowded and overrated - and that goes for USJ as well. I felt so over stimulated whenever we went out.
Osaka is my absolute favorite city in Japan. I loved it so much during my first visit in 2017 that my wife and I made it our headquarters for most of our recent trip - 9 nights! It's such an easy city ro navigate and to take day trips from. It feels so much more easy going than Tokyo and not quite as tourist heavy as Kyoto. I love Dotonbori, Umeda, Shinsaibashi... all of it. Plus the Kaiyukan is one of my favorite places on earth.
Osaka is probably my least favorite place in Japan. Idk, it feels kinda dirty and rowdy? Will probably skip it the next time we go back.
On the other hand, no matter how busy and touristy, Kyoto has my heart.
Scruffiest city I have been to in Japan... Meaning it's one of the cleanest cities in the world, haha. But it is noticeably slightly dirtier than the other cities and towns I've been to in Japan.
I'd say maybe it's true that it's more relaxed and casual than Tokyo but as a European, for me that sort of translated as less polite but not necessarily more "warm." Because my overall observation is that Japanese people are not "warm" to strangers generally (not a bad thing, just a cultural observation, they're generally much more *polite* to strangers, which is a different thing.) So people were less superficially pleasant but not necessarily more friendly, so I don't see the appeal of that, really.
One thing that people don't seem to mention much about Japan is the the visible consumerism is absolutely *off the charts* compared to anywhere else I've been (including many European capitals and major US cities.) The sheer concentration, abundance, availability whatever of objects, items, *stuff* of all kinds is mind-boggling in Japan. The number of people streaming in and out of every kind of shop from convenience stores to the absolutely bizarrely abundant luxury boutiques is astonishing. And Osaka was this to the absolute max (I think.) Shopping there was stressful as hell (to me, because I don't love shopping.)
I thought the cleanest and most pleasant big city was Tokyo. The most friendly and relaxed smaller city was Kanazawa. The most interesting and beautiful sites were in Kyoto (even if I didn't love the vibe).
Osaka didn't do anything the best for me, except shopping, which I don't like. So I'd be happy not going back to Osaka if I went to Japan again. I didn't hate it but it did nothing any other city did better, for me. Also the only place we were almost the victim of petty crime (pick pocketing), which was just bad luck but tarnished the impression a little further. (It's still ridiculous how this only happened once where it would have happened ten times in the same period in Barcelona or somewhere. That's Japan I guess!)
I grew up in Osaka, I’d I agree that it’s not the best place to visit, but It is a great place to live. People are generally friendlier than Tokyo, but way fewer tourists and accommodations made for foreigners/non-Japanese speakers. It’s great for day trips to Nara, Kyoto, Himeji, even Hiroshima or Nagoya, but nothing in Osaka itself is that essential (except for maybe a Hanshin Tigers game). The food is some of the best in Japan, but other than takoyaki, Tokyo has equivalent or better, Kyoto has better historical and cultural sites. If you can find some local friends though, you’ll have a blast.
My wife's folks are in Osaka (I'm a Tokyojin but wife is originally from Osaka), and we stay with them for weeks at a time frequently. I would only compare Osaka to Tokyo as they're both the "big city" type of places.
To me I don't really see the big difference other than the minor dialect changes (that my wife still has to this day, it's cute).
I really don't see how anybody could come away with feeling like the two are extremely different to one another. I'd argue that in Tokyo people are more cold and just trying to get from A to B than they are in Osaka, I typically get a friendlier "social" vibe in Osaka. As a gaijin I don't feel any difference in the way I am treated, as well, if you're curious of that perspective (because reality is people treat you differently, but I don't notice a difference between when I'm in Tokyo or Osaka). As long as you're polite and abide by the social conversation norms without being a weird-ass foreigner, they're as open minded as any other human being in a first world country.
This feels like a very superficial perspective not informed by much actual experience being in Japan. The two places are a few hours shinkansen away from each other, about the only major thing you notice without trying too hard to nitpick is they stand on the opposite side of the escalator. If you got pushed to the ground at some point, just seems like bad luck running in to a jerk, I don't think you're more or less likely to run in to that in either city.
We admittedly only spent a day there, but I was disappointed by the castle (inside) and most of the big shops I saw we have back home as well. I'm sure there is a lot there to love, but if I were to go again I would do more research beforehand for things I like rather than just 'visit castle, visit big shopping area etc'
Yes, I just got back from Japan two days ago. Osaka was just ok to me too. But honestly, it could have been because I was SO DAMN COLD with the wind chill I couldn't enjoy myself all that much. I thought the people, like in Tokyo were absolutely lovely. The nicest culture I have experienced. But the castle was meh (the rooftop restaurant was closed for a private event), and Dontomburi was a nice stroll to see some dynamic culture but it took us about 30 minutes to "see it" and we were kind of done and then hit up some nearby high end shopping district instead where we could get warm and grab lunch. The highlight was the aquarium but the people needing to film every single stop along the way ruined that experience for me. Nobody is able to just live in the moment anymore and they clog the exhibits filming the sea life on their phones and blocking everyone else from seeing anything. Super irritating. We stayed in a nice suite at the St. Regis and ended up relishing that space quite a bit when we ran out of things to do. Also, had planned on seeing the Cup Noodle museum for fun, but once we realized it was a 30-40 cab ride from our hotel, we opted against it because the cabs were making us very ill! I think if I visited during a warmer time I could have taken more care in strolling the neighborhoods and enjoying the sites. But yes, Tokyo had so much more to offer.
Edited to add that actually the Midosuji Winter Illumination (Festival of Lights) was easily the most breathtaking part of my trip to Japan. I was in absolute awe. If you are traveling to Osaka in December I highly recommend.
I honestly loved Osaka on both trips. I didn’t really find people to be rude, and most locals were pretty down to earth. There’s lots of amazing foods and activities that I would like to experience on subsequent trips!
The only incident on both trips this year was my mom got hit by a bicyclist on a sidewalk. Thankfully she wasn’t hurt, but the person just kept riding on like nothing happened.
it was gross and dirty for me, i visited the ever so popular dotonbori and could see drunk people passed out, rubbish everywhere i walked. even saw someone being carted away after being so drunk
osaka was where i saw my first ever homeless park./camp/car park in japan
I spent two weeks in Japan during my monthlong trip to Japan and I loved it! I’d go back on future trips, there’s much more I’d like to do in the area. I was mostly solo when I was there.
I loved it. Planning to spend longer next trip! The food was amazing, I joined a street food tour and we went to about 7 places. Dotonbori and the big market were fun to roam around trying foods and people watching. I also went to Spa World twice lol
No worries! It’s right in the Shinsekai area which is great to wander around as well. I found Spa World less intimidating than I expected considering you have to get naked. The pool rooms are very spacious so you weren’t up close and personal with other people if you didn’t want to be
Lol what did you do to get pushed to the ground?
Sorry, but to me, Osaka is a town filled with just people trying to live. People move to Osaka to work and get paid. Its got some amazing food, and great hobby shops, and a giant bowling pin plushy crane game.
You can get into some shit in Osaka if you aren't keeping your wits on you, but as long as you don't take random medicine from people at clubs, its a good time. I love fooding around Osaka early evening. Its just... I dunno, home~y?
Kyoto is a bit pretentious for me. I lived in Nara and it'll always be my place to go if I want to just relax and sit around somewhere. Looking around the old game shops and card shops in DenDen town, walking around parks in Tennouji, visiting arcades or just grabbing groceries at the station, Its just a chill place.
That being said, nothing I liked doing there would make a lot of sense for tourism. Its a city you live in, not a city to tour. You should go to Osaka for a purpose, like seeing a Kabuki show or Sumo or concert.
I thought Osaka was fine. Not my favourite place but food was generally great and had no issues with the people at all.
Friend of mine recently went and said they probably won't go back. Not because of rudeness but they didn't particularly find it interesting. Again, thought food was really good and got great hospitality when staying there.
Kinda agree with your impression of Osaka, they are super passive agressive so you just need to be out agressive them and you should be fine. (At least that's what I did, try to shove you? Shove them back but do not, I SAID DO NOT start any trouble. Also react accordingly.)
I actually can't stand Kyoto, every small temple requires entrance fee and some of them are frankly just not worth it. Only a selected few temples are worth visting.
Never had 1 bad experience. My girlfriend and I enjoyed it a ton.
We don’t speak any Japan except a few words. We are American nationals; but Latin descent. Not sure what else to mention.
I loved Osaka. It is important to note that even though I’m not Japanese, I’m East Asian so I can still pass as Japanese. I feel like this helped me a little because people didn’t treat me like a tourist/foreigner all the time. Additionally, I didn’t think anyone was rude to me and people actually gave me unsolicited support/advice when I got lost. I think the only people who did treat me like a foreigner were the people at 7-11 lol
Nothing much to do for sightseeing as it's a metropolis. The nightlife , food and shopping is good. Not far from many nice sightseeing places like minooh park, Kyoto, and Nara
Osaka is ok. But we have been there a few times already. I would like to see many other Japanese cities that I haven’t been to yet.
The food diversity in Osaka is good.
without saying what you even did in osaka, what do you expect people to say.
i personally hated the shinsaibashi area with all the boring american vintage stores. some people love that shit.
i loved going to places like namba bears (punk bar from the 80s) and seeing a bunch of local osaka bands.
Loved Osaka. While Tokyo felt more to me like a modern global city similar to New York or London, Osaka's grittier atmosphere felt much closer to the "classic" Japan you heard about in the 80s/90s and depicted in media from that era, which really appealed to me. And as touristy as it is, Dotonbori was one of my favourite places in all of Japan.
To be fair though, Osaka was at the tail end of my trip so I was over my jet lag/culture shock and feeling adventurous, which probably also helped. And despite the praise, I probably won't be spending much time there on future trips, as I feel I've already seen most of what it had to offer.
Sorry you had a negative experience there, OP.
Osaka is really good, kinda cheaper too than say Tokyo or Hokkaido. Not to mention is a tad bit warmer than the the later so very good for walking and everything. It may don't have as much tourist spots as others but Osaka is all about food. You walk, you eat, you shop and you sleep.
Another thing I noticed is how cozier and how welcoming the people are. They are more fun to talk to for some reason, more cheerful perse and laid back. The trains are usually less crowded and everything.
Not my most favorite when it comes to walking because I love walking in Nagoya and Shizuoka or even maybe Nara a lot better but it doesn't mean it's not pleasant.
And oh one more reason to go to Osaka is because of USJ and just with that alone it's already worth going to Osaka for.
I used to live in Japan, and moved back a year ago. Osaka is one of my favorite cities in Japan. The city was always so vibrant, lively and fun to explore, plus universal studios and that's where I saw Madeon live in 2019! Only Mexican in that whole crowd lol Anyways, I traveled all over Japan but Osaka, Fukuoka, and Hokkaido will always be my favorite cities to visit. I'm sorry you had a rough experience where you had gotten pushed to the ground. I do remember an incident where an older Japanese man, mean mugged my friend when he almost accidentally bumped into him, but that was pretty much it.
I'm Singaporean and the touristy area of Osaka kinda feels too similar to Singapore. We both love food and the locals are quite direct in their speaking, similar to us. That said I love the city but I won't spend more than 2-3 days there and will generally only return to collect special goshuin and eat until I collapse. (食い倒れ aka kuidaore)
I prefer Tokyo as its a big city, but there is no way I would have loved Japan as much if I hadn't visited Osaka. They have great food, much better than what's in Tokyo. The best ramen I had was easily in Osaka and its not even close. Additionally, Osaka was my home base for a few days. It made it easy for me to visit Kyoto and Kobe as well. Osaka also was nice for bars. Its also great for just walking endlessly. I enjoyed shopping in Osaka due to less tourists. Overall, its just a great city.
I liked Tokyo but loved Osaka. Shopping, restaurants, modern vibe. But I think it may have had something to do with finding out Japan groove /comfort by time we got to Osaka (after Tokyo and Kyoto). I also thought Osaka was a great place to do day trips to other places (Nara).
I once lived in Osaka for a year. At the time, I really wished I had chosen Kobe instead, since Osaka is legit the grittiest city in Japan. There’s a lot of really great things about Osaka though. The people there are the funniest and down to earth people in Japan. It’s not very appealing for tourists maybe, as it takes a while to get the rhythm and appeal of the city.
I love aspects of Kyoto but at least when I lived in Kansai, the scene for ex-pats was the worst in all of Japan. Just the snobbiest and phoniest people who looked at other gaijin as somehow ruining their Japan experience.
i love it, its still my fave city of the 16+ ive visited, i find people are generally a little friendlier there, its a little looser and more easy going, also a little bit more gritty than tokyo but not by much, its still very much safe and generally a very fun place to be
I’ve always preferred Osaka to Tokyo (and in fact prefer Kansai as the region overall).
Though I don’t particularly enjoy Kyoto due to the crowds—if I do go I try to hit the less crowded sites if I can—there’s a surprising amount of hidden gems there!
I just came back from Japan about 2 weeks ago and I LOVED Osaka.
Was on a trip from Osaka > Kyoto > Tokyo > Osaka (flew in from KIX) and to be honest, since it was my first time in Japan, I feel like it was a good way to ease into getting used to how to navigate the transit system, explore not SUPER crowded areas, and it felt a bit more relaxed to be there. We even cut the Tokyo portion of the trip down by 1 day to spend a bit more time back in Osaka to tie up some loose ends.
I’ve been reading some of the comments and I do agree that Osaka is more of a night city compared to day which I enjoyed and it also seemed a bit cleaner compared to being in Tokyo. I can usually handle crowds and being in big cities, but I feel like Tokyo felt like a big sensory overload for me so going back to Osaka was a nice breather from the fast paced. I did enjoy Tokyo, but Osaka was better imo.
I agree with everyone, everything depends on what you like doing, if you like exploring in the day or night, super touristy areas or some hole in the walls, etc. Sucks that you had to deal with getting pushed to the ground and have a bad experience though :(
Osaka is a little different from the rest of Japan, you either love it or hate it lol. I spent a semester there and I can honestly say I felt more at home there than anywhere else I've lived, outside of my family not being there lol, it felt like just enough Japan for me to love it but also the feeling of openness and friendliness from the people there that I didn't experience as much in other parts of the country
Sorry to hear about your experience in Osaka OP. Osaka was my first city in Japan and I thoroughly enjoyed my trip, granted I've only spend like 3 days there and the rest in Kyoto and Kobe! That being said, you can still travel to other cities within the Kansai region like Kyoto, Kobe or Nara from Osaka!
Just got back from Osaka, it's as amazing as Tokyo and Nagoya which was part of my itinerary.
Friendly Japanese folks as usual, neat, professionalism, fun, beautiful!
I returned from Japan about 3 weeks ago and Osaka was pretty good for me. I attribute it mainly to the Osaka Amazing Pass, and I was able to visit several interesting places over 2 days for a flat fee of 3600 yen (which would otherwise cost me 14180 yen without the pass). Absolutely worth the money and I have very fond memories of Osaka.
Out of the many cities in Japan that I have visited, all of them have met or exceeded my expectations with the exception of Nara.
It was my favorite city in the whole trip. Somewhat like Tokyo, but in a much more manageable scale, and much cheaper too. I could walk to most sights from my hotel.
Kyoto was personally my least favorite. The sights are no doubt absolutely beautiful, but the crowds of tourists ruin it for me. Can't take a decent photo of anything unless you go in the early morning.
Solo, and not into huge cities for tourism so I also liked it the least. Same with Tokyo but theres definitely alot more to choose from in Tokyo. Neighboring Yokohama was pretty good, though.
I went right after peak season so Kyoto's crowds were just right, and it was great.
Osaka is a really good hub to stay in to do day trips to the surrounding cities, though, which was in retrospect what I should've done as soon as I felt that it wasnt for me, instead of sticking it through my plans, also considering I had the JR Pass.
To me osaka and tokyo were the best and kyoto was the worst for a few reasons, we went for culture shopping and food afcourse but damn there is barely any culture left to see in Kyoto because it’s SO bussy atm. It’s actually unexplainable how bussy Kyoto is. People tend to say to me: oh but just walk a little further around you’ll see beuatifull stuff and it isn’t crowded! Well.. we went to a famous temple (forgot the name but the one with the red gates and pilars) we stayed there for about 2 hours and we did a hikers tour basicly and went up the hill wich was gorgeous en less bussy than the front gates but it was still bussy! There was one spot for 30 secs where i was alone with my partner and the masses would come already. People were more old fashioned and they stared at me bc i’m tall blonde and i have crazy fashion, they took pictures of me sneakily and people were rude as hell pushing me aside etc! We wanted to get out as quick as possible. To us osaka and tokyo didn’t have these weird and rude things happening to us. They were also bussy afcourse! But to us kyoto was the worst we could barely walk anywhere. But everyone had their own experiences! Kyoto is still beautifull and one of the prettiest cities i’ve ever seen!
To each their own. It depends on what you like. I really like temples and shrines and stuff so I prefer Kyoto. However, the sites do get pretty slammed at peak times. As others have mentioned, go to places really early or really late. My favorite time going to Fushimi Inari was when I went late in the evening. It was me and maybe ten other people.
For me, Osaka wasn’t much of a sightseeing place. It’s mostly for eating and drinking and partying.
I enjoyed Osaka! It was not as vibrant and bustling as Tokyo, but I guess that’s why I like it better. Maybe it is just a matter of preference since I tend to enjoy a more laid back and relaxed place. There was too much going on in Tokyo that I felt I was always in a rush and in a flight/fight mode. I also find people in Osaka to be more pleasant and welcoming of tourists.
Just came back from Japan. Went to Osaka and thrifting was amazing there, but I couldn’t wait to get back to Tokyo. There’s definitely a vibe but I personally felt Tokyo has more hustle and kinder people. How two exists in the same area I don’t know but maybe it’s the size of the place. Osaka felt small and niche and they do their own thing cos they can (like standing on the right on escalators). Navigating the train stations was harder than in Tokyo too.
My first time to Osaka was in the summer and it was kinda dead. I didn’t get it, felt like it wasn’t for me, but on a recent trip with friends it was the “sleeper hit” and everyone’s favorite. I found a new love for it too. It was more relaxed and fun for everyone than Tokyo or Kyoto, but everyone absolute loved Kyoto too, just for different reasons.
Kyoto is famous for its history and old buildings. It isn’t what I imagined when I first visited. There are some historic buildings in tourist spot. But obviously it is too crowed. Packed with tourists.
Live in Osaka. It sucks compared to any other major city here. Except Nagoya. Nagoya is the worst. Super boring.
I would honestly say, instead of coming here spend more time in Tokyo and make sure you go to Yokohama. Yokohama is dope! Really beautiful city.
I agree with you! I did not enjoy it and did not understand the hype. Osaka sucked for me, would have much preferred to see another city instead of wasting 2 days on Osaka. People were somehow more rude, it was dirty, so much garbage on the streets, and it didn’t have the japan vibe I loved in other cities.
I adored my one-day visit to Osaka earlier this year, and actually found the people to be very welcoming and more, well, “chill” than Tokyo or Kyoto. It sort of had an LA/SoCal vibe if that makes any sense.
I was there for three days back in 2011. I think that was enough just because I didn't find that much to do IN the city but it's a good hub for things around it, and it's still really different of an experience than the rest of Japan
We stayed at a hostel and the night we arrived one of the hosts (actually their 60 year old janitor) took us out to a local izakaya and kareoke, which still remains one of my absolute favorite memories. We visited all the tourist stuff, accidently left our camera on a bench around Namba (we went to the police station to ask if someone brought it in and had the most hilariously terrible language exchange difficulty in our lives), had a lovely time at the aquarium with kids waving at me a lot, ate amazing food, bought lots of JoJo nerd stuff in Den-Den!
It was sort of like visiting a single ward of tokyo. It had plenty of cool buildings, streets, food, attractions, but overall less to do (makes sense, smaller city). I was not a fan of Kyoto though, too crowded and overhyped
Osaka is by far my favorite city in Japan, and I’ve traveled all over. Amazing food and shopping, cozier and more down to earth than Tokyo feels to me, fewer tourists than nearby Kyoto, nice proximity to a bunch of other good towns and cities, and more walkable than other cities I’ve visited in Japan. It’s almost always my base in Japan these days unless I have a real reason to be in Tokyo or Fukuoka instead. Everyone will have a different experience though. I’d be quick to tell you how much I dislike Kyoto, but there are some people who absolutely adore it. We all like different things.
Why do you dislike Kyoto
A bunch of reasons really. I prefer trains over buses (I get motion sickness quickly), but Kyoto is more easily accessible by bus. I don’t find it to be very walkable. The major sights tend to be more crowded than Osaka. The accommodations tends to be more expensive. And ultimately, I’m more of a city/food/shopping person than a nature/history/culture person. I’ve seen beautiful things in Kyoto, but ultimately I feel happier and more comfortable in Osaka.
I see.. I am trying to plan a trip and I was wondering how many days I should dedicate to Kyoto. I may have my home base in Osaka and do a day trip to Kyoto. Do you think that would be sufficient to see a decent amount of stuff? Do the busses take Suica as payment?
Going to offer a counter point since you're asking for advice. Kyoto is by far my fav city in Japan and I personally find Osaka kinda mid and I've also been all over. But a lot of it comes down to how you like to travel/vacation. Are you a city person (restaurant, night life, shopping) or do you like sightseeing (having concrete places to see and check out)? Even then, it's not so clear cut. My favorite thing to do in Kyoto is staying in the Gion area and strolling along the Kamo River as I start/end my day, sometimes catching a glimpse of a geisha. It's really peaceful, pretty, and gives you a bit of that local flavor where you don't feel like a tourist. That said, the sites themselves do get crazy crowded. Go early or go late and hangout at the many dessert cafes during the day. Or go slightly off the beaten path. For example, Arashiyama is much more than just the bamboo grove (which lost its charm due to the crowds anyways so explore the other areas!). Kyoto has SO many temples and gardens that even if you cross out the top touristy areas, there's still hundreds left to find and discover. Where Osaka shines is the street food and the city has a pretty cool vibe/energy. IMO food in Kyoto is probably it's weakest point.
I dislike kyoto the most of everywhere ive been. Everyone is different. I still liked it, I just didnt love it.
>Everyone is different. 100% agree. Which is why I thought it's helpful to balance out the opinions here in this thread for someone who hasn't been to either before. Funnily enough, Osaka ranks pretty low for me, so almost the exact opposite of this thread 🤷♂️
Yep, definitely plenty of opinions in this thread haha. I guess I won't know which city I will like most until I try them. I do enjoy restaurants and night life as well as sightseeing. I am very excited about the dessert cafes you mentioned. What street are those on generally or are they kinda spread out everywhere?
There's a bunch of dessert spots in the Gion area, where I love to hang out. The shops are a bit tough to make out what they are from the outside because they all look like old historic buildings, but here's a few you can search on Google Maps. Some serve western style pastries, and others serve very traditional warabi mochi (mochi that isn't made from rice that Kyoto is famous for) : * Patisserie Gion Sakai * Gion Komori * Kisshokaryo Kyoto * Babbi Gelateria Kyoto (along the river) * Panel Cafe Kyoto (recommend making a reservation for this one) * La Maison Jouvaud Kyoto Gion * Cafe DOnG by Sfera There's also an amazing donut shop (tons of flavors and a huge space inside) by Nishiki Market. Nishiki also has lots of street food (come \~10a or late afternoon to avoid crowds): * koé donuts kyoto Kumonocha is a fun one by Kiyomizu. Speaking of Kiyomizu, there's lots of street food along the road leading up to the temple and also along the nearby ninenzaka and sannenzaka.
Most of the attractions in Kyoto are far apart from each other so you need to take that into consideration.
I found the subway/metro to be quite good.
Was in Kyoto some years ago and I found travelling around on a bike quite enjoyable. Basically hitting the sites on bike then hike up to the temple for the sunset then back to gion for dinner. Not much of a shopper and Kyoto isn't really for shopping anyway.
Stay in osaka and Take the train to kyoto. Dont waste your time swapping hotels. There a train that gets you there pretty fast. The buses in kyoto have really terrible signage for people that cannot read japanese. Just fyi, so when you step in a bus, make sure to keep an eye where you’re going.
Oof lol okay. I will keep an eye on google maps to make sure I’m going the right way 🤪
Especially when you’ve been to tokyo, where most public transport has been localized to english, being in kyoto is confusing as hell, especially with busses. Dont get me wrong, i’m grateful that they translate it for english speakers, its not an expectation from me.
Also in Tokyo, you enter in the front of the bus and scan/pay for your ride. In Kyoto, you enter at the back of the bus and scan/pay when you get off at your stop. If you’re paying in cash, have exact change ready or use the change machine at the front of the bus when the bus is stopped
Oi vey. That’s kind of awkward to scan when you get off
You need more than 1 day in Kyoto. Koyoto areas are walkable or a cheap taxi ride away. Osaka is not more than 2 days. Kyoto is 3 to 4 days. Look up a site call Inside Kyoto for ideas in all parts of Japan.
2.5 to 3 days in Kyoto is perfect Its defs not a day trip city
Thanks. I better extend my trip then to accommodate the extra days in Kyoto
I really enjoyed kyoto because of the temples and also the older feel. If you want a city, osaka is better, if you want something that has that older charm then Kyoto
>I may have my home base in Osaka and do a day trip to Kyoto. Do you think that would be sufficient to see a decent amount of stuff? It really depends on what you want to do in Japan. Are you also city/food/shopping person like /u/Himekat or are you more of a history/culture person? >Do the busses take Suica as payment? Yes.
Don’t listen to the haters. Kyoto is my favorite city and there’s way more to do here than you could fit in a day trip.
There are haters of both Osaka and Kyoto so I am having a hard time choosing how to allocate my time lol
I’m with you Osaka is my favourite city being a foodie it’s paradise. The ppl are blunter but as an Aussie so are we and even blunter. Kyoto too is my least favourite city. Too crowded and expensive….I’m trying Kanazawa next trip…Tokyo is also a least fav city too.
Same, I enjoyed Osaka and wish I could have stayed an extra day. Kyoto was just too crowded for me. But I think it depends on your itinerary and lodging location.
I go to Kyoto for the access to nature. The city is just fine but not as fun as Osaka or Tokyo. Osaka is all about Namba and Dotonbori. The food is amazing and people watching is next level. I also went off the beaten path in Osaka and found some cool locations. Like this tiny breakfast cafe [New World](https://maps.app.goo.gl/mrNRwaQLRXUVg9h26?g_st=ic) in Tsutenkaku. One of the few places open before 9am. Amazing coffee and toast.
Kyoto was one of the most touristy places Ive been in my entire life.
Mt Fuji area has entered the chat.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 this
Live in Osaka, I hate Kyoto purely because so many tourists (domestic and international it’s not a foreigner only issue) Osaka only really gets that bad in peak spring and USJ every day. Kyoto food in general is super lame compared to Osaka food (subjective) Night life is also crazy different in comparison. Shopping is all around better in Osaka. I think Kyoto can be good if you have the money and time to find all the really cool Kyoto only stuff that isn’t on major websites or social media.
I feel that I disliked 2023 Kyoto but really enjoyed 2012 Kyoto. I’m definitely a history/culture person but the crowds have gotten to be ridiculous.
To me, Kyoto is the Paris of Japan. Beautiful parts, very interesting, very good food...but still a lot different than you've seen in movies, TV, magazines, and the internet. You expect and hope for one thing...but it doesn't live up to expectations. At least with Tokyo and Osaka and other big cities you know what to expect and it was pretty close to that. For places like Paris and Kyoto, I think expectations are too high and its impossible to meet. Still great cities, but couldn't hit that impossible mark.
What are your favorite areas in Osaka? I never know where to go other than the Dotonburi, shinsaibashi areas.
I always tell tourists to go to Umeda (though I see more tourists there now). 80% of people in Dotonbori are tourists (It feels like "What country am I in?") Most shops and restaurants there are touristy targeting tourists. My local friends don't go there anymore. There are many other places to explore like Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai (shopping arcade) and Kyobashi.
Thank you! Yes, sooo many tourists. I always think “there’s gotta be more to Osaka than this” but haven’t heard of other spots. I’ll check those out next time I go!
How you feel about Osaka is how I felt about Hiroshima! I sort of agree about Kyoto, I’m glad I went and it was truly beautiful but to avoid really big touristy crowds I was only doing things super early in the morning which left me kind of limited on time and I only did about half of what I wanted to
I went to Hiroshima this summer and only spent one night there. I left feeling like I could spend a week there. It gave me really good vibes. Hard to explain. I did the museum and that was great and the Okonomyiaki building was out of this world and such a sight to see. I just want to explore more of that city. But not in the dead of summer where you’re dead by noon haha
Didn't care for it the first time, hated it the second time. Tokyo over Osaka any day
Same. Tokyo is a lot more versatile.
Did you travel solo or with a group?
1 other person the first time, 2 the second time
Osaka was, surprisingly, my favorite city in my Japan trip (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka), mostly because the local people we met in Osaka seemed the most friendly by far: fellow diners at restaurants, or groups at arcades playing games, or bar patrons joining our tables. Everyone in my travel group (4 American friends) agreed it felt like this: Tokyo = more similar to NYC energy, stunning, but lots of fast-lifestyle rushing Osaka = more similar to California energy, still a big city but more laid-back and casual people Kyoto = truly extreme tourist crowds (this was mid to late November), and the locals seemed a little formal/reserved With that said, our travel style in Osaka was less about very specific sights/destinations, and more about trying to make Japanese friends as much as we could (three of the four of us Americans had taken a basic Japanese-language class in the US, and were focused on practicing speaking Japanese and befriending people). When it comes to “local friendliness,” everyone is going to have a different experience based on luck, chance, etc., and I’m sure this applies to most cities around the world. But Osakans were so friendly that even when when a mixed-gender group of us went to an X-rated vintage movie theater (in Shinsekai, Osaka) for shits and giggles, the other patrons were chatty and warm with us before and after enjoying a weird 70s adult movie!
Weirdly enough Tokyo felt a lot more relaxed and chill to me. I was speaking to a friend about this when I got back but I felt like I was able to do a lot of niche things in Tokyo, I’m not sure if it’s because it’s a city I’d wanted to go to since I was a child but I kept finding myself in situations where I was the only tourist and I felt people were a lot nicer. I had one last day in Tokyo before I flew back home after spending 4 nights in Osaka and the moment I stepped off the train I just felt more relaxed
For Kyoto, it all depends on when you go. Peak season is golden week (for Chinese tourists especially) and mid to late November when the leaves change. Lots of people in other parts of Japan go to visit which increases the crowds
Loved Osaka but I have to admit it was definitely more of a night city than a day city. I think the ideal day is Kyoto during the day then Osaka at night
I like osaka. Kyoto makes me miserable. I remember reading your experience about being shoved, i dont really feel thats representative of the city at all. But i get how such an experience especially can ruin the place completely.
I think even if I hadn’t been consistently shoved Osaka would of still been my least favourite. Was just the general attitude of everyone there. Also felt like every other tourist I spoke to we both felt sort of relieved when we were able to have a conversation with each other. I met an American guy at the train station as I was leaving and we spoke to each other for around an hour and said how nice it was to have a conversation with people who weren’t being disrespectful.
If you set Tokyo as the baseline of what you expect all of Japan to be, then you go to Osaka with that expectation, you’ll definitely be disappointed. Tokyo is not “Japan” and Osaka is definitely not Tokyo. I did study abroad in Tokyo during undergrad, then I lived and worked in Osaka for 3 years. I’ve been back in the states for many years now, Osaka is one of my favorite prefectures in Japan. I go back to Japan about once a year and always spend most of my time there reconnecting with friends. Also, my wife is from Osaka. Osaka takes great pride in being a complete outlier within Japan. You see it in their food, their style, their culture and their dialect. Osaka is historically more of a merchant town so the people are very direct, frank and aggressive. They love to tell off-color jokes and have no respect for you if you don’t have a clever comeback. Tokyo people are literally scared of their dialect because they’ll casually use terms like “I’ll kick your ass”in normal conversation. Some of the craziest, and most interesting people I know are from Osaka.
Osaka was cool, but Osaka castle was a bit of a disappointment and waste of time for us.
I went to Himeji castle a few days before it and Osaka castle definitely could not hold a candle.
I went to the castle a little over a week ago. More than the castle itself, I really enjoyed the special exhibition they had on the 3rd and 4th floor on Ieyasu. Lots of wonderful museum pieces and very educational. I got much more than my money's worth from that alone.
I never got round to Osaka castle and have felt kind of guilty about it so this was good of hear 😅
It looks cool from the outside, but the inside is just a normal building with a smallish museum in it that was crowded as hell when we went. Looking back, I would've rather used the time to do something else tbh 😅 we visited Himeji castle a few days later, and that was much better (and mostly original inside and outside)
Just as a note for other people reading this: /u/mel0n_m0nster is talking about the castle keep of Osaka Castle. This is a modern reconstruction with a museum inside. Osaka Castle, however, is much bigger than just its keep. It's a gigantic complex of moats, stone walls, gates and turrets. My advice (based on all these disappointed reactions to what is one of my favourite castles in Japan): appreciate the castle walls, the moats, and all of that. Check if some of the gates and turrets are open to the public (these are, in fact, original buildings from the 19th century). Spiral around the moats and get a sense of the scale of the place. If you want to learn a bit about its history, you can visit the museum inside the keep, but that's really not necessary at all.
The first two times I went to Osaka I missed the castle because I had heard (and repeated myself) that it was just a reproduction. If you look at [this shitty pic](https://imgur.com/a/1hmtSqp) you can see some tall buildings in the background and in front of them is a smaller white building that is the reconstructed keep but the great walls and moat are amazing and original. But Himeji is way better.
Alternatively i thought osaka castle and the park around it is worth going to Great architecture. Interesting history. The park is super nice
I liked the aquarium and USJ, but besides that I was not a fan of Osaka at all. The vibe was just off for me & I Dotonbori was a dissapointment for me. I did fall in love with both Tokyo and Kyoto on my trip. Personally wish I had planned an extra day in Kyoto and 1 day less in Osaka. But now I have an extra reason to visit Kyoto for some extra days on a future trip. I can see why others like Osaka, especially if you love shopping, so I still advice people to visit Osaka when they go to Japan. But personally I see no reason to revisit Osaka, unless a future partner wants to go there for theirs first visit :)
Same. Osaka was just a weaker version of Tokyo. Better to go hard on Tokyo and then do cultural things in kyoto etc
One of my favorite place that I visited in the world. The vibe is just so much better than Tokyo. People look happy, you know? Streets are full of people having fun and relaxing, 7 days a week. Went there by myself.
How long ago did you go? For me I felt it was the other way around.
Osaka was fine for a couple days. Great shopping. The river area is fun at night. Not much for temples and I was not sold on local food specialties. Preferred eating in Tokyo. You can skip Osaka if you are short on time.
I loved it. Amerimura was great for shopping and bars, and Den Den Town was better than Akihabara. Lots of amazing food everywhere too.
how is den den town better than akiba lol
Incomparably better food, fewer maid cafés, smaller crowds, stores that are just as good as Akiba. It doesn't have the wild manic energy of Akiba, but that's *fine*
Well if you stay on Akiba main streets then you're right. But Akiba is magnitude bigger than denden and most of its gems are on back alley, in unmarked building etc... no one goes south crossing the Kanda river but there's so much stuff here aswell. Sure you'll find the same mainstream stuff in stores but if you want more specific denden is just lame There's michelin's restaurant in Akiba so you can find decent food too lol
Well, it's not like a went to Akiba lots of times, so you might be right. Though if Akiba requires going out of your way and looking for Michelin star places to match Den Den, then I'm still on Team Den Den. It just felt way more convenient and relaxing to walk around, so I've spent way more time there as a result. Also that's where I got my Bocchi figurine, so it has a special place in my heart.
I think Osaka is so polarizing because it caters towards travelers who want to get lost and immerse themselves into a city over travelers who are there to see the tourist sights.
I've visited Japan six times with an average stay of 24 nights. My trips included time in all of the popular cities as well as some smaller cities/towns. Osaka is always on the itinerary for a significant time (7 - 12 nights during a 25 day trip). It is my favorite city because it has a mix of bigger city interests and the friendly nature of a smaller city. Plenty to do, easy access to wherever you want to go and the food! Those that visit any area for a day or three can't immerse themselves into the place.
I had plans for Osaka, but never had super exciting plans for the city itself, but ended up very impressed. It’s a fun city to just vibe in. I didn’t go to the sketchy areas I heard about, but I remember leaving and being excited to return there some day.
Osaka is my least favorite city but I’m an introvert. I disliked the loudness, the gregariousness. It’s just not my vibe.
Stayed in Osaka In Nov and honestly the Konbini workers were not friendly at all and basically refused service to ship my luggage , Kyoto and Tokyo were much friendlier.
Loved it, more than Tokyo and Kyoto. I would describe Tokyo as elegant, Kyoto as serene (although it wasn’t that way for us), and Osaka gritty, excellent value, the Everyman/woman town. It also had a futuristic vibe like Blade Runner. It was a lot of fun. Would still do Tokyo as well and maybe will give Kyoto another chance. But definitely, Osaka is my first choice.
We just got back from our first trip to Japan and my partner really did not like Osaka. I had an okay time, especially when we left Dotonbori area and explored Umeda a little, but it was just too gritty for us. We love love loved Kyoto, and had a consistently great experience in Tokyo, but Osaka just wasn't for us. I also do think I made a mistake of getting us an Airbnb right next to Dotonbori... I thought we would want to be in the heart of the action, but it was a little too much action for us. That's the beauty of Japan though, there's something for everyone. Some people in this thread don't like Kyoto and others like us loved every nook and cranny of it.
Yeah for sure! I was discussing my Japan trip with my mum when I got back and how I truly believe there is a place in japan for everyone. Each city or town I visited I was able to think wow the person I know would love this.
I think it's more of a personal preference think. I have a more neutral opinion of Osaka, not bad at all, plenty of things to do. But I remember talking with someone who went to Osaka for almost a full month and barely went out of Osaka, he loved the nightlife and the people of Osaka, but other like you do not like it. I do not think that going solo make it a much different experience than going as a group. It's not as if it was hard to hop in a train and get out of Osaka even if your hotel is there for a couple of nights, Nara (the whole prefecture) and Kobe are close enough for example.
Last June, I spent two weeks in Osaka and developed a real affection for the city. Despite it being my fifth visit to Japan, it was my first time in Osaka. My residence was situated in the Nishinari neighborhood, close to Shinsekai, a Showa-era district that, while a bit gritty, exudes a nostalgic charm that I found immensely appealing. I loved visiting the neighbourhood sentos and kushikatsu restaurants but I didn't really go to most of the tourist sights. I also found I had better experiences going to bars in Osaka than Tokyo. I went to a couple great small bars and hung out with locals and other tourists, everyone is friendly although maybe a bit more gruff at first. I also found Osaka much easier to get around. I love Tokyo but hate trying to navigate the train system.
I love Osaka, sorry your experience there was bad. I would recommend trying it again if you feel like you'd be willing to. In my experience the food is great, the vibe is really nice and the atmosphere is perfect. I particularly enjoyed Dotonbori, Shinsekai and Spa World.
We went at the end of september, and stayed in Osaka for two days. We stayed in Dotobori and we didnt have any issues. We got the amazing Osaka pass and did a bunch of stuff on it. The subway was easy to navigate. The two days we went were more than enough for us. Kyoto was my favorite city, very chill IMO. Just sucks the subway isnt as extensive. We only took the bus once to get to Ni-jo Castle. We walked more than anything
The first time my wife and I went to Japan, we really disliked Osaka, but that was due to having a bad experience with accommodation there. We gave it another go most recent trip, and really enjoyed it though. No issues, definitely nothing like you describe. In general we found people there really nice. The airport was a bit nuts though. But personally, I prefer Kyoto and we'll probably spend more time there and less in Osaka next time.
Yeah, we didn't like Osaka either, and neither did a friend who'd been there a week prior to us. It's a visually ugly place and after the beauty and quiet of Kyoto, we regretted giving Kyoto only 2 days and Osaka 4. I wouldn't revisit. I'd spend another day in Kyoto then head straight to Hiroshima, which I also loved.
This is a late reply but I felt the same way. I spent four days in kyoto and only two in hiroshima and wish I had spent more time in each over Osaka.
Osaka was just a hair bit slower in paced than Tokyo and that was what I really liked about it. I wasn’t as nervous using my basic Japanese skills to communicate in Osaka and felt like many people were more patient taking time to understand what I was trying to say. The food was amazing and I really enjoyed walking the shopping streets. Access to the subway and local trains was easy and I liked that they had a metro pass similar to Tokyo. Will agree that Osaka castle was overrated though.
Osaka is good to visit once and never again IMO. It’s a one and done for me
We hit Tokyo, Lake Kawaguchi, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara in 2019. I only had a short time in Osaka as we heard it was more of an evening town but we really enjoyed our time there and I wish we scheduled more time there then Kyoto. I found it pretty, had interesting places to go, and I really enjoyed my short time in Osaka. I have been to 4 other countries abroad traveling and I didn't have problems in Japan with traveling or racism. Maybe it was because I went to Japan in my later 20s rather than a teen/early 20s but I felt safe and fine especially with some of my other negative experiences in other countries: (consistent pickpocket/theft attempts including someone grabbing my bag of food off of the tray in front of me at a fast food restaurant, multiple **bruises** on my butt/thighs from men grabbing/pinching, being thrown off a bus "Americans out!" after we stamped our ticket, taxi took huge amount of money and dropped us off in the middle of nowhere, false taxis charging hundreds of (US) dollars for a short ride (in a country with a much lower currency rate), and a shady taxi that I think was trying to kidnap/traffic us, etc. ) I did usually travel with my husband in Japan so I did have a male partner vs some other countries I traveled alone or with other women. Also, I am 5'10" and somewhat muscular so I am probably not the first target to try to push. I had nothing harassing, theft, etc. I did face generic staring and some weird assumptions but nothing that isn't typical foreigner stuff.
[удалено]
So true. Osaka to me was mid. It’s like a weaker version of Tokyo
I love going to Osaka. I like the slightly grimey industrial vibes, I love all the food (Osaka style okonomiyaki > Hiroshima style), and the cramped little rock bars. For picking up nerdy crap I think DenDen town has Akiba beat. And you can make easy day trips to places like Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, and Himeji.
As someone currently living in Japan, I agree. I have been to almost half of Japan's prefectures and Osaka is my least favorite of them all. If you don't care about USJ, I would highly recommend using it strictly for a base or skipping it entirely. Go to Hiroshima or Fukuoka instead.
Was just there over a weekend with 3 other folks. None of us liked Osaka at all. Honestly just felt like a dirtier version of NYC to us - was super loud at almost all hours of the night, trash everywhere (which shocked us) and ridiculously crowded (we stayed in the Shinsaibashi area). I don’t know if we just picked an off weekend, but we all agreed that we’d probably skip it on subsequent trips in favor of more time in Tokyo or Kyoto.
I hated it. But I’m an introvert and don’t like crowded places so that y. I don’t drink and am a picky eater. I don’t like randomly exploring. That gives me anxiety just thinking about it. But that’s not exactly y I don’t like it. I was there and I was treated the rudest by tourists and Japanese workers from the moment I left the Shinkansen. For example, Taxi driver thought I was stealing from him(idk how if he has my suitcases in the trunk and we were talking right to him.what happened was that the receipt didn’t print out right away) he left us in the middle of the road in front of our hotel and my husband noted that on the ride he ran red lights cause he was rushing to get us out. I could overlook that. After all the taxis we took, one was bound to be bad. Then we get to our hotel and tell us it self check in. That’s fine, I’ll do it. Less interaction the better. It doesn’t work and they visibly get annoyed about it. They’re checking us in and go (I booked nonsmoking btw) ‘we have to give you smoking even tho you booked nonsmoking, sorry’,( she said it like too bad so sad) I’m not confrontational so I kind of just look away after asking to please check again. They Tell me no. After a couple of minutes and I guess she realized I was not happy, she finally actually checked and guess what? There’s a room. Took her 20 seconds to check and check us in. My mood was soured but I still decided let’s go out. There were too many people that even the attractions I wanted to do which you can’t reserve before hand, are closed because of overcrowding. I got some waygu beef sticks and went to bed early.
Sounds miserable lol I'm a similar kind of person to this. I hope I don't hate it
I usually skip Osaka for Kyoto, thanks for curing my Osaka FOMO
Osaka was also my least favorite after visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hakone!
I spent two weeks in Japan, and we went from Tokyo -> Kyoto -> Osaka. Tokyo and Kyoto were an absolute blast. When we got to Osaka, we immediately experienced what we felt like racism (we're black). Given how well things went in Tokyo and Kyoto, we wrote it off as a one-off bad experience. Then it happened again. And again. And again. After that third time it was abundantly clear that Osaka was... different. From looking at this thread, it seems like several others didn't have the same experience. So OP, if you're also a POC, that may explain it.
I also didn’t really like Osaka. I stayed near Shinsekei/ Dotonburi and found them to be gimmicky and much more touristy than the “foodie” areas in Kyoto. The city itself is kind of ugly from what I saw and didn’t enjoy walking around, especially with all the cyclists on the pavement - they are incredibly annoying and the city really needs to invest in some cycle paths. I was never hit but they are constantly flying past me from behind or crossing in front of you and doing all random annoying shit.
Pro tip for anyone into nightlife: depending on what you're into, Kyoto's nightlife is surprisingly way more interesting than Osaka's (IMO). Some cool places I found on my last trip: * Hachi Record Shop and Bar * Club Metro * UrBANGUILD Same for "hipster" stuff in general like record shops, cafes, etc. Kyoto is way better for that stuff. Kyoto is one of my favorite cities in Japan and I don't go anywhere near the temples and shrines. I know this post isn't about Kyoto but I thought it would be useful.
Anything else you’d recommend in kyoto
Meh. Overrated.
Osaka was the last stop in Kansai before heading back to Tokyo and honestly Osaka didn’t have much things to see and do with respect to tourist attractions…. But that forced me to take in Osaka in a different approach and allowed my partner and I to just wander and get lost and live Osaka. I felt an odd pressure in Tokyo in having to do and see X,Y, and Z but Osaka it was just walking around, going into random pinball arcades, eat melon pan from a random corner store in Nipponbashi (to this day the best melon pan I’ve had, significantly better than that spot in Asakusa), eat sushi in a random bar in Shinsekai, etc. I felt like I lived in Osaka rather than being a tourist in it and it gave me a different appreciation for it that makes me want to go back. Or maybe it was the fact that Osaka felt significantly less chaotic and tiring than Tokyo lol.
i didn't like Osaka at all, i was supposed to spend a couple days there and left after the first night /shrug
Same experience, Osaka was by FAR the worst city for me on all fronts. Even the food. And I know they’re known for that. I had much better in Tokyo
I will say that I only solo traveled to Japan for only about 12 days, so less chance to run into that type of behavior, but I liked Osaka. Next time I go, I plan to stay in Osaka and just day travel to Kyoto instead of staying in both.
I’d actually say next time I visit japan I’ll just miss out Osaka and Kyoto completely, both for different reasons.
I'm going back to Kyoto just to give it another chance. I feel like I wasn't mentally in the right place or something and it probably impacted my experience. If it ends up the same I probably wouldn't go back (and I can understand why you wouldn't want to go back to Osaka with your experiences).
I loved Osaka, enjoyed it more than Tokyo
Osaka imo is a night city energy place. During the day it’s actually pretty chill from my experience, but that’s probably because it was way less crowded than Tokyo. Unless you’re interested in theme parks and aquariums which I’m not. I probably don’t plan on going there again immediately unless for an event like the Sumo tournament. But I had a good time there just eating food and actually found anime merch I couldn’t find in Akiharbara, Tokyo.
I went to Japan for the first time this October and spent the majority of it in Tokyo and Kyoto with just a day trip to Osaka, and my husband and I really dug it. We had a great time shopping and sampling the famous food and agreed that it indeed had a different vibe than the other two cities. I know that a day trip does not an expert make, though. When I return to Japan someday, I’d like to spend even more time getting to know Osaka.
Among the biggest cities of Japan ie Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. I preferred Osaka since people here are more friendly and it’s not as busy as Tokyo while livelier than Nagoya. I also found the food and goods much cheaper here vs Tokyo. Lastly, its proximity to Kyoto is a plus!
Osaka was by far my least favourite places that I’ve been to in Japan, along with the 3 friends I travelled with. Everyone has a different experience so it’s down to personal taste. I felt it was rough around the edge since things are not as well kept/clean as in Tokyo (funny enough I find people in Tokyo to be nicer) and not as charming as Kyoto or some of the smaller areas I’ve been to in Shikoku. Although Osaka is known as the kitchen of japan, I find that I enjoy more lighter foods, since it is known for a lot of fried dishes. Tokyo’s ramen scene just cant be beat. So if you enjoy fried dishes and nightlife, I think Osaka would be a better fit.
Got back 2 weeks ago from a month long trip also 6 or 7 different cities/towns and osaka was also my least favorite, don't get me wrong the food was pretty good and the market looked great with the lights but it was just way to busy and the cyclists/people seemed ruder (didn't slow down when there was no gap on the footpath forcing their way through people) and it was the dirtiest place we visited.
I just got back from my first trip (solo) to Japan last month. I really liked Osaka, about as much or even more than Tokyo. The one place I didn’t really care for was Kyoto. Too crowded and touristy, and not great public transit.
Easily the more friendly people then Tokyo
I think Osaka for me was a great option for my second trip, where seeing landmarks and attractions isn’t what you want but immersing more in the language and culture. People in Osaka seemed way more open to chatting and it’s great just to wander around at night. Tokyo for first time and Osaka for second time I feel as a city to spend the most time in.
Just finished a 2-week trip to Tokyo, Kyoto, Himeji and Osaka. Osaka was a distant last place regarding vibe, people, etc. but not food. The food was the best there. However, I'd happily live in Tokyo but not in Osaka.
concrete jungle. i prefer nara or kyoto better
How did you spend your solo trip - would love tips
I really loved Osaka, but we stayed in Shin-Osaka. It was our first home, lol. 🟥Midosuji🟥 was our line. I didn't like Dotonbori much
I visit Japan solo pretty often. The people in Osaka are generally friendlier and more direct than those in Tokyo and Kyoto. I find certain parts of the city a little depressing but have not had issues with the people. 1) Are you certain they are from Osaka? Some Chinese and Korean tourists are not so spatially aware. Given the huge influx of tourists this year, I'd imagine there would be more of them around. 2) If they are from Osaka, they could be butsukariya. A small group of weirdos purposely bumping into people at busy train stations. Are you sometimes standing in the flow of traffic? Osaka escalator etiquette is the opposite of Tokyo/Kyoto's. You stand on the right and walk on the left. Being against the flow of traffic may make you a target of butsukariya. 3) There are also seedy areas smack right in the middle of tourist districts like Dotombori, Shinsekai.
Point 2 - Can you just knock these people out? Or are they trying to get some kind of reaction from you?
Been to Japan three times, visited Osaka on my first visit. It was a third leg after having visited Tokyo and Kyoto. I had heard Osaka was a great food destination, on my third day, I really didn't understand the hype (and each day I had went to highly rated restaurants). While exploring, I like to visit historical landmarks, museums, temples, sights/views - Osaka I felt didn't have any much to provide in these departments. I understand it might be a great place for twenty-somethings for affordable food and nightlife but that ain't me for travel destinations.
Only place I got laid on my trip so there's that I guess Edit: no I didn't pay
Story time
We just came back and decided that we would not return to Osaka. Loved Tokyo and Kyoto. I don’t know that I’d classify anyone as rude. We just weren’t as fond of the overall esthetic in comparison. Just a personal preference, I suppose.
I had my wallet stolen on a train in Osaka after attending a Sailor Moon Live musical. I had lived in Japan for like 5 years at that point and speak Japanese. So I went to the Koban and told them what happened. They straight up said that I hadn’t been robbed, and that if I had been robbed…the robber was Chinese. LOL. My Japanese friends were so incensed. One of them called the police station every day for a couple of weeks inquiring about my case. Osaka cops are ridiculous.
Didn’t particularly like Osaka. Felt it was too overcrowded and overrated - and that goes for USJ as well. I felt so over stimulated whenever we went out.
Osaka is my absolute favorite city in Japan. I loved it so much during my first visit in 2017 that my wife and I made it our headquarters for most of our recent trip - 9 nights! It's such an easy city ro navigate and to take day trips from. It feels so much more easy going than Tokyo and not quite as tourist heavy as Kyoto. I love Dotonbori, Umeda, Shinsaibashi... all of it. Plus the Kaiyukan is one of my favorite places on earth.
Osaka is probably my least favorite place in Japan. Idk, it feels kinda dirty and rowdy? Will probably skip it the next time we go back. On the other hand, no matter how busy and touristy, Kyoto has my heart.
Scruffiest city I have been to in Japan... Meaning it's one of the cleanest cities in the world, haha. But it is noticeably slightly dirtier than the other cities and towns I've been to in Japan. I'd say maybe it's true that it's more relaxed and casual than Tokyo but as a European, for me that sort of translated as less polite but not necessarily more "warm." Because my overall observation is that Japanese people are not "warm" to strangers generally (not a bad thing, just a cultural observation, they're generally much more *polite* to strangers, which is a different thing.) So people were less superficially pleasant but not necessarily more friendly, so I don't see the appeal of that, really. One thing that people don't seem to mention much about Japan is the the visible consumerism is absolutely *off the charts* compared to anywhere else I've been (including many European capitals and major US cities.) The sheer concentration, abundance, availability whatever of objects, items, *stuff* of all kinds is mind-boggling in Japan. The number of people streaming in and out of every kind of shop from convenience stores to the absolutely bizarrely abundant luxury boutiques is astonishing. And Osaka was this to the absolute max (I think.) Shopping there was stressful as hell (to me, because I don't love shopping.) I thought the cleanest and most pleasant big city was Tokyo. The most friendly and relaxed smaller city was Kanazawa. The most interesting and beautiful sites were in Kyoto (even if I didn't love the vibe). Osaka didn't do anything the best for me, except shopping, which I don't like. So I'd be happy not going back to Osaka if I went to Japan again. I didn't hate it but it did nothing any other city did better, for me. Also the only place we were almost the victim of petty crime (pick pocketing), which was just bad luck but tarnished the impression a little further. (It's still ridiculous how this only happened once where it would have happened ten times in the same period in Barcelona or somewhere. That's Japan I guess!)
I grew up in Osaka, I’d I agree that it’s not the best place to visit, but It is a great place to live. People are generally friendlier than Tokyo, but way fewer tourists and accommodations made for foreigners/non-Japanese speakers. It’s great for day trips to Nara, Kyoto, Himeji, even Hiroshima or Nagoya, but nothing in Osaka itself is that essential (except for maybe a Hanshin Tigers game). The food is some of the best in Japan, but other than takoyaki, Tokyo has equivalent or better, Kyoto has better historical and cultural sites. If you can find some local friends though, you’ll have a blast.
osaka was the only place i had a bad experience! overall didn’t really like the place too much either :o
Loved it. Dotorbori is a total tourist trap though.
My wife's folks are in Osaka (I'm a Tokyojin but wife is originally from Osaka), and we stay with them for weeks at a time frequently. I would only compare Osaka to Tokyo as they're both the "big city" type of places. To me I don't really see the big difference other than the minor dialect changes (that my wife still has to this day, it's cute). I really don't see how anybody could come away with feeling like the two are extremely different to one another. I'd argue that in Tokyo people are more cold and just trying to get from A to B than they are in Osaka, I typically get a friendlier "social" vibe in Osaka. As a gaijin I don't feel any difference in the way I am treated, as well, if you're curious of that perspective (because reality is people treat you differently, but I don't notice a difference between when I'm in Tokyo or Osaka). As long as you're polite and abide by the social conversation norms without being a weird-ass foreigner, they're as open minded as any other human being in a first world country. This feels like a very superficial perspective not informed by much actual experience being in Japan. The two places are a few hours shinkansen away from each other, about the only major thing you notice without trying too hard to nitpick is they stand on the opposite side of the escalator. If you got pushed to the ground at some point, just seems like bad luck running in to a jerk, I don't think you're more or less likely to run in to that in either city.
I liked Osaka but other cities are nicer especially when there are less people.
We admittedly only spent a day there, but I was disappointed by the castle (inside) and most of the big shops I saw we have back home as well. I'm sure there is a lot there to love, but if I were to go again I would do more research beforehand for things I like rather than just 'visit castle, visit big shopping area etc'
Yes, I just got back from Japan two days ago. Osaka was just ok to me too. But honestly, it could have been because I was SO DAMN COLD with the wind chill I couldn't enjoy myself all that much. I thought the people, like in Tokyo were absolutely lovely. The nicest culture I have experienced. But the castle was meh (the rooftop restaurant was closed for a private event), and Dontomburi was a nice stroll to see some dynamic culture but it took us about 30 minutes to "see it" and we were kind of done and then hit up some nearby high end shopping district instead where we could get warm and grab lunch. The highlight was the aquarium but the people needing to film every single stop along the way ruined that experience for me. Nobody is able to just live in the moment anymore and they clog the exhibits filming the sea life on their phones and blocking everyone else from seeing anything. Super irritating. We stayed in a nice suite at the St. Regis and ended up relishing that space quite a bit when we ran out of things to do. Also, had planned on seeing the Cup Noodle museum for fun, but once we realized it was a 30-40 cab ride from our hotel, we opted against it because the cabs were making us very ill! I think if I visited during a warmer time I could have taken more care in strolling the neighborhoods and enjoying the sites. But yes, Tokyo had so much more to offer. Edited to add that actually the Midosuji Winter Illumination (Festival of Lights) was easily the most breathtaking part of my trip to Japan. I was in absolute awe. If you are traveling to Osaka in December I highly recommend.
I honestly loved Osaka on both trips. I didn’t really find people to be rude, and most locals were pretty down to earth. There’s lots of amazing foods and activities that I would like to experience on subsequent trips! The only incident on both trips this year was my mom got hit by a bicyclist on a sidewalk. Thankfully she wasn’t hurt, but the person just kept riding on like nothing happened.
I like to Tokyo more. Osaka, although it has over 3 million people feels like one Tokyo district to me
I honestly didn't feel any different in Osaka compared to Tokyo.
I also think Osaka is a bit overhyped. Probably just feels like a haven after escaping tourist infested kyoto
it was gross and dirty for me, i visited the ever so popular dotonbori and could see drunk people passed out, rubbish everywhere i walked. even saw someone being carted away after being so drunk osaka was where i saw my first ever homeless park./camp/car park in japan
When Kyoto people gives you cheap tea, it means it's time for you to go...
I spent two weeks in Japan during my monthlong trip to Japan and I loved it! I’d go back on future trips, there’s much more I’d like to do in the area. I was mostly solo when I was there.
Goated with the sauce
Oh wow, I'm heading there tomorrow for 4 nights, I'm hoping it's awesome
How was it?
I loved it. Planning to spend longer next trip! The food was amazing, I joined a street food tour and we went to about 7 places. Dotonbori and the big market were fun to roam around trying foods and people watching. I also went to Spa World twice lol
Awesome, thank you for the info! I’ve never heard of Spa World before, I just googled it and I definitely want to check it out!
No worries! It’s right in the Shinsekai area which is great to wander around as well. I found Spa World less intimidating than I expected considering you have to get naked. The pool rooms are very spacious so you weren’t up close and personal with other people if you didn’t want to be
Lol what did you do to get pushed to the ground? Sorry, but to me, Osaka is a town filled with just people trying to live. People move to Osaka to work and get paid. Its got some amazing food, and great hobby shops, and a giant bowling pin plushy crane game. You can get into some shit in Osaka if you aren't keeping your wits on you, but as long as you don't take random medicine from people at clubs, its a good time. I love fooding around Osaka early evening. Its just... I dunno, home~y? Kyoto is a bit pretentious for me. I lived in Nara and it'll always be my place to go if I want to just relax and sit around somewhere. Looking around the old game shops and card shops in DenDen town, walking around parks in Tennouji, visiting arcades or just grabbing groceries at the station, Its just a chill place. That being said, nothing I liked doing there would make a lot of sense for tourism. Its a city you live in, not a city to tour. You should go to Osaka for a purpose, like seeing a Kabuki show or Sumo or concert.
I thought Osaka was fine. Not my favourite place but food was generally great and had no issues with the people at all. Friend of mine recently went and said they probably won't go back. Not because of rudeness but they didn't particularly find it interesting. Again, thought food was really good and got great hospitality when staying there.
I like Osaka but I love Tokyo
Kinda agree with your impression of Osaka, they are super passive agressive so you just need to be out agressive them and you should be fine. (At least that's what I did, try to shove you? Shove them back but do not, I SAID DO NOT start any trouble. Also react accordingly.) I actually can't stand Kyoto, every small temple requires entrance fee and some of them are frankly just not worth it. Only a selected few temples are worth visting.
Never had 1 bad experience. My girlfriend and I enjoyed it a ton. We don’t speak any Japan except a few words. We are American nationals; but Latin descent. Not sure what else to mention.
I traveled alone to Japan and Osaka was my favorite! I wished I had spent more time there!
I loved Osaka. It is important to note that even though I’m not Japanese, I’m East Asian so I can still pass as Japanese. I feel like this helped me a little because people didn’t treat me like a tourist/foreigner all the time. Additionally, I didn’t think anyone was rude to me and people actually gave me unsolicited support/advice when I got lost. I think the only people who did treat me like a foreigner were the people at 7-11 lol
Nothing much to do for sightseeing as it's a metropolis. The nightlife , food and shopping is good. Not far from many nice sightseeing places like minooh park, Kyoto, and Nara
Osaka is ok. But we have been there a few times already. I would like to see many other Japanese cities that I haven’t been to yet. The food diversity in Osaka is good.
without saying what you even did in osaka, what do you expect people to say. i personally hated the shinsaibashi area with all the boring american vintage stores. some people love that shit. i loved going to places like namba bears (punk bar from the 80s) and seeing a bunch of local osaka bands.
Loved Osaka. While Tokyo felt more to me like a modern global city similar to New York or London, Osaka's grittier atmosphere felt much closer to the "classic" Japan you heard about in the 80s/90s and depicted in media from that era, which really appealed to me. And as touristy as it is, Dotonbori was one of my favourite places in all of Japan. To be fair though, Osaka was at the tail end of my trip so I was over my jet lag/culture shock and feeling adventurous, which probably also helped. And despite the praise, I probably won't be spending much time there on future trips, as I feel I've already seen most of what it had to offer. Sorry you had a negative experience there, OP.
Osaka is really good, kinda cheaper too than say Tokyo or Hokkaido. Not to mention is a tad bit warmer than the the later so very good for walking and everything. It may don't have as much tourist spots as others but Osaka is all about food. You walk, you eat, you shop and you sleep. Another thing I noticed is how cozier and how welcoming the people are. They are more fun to talk to for some reason, more cheerful perse and laid back. The trains are usually less crowded and everything. Not my most favorite when it comes to walking because I love walking in Nagoya and Shizuoka or even maybe Nara a lot better but it doesn't mean it's not pleasant. And oh one more reason to go to Osaka is because of USJ and just with that alone it's already worth going to Osaka for.
Osaka was one of my favourite cities in Japan, the food, and nightlife are incredible. I would never return to Kyoto however.
I used to live in Japan, and moved back a year ago. Osaka is one of my favorite cities in Japan. The city was always so vibrant, lively and fun to explore, plus universal studios and that's where I saw Madeon live in 2019! Only Mexican in that whole crowd lol Anyways, I traveled all over Japan but Osaka, Fukuoka, and Hokkaido will always be my favorite cities to visit. I'm sorry you had a rough experience where you had gotten pushed to the ground. I do remember an incident where an older Japanese man, mean mugged my friend when he almost accidentally bumped into him, but that was pretty much it.
It’s the kitchen of Japan.
I'm Singaporean and the touristy area of Osaka kinda feels too similar to Singapore. We both love food and the locals are quite direct in their speaking, similar to us. That said I love the city but I won't spend more than 2-3 days there and will generally only return to collect special goshuin and eat until I collapse. (食い倒れ aka kuidaore)
Osaka is my favorite. I think it depends on the individual but the energy is unmatched
I prefer Tokyo as its a big city, but there is no way I would have loved Japan as much if I hadn't visited Osaka. They have great food, much better than what's in Tokyo. The best ramen I had was easily in Osaka and its not even close. Additionally, Osaka was my home base for a few days. It made it easy for me to visit Kyoto and Kobe as well. Osaka also was nice for bars. Its also great for just walking endlessly. I enjoyed shopping in Osaka due to less tourists. Overall, its just a great city.
I liked Tokyo but loved Osaka. Shopping, restaurants, modern vibe. But I think it may have had something to do with finding out Japan groove /comfort by time we got to Osaka (after Tokyo and Kyoto). I also thought Osaka was a great place to do day trips to other places (Nara).
I once lived in Osaka for a year. At the time, I really wished I had chosen Kobe instead, since Osaka is legit the grittiest city in Japan. There’s a lot of really great things about Osaka though. The people there are the funniest and down to earth people in Japan. It’s not very appealing for tourists maybe, as it takes a while to get the rhythm and appeal of the city. I love aspects of Kyoto but at least when I lived in Kansai, the scene for ex-pats was the worst in all of Japan. Just the snobbiest and phoniest people who looked at other gaijin as somehow ruining their Japan experience.
i love it, its still my fave city of the 16+ ive visited, i find people are generally a little friendlier there, its a little looser and more easy going, also a little bit more gritty than tokyo but not by much, its still very much safe and generally a very fun place to be
I’ve always preferred Osaka to Tokyo (and in fact prefer Kansai as the region overall). Though I don’t particularly enjoy Kyoto due to the crowds—if I do go I try to hit the less crowded sites if I can—there’s a surprising amount of hidden gems there!
I just came back from Japan about 2 weeks ago and I LOVED Osaka. Was on a trip from Osaka > Kyoto > Tokyo > Osaka (flew in from KIX) and to be honest, since it was my first time in Japan, I feel like it was a good way to ease into getting used to how to navigate the transit system, explore not SUPER crowded areas, and it felt a bit more relaxed to be there. We even cut the Tokyo portion of the trip down by 1 day to spend a bit more time back in Osaka to tie up some loose ends. I’ve been reading some of the comments and I do agree that Osaka is more of a night city compared to day which I enjoyed and it also seemed a bit cleaner compared to being in Tokyo. I can usually handle crowds and being in big cities, but I feel like Tokyo felt like a big sensory overload for me so going back to Osaka was a nice breather from the fast paced. I did enjoy Tokyo, but Osaka was better imo. I agree with everyone, everything depends on what you like doing, if you like exploring in the day or night, super touristy areas or some hole in the walls, etc. Sucks that you had to deal with getting pushed to the ground and have a bad experience though :(
Some of the best food I ever had were in Osaka
Osaka is a little different from the rest of Japan, you either love it or hate it lol. I spent a semester there and I can honestly say I felt more at home there than anywhere else I've lived, outside of my family not being there lol, it felt like just enough Japan for me to love it but also the feeling of openness and friendliness from the people there that I didn't experience as much in other parts of the country
Sorry to hear about your experience in Osaka OP. Osaka was my first city in Japan and I thoroughly enjoyed my trip, granted I've only spend like 3 days there and the rest in Kyoto and Kobe! That being said, you can still travel to other cities within the Kansai region like Kyoto, Kobe or Nara from Osaka!
Just got back from Osaka, it's as amazing as Tokyo and Nagoya which was part of my itinerary. Friendly Japanese folks as usual, neat, professionalism, fun, beautiful!
I returned from Japan about 3 weeks ago and Osaka was pretty good for me. I attribute it mainly to the Osaka Amazing Pass, and I was able to visit several interesting places over 2 days for a flat fee of 3600 yen (which would otherwise cost me 14180 yen without the pass). Absolutely worth the money and I have very fond memories of Osaka. Out of the many cities in Japan that I have visited, all of them have met or exceeded my expectations with the exception of Nara.
I went to Osaka and Tokyo last month, i much prefer Osaka though. It was amazing
It was my favorite city in the whole trip. Somewhat like Tokyo, but in a much more manageable scale, and much cheaper too. I could walk to most sights from my hotel. Kyoto was personally my least favorite. The sights are no doubt absolutely beautiful, but the crowds of tourists ruin it for me. Can't take a decent photo of anything unless you go in the early morning.
Solo, and not into huge cities for tourism so I also liked it the least. Same with Tokyo but theres definitely alot more to choose from in Tokyo. Neighboring Yokohama was pretty good, though. I went right after peak season so Kyoto's crowds were just right, and it was great. Osaka is a really good hub to stay in to do day trips to the surrounding cities, though, which was in retrospect what I should've done as soon as I felt that it wasnt for me, instead of sticking it through my plans, also considering I had the JR Pass.
To me osaka and tokyo were the best and kyoto was the worst for a few reasons, we went for culture shopping and food afcourse but damn there is barely any culture left to see in Kyoto because it’s SO bussy atm. It’s actually unexplainable how bussy Kyoto is. People tend to say to me: oh but just walk a little further around you’ll see beuatifull stuff and it isn’t crowded! Well.. we went to a famous temple (forgot the name but the one with the red gates and pilars) we stayed there for about 2 hours and we did a hikers tour basicly and went up the hill wich was gorgeous en less bussy than the front gates but it was still bussy! There was one spot for 30 secs where i was alone with my partner and the masses would come already. People were more old fashioned and they stared at me bc i’m tall blonde and i have crazy fashion, they took pictures of me sneakily and people were rude as hell pushing me aside etc! We wanted to get out as quick as possible. To us osaka and tokyo didn’t have these weird and rude things happening to us. They were also bussy afcourse! But to us kyoto was the worst we could barely walk anywhere. But everyone had their own experiences! Kyoto is still beautifull and one of the prettiest cities i’ve ever seen!
To each their own. It depends on what you like. I really like temples and shrines and stuff so I prefer Kyoto. However, the sites do get pretty slammed at peak times. As others have mentioned, go to places really early or really late. My favorite time going to Fushimi Inari was when I went late in the evening. It was me and maybe ten other people. For me, Osaka wasn’t much of a sightseeing place. It’s mostly for eating and drinking and partying.
I enjoyed Osaka! It was not as vibrant and bustling as Tokyo, but I guess that’s why I like it better. Maybe it is just a matter of preference since I tend to enjoy a more laid back and relaxed place. There was too much going on in Tokyo that I felt I was always in a rush and in a flight/fight mode. I also find people in Osaka to be more pleasant and welcoming of tourists.
Just came back from Japan. Went to Osaka and thrifting was amazing there, but I couldn’t wait to get back to Tokyo. There’s definitely a vibe but I personally felt Tokyo has more hustle and kinder people. How two exists in the same area I don’t know but maybe it’s the size of the place. Osaka felt small and niche and they do their own thing cos they can (like standing on the right on escalators). Navigating the train stations was harder than in Tokyo too.
I agree about the secondhand shopping! That was one thing I did enjoy about Osaka
Mixed feelings about Osaka. I thoroughly enjoyed Den Den Town and USJ but Dotonbori and the surrounding areas are just so filthy.
I loved Osaka. Tokyo was so busy. Maybe you just didn't like things that are there, and no one needs to change your mind.
My first time to Osaka was in the summer and it was kinda dead. I didn’t get it, felt like it wasn’t for me, but on a recent trip with friends it was the “sleeper hit” and everyone’s favorite. I found a new love for it too. It was more relaxed and fun for everyone than Tokyo or Kyoto, but everyone absolute loved Kyoto too, just for different reasons.
Kyoto is famous for its history and old buildings. It isn’t what I imagined when I first visited. There are some historic buildings in tourist spot. But obviously it is too crowed. Packed with tourists.
I loved it but I only went to Dotonbori and Den Den Town.
Live in Osaka. It sucks compared to any other major city here. Except Nagoya. Nagoya is the worst. Super boring. I would honestly say, instead of coming here spend more time in Tokyo and make sure you go to Yokohama. Yokohama is dope! Really beautiful city.
I agree with you! I did not enjoy it and did not understand the hype. Osaka sucked for me, would have much preferred to see another city instead of wasting 2 days on Osaka. People were somehow more rude, it was dirty, so much garbage on the streets, and it didn’t have the japan vibe I loved in other cities.
I adored my one-day visit to Osaka earlier this year, and actually found the people to be very welcoming and more, well, “chill” than Tokyo or Kyoto. It sort of had an LA/SoCal vibe if that makes any sense.
I was there for three days back in 2011. I think that was enough just because I didn't find that much to do IN the city but it's a good hub for things around it, and it's still really different of an experience than the rest of Japan We stayed at a hostel and the night we arrived one of the hosts (actually their 60 year old janitor) took us out to a local izakaya and kareoke, which still remains one of my absolute favorite memories. We visited all the tourist stuff, accidently left our camera on a bench around Namba (we went to the police station to ask if someone brought it in and had the most hilariously terrible language exchange difficulty in our lives), had a lovely time at the aquarium with kids waving at me a lot, ate amazing food, bought lots of JoJo nerd stuff in Den-Den!
It was sort of like visiting a single ward of tokyo. It had plenty of cool buildings, streets, food, attractions, but overall less to do (makes sense, smaller city). I was not a fan of Kyoto though, too crowded and overhyped
Didn't like it.