14 Fun Things to Do in Osaka, Japan, as a First-Time Visitor

Of all the places I visited on my first trip to Japan, Osaka was the one that I had the lowest expectations for. To be honest, the main reason we spent three nights here was that our flight back to Europe was from Kansai Airport. Maybe it was because I had no expectations, but Osaka actually ended up being my favorite city of the ones we went to in Japan. 

I wouldn’t necessarily call Osaka pretty, though it does have some spots with beautiful architecture. But would I call the city fun? Yes, absolutely, and without thinking twice. Osaka’s foodie scene is well-known, and I can confirm that this reputation is deserved. Beyond that, though, I found lots of other fun things to do. I am certain that I will revisit on future trips to Japan, and actually, I will make every effort to start my trips in the country from here. 

Every recommendation in this article is tried and tested from my own real-life experiences in the city. I think that Osaka is well worth visiting for a few days and deserves to be more than a stop that feels like an obligation. If you let it captivate you, Japan’s third-biggest city is a rewarding place to be. 

Without further ado, here are my suggestions for the best things to do in Osaka as a first-time visitor. 

We were lucky enough to have clear weather, which gave us views over much of the city. Although it is obviously not as large as Tokyo, I was surprised that Osaka was a lot bigger than I had initially expected. Personally, I really enjoy photographing cityscapes… and as a result, I felt very much at home while at this observatory. 

Since it’s indoors, you don’t need to worry about the weather being too cold. We went here around mid-afternoon, and while we were not alone, the observatory wasn’t too busy. It certainly wasn’t as busy as when we visited the Skytree in Tokyo, anyway. 

Once we were at the observatory, we spent around two hours there. Much of this was because the light kept changing, which made it very hard to leave 😄. In terms of the best time to visit, I don’t think it matters too much, to be honest. 

2. Try the Tomato Ramen at Mankai Temmabashi

We pretty much ate ramen and konbini food for most of our first trip in Japan, and this was because both taste very good. It’s honestly that simple. By the time we had arrived in Osaka, we’d already tried several amazing ramen dishes in Kyoto and Tokyo. However, I think we saved the best until the final leg of the trip. 

We found Mankai Temmabashi while strolling around close to our hotel one evening. Our plan was to get something simple and not too far away. While I was very skeptical of trying tomato ramen before, I can’t lie: It was the very definition of “drool emoji”. 

This was, in my opinion, the best ramen we had while in Japan. It was up against some very firm competition, too. Besides that, we just had some beers. I’m not a big drinker usually, but Japanese beer—even the mainstream stuff—is pretty good. 🙂

3. Get a Morning Coffee at OurLog Honmachi

I wouldn’t say that I’m one of those “I can’t function without my morning coffee” people, because—well—I very much can. I also don’t think that liking coffee is a personality trait. However, I do like the taste of good coffee and therefore wanted to find somewhere offering this in Osaka. 

Since we did our first trip of Japan’s Golden Route in December, it was raining quite a lot on one of the mornings we were in Osaka. Actually, it rained here much more than any other place we visited in Japan. We wanted to find somewhere to grab a morning coffee (and, since we live in Scandinavia, some nice pastries). 

We had heard good things about OurLog before visiting, and it met our expectations. Both of us got different coffees, and they were good. They did take a while to make, but that was absolutely fine for both of us. 

The café’s interior is also quite nice, and the pastries are also delicious. It’s a great place to stop before continuing your day in Osaka, regardless of the weather. Google Maps location: Here 📍

4. Visit the Grounds at Osaka Castle

I love the architecture of Japanese castles, and it’s one of my favorites anywhere on the globe. We decided to visit Osaka Castle on our last day in the city, and the gardens were worth a visit, in my opinion. 

Even though the lighting was terrible for photography when we were there, the castle itself was pretty. I was about to say “not everything needs to be about photography”, but… I’m not sure I agree with that, so maybe not. 🤭

You can walk around the outside of the castle for free, but you need to pay for admission to the building. You also need to pay for entry to the Nishinomaru Garden. For both, you can buy tickets either there or in advance. For the latter, you can do so here.

5. Get Onigiri at Onigiri Gorichan

Onigiri is one of my favorite Japanese foods, and we ate *a lot* of these while in the country. Ever since I left, which is nine months after this article was written, I have also consumed more than I would care to admit in Copenhagen—which is where I live. 

We had to wait outside for a while, and it was raining, but neither of us minded. There is indoor seating, but it’s very limited. The onigiris we had were very filling, and they also tasted amazing. It’s often the simplest stuff that tastes the best, and that was very much the case here. You’ll find a handful of establishments in Osaka; we went to the one close to Shinsaibashi Station. 67. Eat at the Iconic Kuromon Market

6. Hide From the Rain With Coffees and Sweets at Sh:rock Coffee

I mentioned earlier that it rained a lot in Osaka, and while I personally love being outside in it, I also like the feeling when you’re in a café and the rain is coming down outside. On one late afternoon, we were wandering around and decided that we wanted to have a break somewhere. On the way back to our hotel, we found Sh:rock Coffee. 

The café’s interior was about as “Japandi” as you could get, and while we had to wait outside, it was worth sticking around for. The drinks were good, and I also liked the matcha cake. I would happily go back here again on a future trip. 

Since our flight leaving Osaka was close to midnight, we wanted to find some dinner in the city before choosing to head toward the airport. With two weeks of trying different ramen joints and almost always being impressed, we then figured that, of course, ramen would be the perfect way to end the trip. 

We found Kamitora while we were on the lookout for one, which ended up being a great choice. You’ll find two in Osaka: Kamitora Minamimorimachi and Kamitora Higobashi. We went to the Higobashi one. 

You can’t book a reservation here; we showed up and were served without issues. Your mileage may vary if you visit at a peak time, but for us, we didn’t have any problems. The ramen here was very good, and I was also a fan of the dark beer I got. We were served very quickly, and I can also recommend the gyozas that we got. 

Osaka has several rivers running through the city, but the Tonbori one is probably what you’ve seen when doing research. This river is the one where you’ll find the buildings with neon signs lining it; to me, it basically looks like Japan’s answer to Times Square. The difference, however, is I like it a lot more than Times Square. 

You can walk along the waterfront here, which goes under many bridges. Even though there were a lot of people here, and much of it smelled like cigarettes, it was still a nice walk and also good to photograph. When you go doesn’t really matter, but if you’re into photography, I recommend going either when it’s overcast or at night. 

Visiting temples wasn’t my main objective in Osaka, in the same way that it was in Kyoto. However, I was still interested in doing so if we had the option. Thankfully, we did—and I really enjoyed our quick trip to the Shitennō-ji Temple. 

We already knew about the temple beforehand, and we were exploring the area nearby. So, it was always on our plans to eventually go and see it. It reminded me a lot of Senso-ji in Tokyo, design-wise. While it was somewhat busy, the crowds were much thinner than I expected. 

When we were at the temple, we got some food from the stands nearby. There was a flea market taking place, which does so on the 21st and the 22nd of each month. If you happen to be in Osaka around that time, I think that it’s worth checking out. 

10. Check Out the Nearby Views From the Hotel Noum Osaka Rooftop

Okay, so this one requires you to actually be staying at Hotel Noum Osaka. I’ve already given my reasons as to why you should in the section at the top, and if you want to check availability for the dates you’re traveling to Osaka, you can do so here. 

If you do stay at this hotel, though, I recommend going to the rooftop for some nice extra views of Osaka. We randomly did so one morning before going out to see the city, and it was very much a good idea. You will mainly see the immediate areas close to the hotel, including the river and the other side of the water.

While not as spectacular as the HARUKAS 300 Observatory, it was still a nice addition to our trip. Plus, it was free since we were staying at the hotel already. We were the only people up there when we went. 

In addition to the views, you’ll find other activities—such as rooftop sauna tents and yoga. I recommend asking about these at the reception if you plan to stay at the hotel. 

11. Enjoy Dinner at Ru Tenma (ル天満)

After arriving in Osaka on our train from Kyoto, we were on the lookout for some dinner. While we probably would’ve been happy with konbini food (again), we decided to first try and find somewhere that was more of a sit-down spot. So, after checking into our hotel, we went for a walk in the nearby area. 

We found Ru Tenma (ル天満) and decided to give it a go. This restaurant very much exceeded our expectations, and it was perfect for a low-key evening meal.

While at the restaurant, we had a really nice okonomiyaki. Though these actually originate from Hiroshima, the one we had here was still good. We also had some other dishes on the side, and it was overall a pleasant dinner. 

12. Take a Day Trip to Nara

I wrote about my thoughts on visiting Nara in a separate article, and if you’re thinking of visiting, I would suggest also having a look at that. The city is very easy to reach by train from Osaka, and the journey took us around 30 minutes. 

The main reason that people visit Nara is, of course, the deer park. If this is firmly on your list of places to visit in Japan, I would definitely recommend the day trip or staying overnight. Although I found the deer quite aggressive close to the entrance of the park, they were more relaxed further in. 

If I’m totally honest, though, my main reason for visiting Nara was to get mochi balls from Nakatanidou. These were good, and I would happily go back for these alone. The deer park is worth seeing once, but I don’t feel like I need to see it again. 

Elsewhere, Nara has some nice temples and also some pretty streets that are worth seeing. To get here, you can take multiple trains daily from Osaka. You can pay for your train tickets with an ICOCA card, and you do not need to book in advance. 

13. Visit the Kuromon Market

I’ve said elsewhere on my blog that I am more than happy to balance more off-the-beaten-path places with some that are popular with tourists. The only condition is that the popular spots are *actually* worth visiting. In my opinion, the Kuromon Market is very much in that category. 

We spent a good few hours here, and the main thing we ate was takoyaki, which you may have seen as the famous octopus balls. This dish actually originated from Osaka, and you will find several places to try it—both in Osaka and throughout the Kansai region.  

I also really enjoyed the taiyaki, which is a fish-shaped pancake filled with red beans. We also had one of these from the flea market close to Shitennoji Temple that I mentioned earlier. You will find plenty of other things to eat at the market, too; even if it’s raining, you don’t need to worry as the roof is covered. 

My advice is to basically just let your curiosity determine where you go. In addition to various dishes, you can get fresh ingredients from the market. Expect it to be busy, but that’s actually part of the fun. This is one of the few places where I would say to pay a bit more attention and keep an eye out for pickpockets, too—use the same precautions you would in any city. Toilets around the market are limited, too, so keep this in mind. 

14. Visit the Isshin-ji Temple

Some of my favorite temples in Japan have ended up being the ones that I didn’t even plan to visit before, and that was the case with Isshin-ji. We actually went here because we were on our way to the Tsutenkaku Tower and its nearby streets. On the way, we wanted to check out Tennoji Park; this temple is right next to it. 

Isshin-ji is quite a small temple, and it’s more of a quick stop on the way to Tsutenkaku, in my opinion. The temple’s architecture itself is nice, and walking around won’t take too much time. Isshin-ji is free to visit. 

All of My Top Things to Do in Osaka

As you can probably tell, I love Osaka and cannot wait to revisit multiple times in the future. The city has a down-to-earth and edgy feel, which I personally enjoy. People in Osaka are also very friendly, and I was amazed at how many fun things to do there are here. I will continue updating this guide in the future with even more suggestions, but I hope that you’ve found at least some from this list that interest you. 

Besides being a fun city to visit, Osaka has an excellent airport that I recommend flying in and/or out of if you can. Exploring the city’s food scene is an absolute must, too, and if you have the time, you can always take some nearby day trips to explore more of the Kansai region. 

Rather than choosing Kyoto or Osaka, I recommend spending some time in both of them. If you do plan to visit Kyoto at any point in your trip, as many first-time visitors to Japan do, you can next check out my guide on the best things to do in Kyoto. If you have any questions about Osaka, feel free to leave a comment, and I’ll do what I can to help.