The Ultimate Week In Japan: Osaka → Kyoto → Nagoya → Tokyo

Known as Osaka's kitchen, this covered market is packed with fresh seafood, wagyu skewers, tamagoyaki, and vendors who will genuinely encourage you to try everything, so make sure you go hungry. I think about the grilled scallops with butter and soy sauce regularly... get two.

The neon canal strip that everyone has seen in photos, and it genuinely looks like that in person. Walk it in both directions, cross the bridge, and don't forget to look up. Don't eat at the big tourist restaurants on the main strip. Turn down one of the side streets and that's where you'll find the real Osaka hiding.

Make sure to end the night properly at an izakaya. Order edamame, karaage, gyoza, and whatever else sounds good. Point at things if you have to. This is how Japan actually eats dinner. If you'd rather skip the guesswork and just show up hungry, booking an izakaya bar tour in Namba is genuinely one of the best decisions you can make. Let a local guide take you through multiple spots, order for you, and you can just eat, drink and enjoy the night without a single worry. Highly recommended for first-timers especially.

(Ideally early morning) It's touristy, but if you get there before 9am you'll have the grounds almost to yourself. The park around it is stunning, especially in spring (cherry blossoms) or autumn (maple leaves). The castle itself is a museum inside, skip it if history isn't your thing, but do the grounds.

Shinsaibashi the main shopping strip where you can stock up on Japanese skincare at half the price you'd pay back home. LOFT and Don Quijote are your best friends here!

American Village is Osaka's vintage and streetwear hub where you can find independent shops, thrift stores, and local designers. Even if you're not a big shopper, you can enjoy just walking through here. The energy is completely different from anywhere else in Osaka. It's very young, creative, and Triangle Park in the middle is always buzzing.

Stop by this beautifully designed rooftop garden mall, perfect for those aesthetic Instagram shots (if you're into that kinda thing).

This retro neighbourhood has a very different energy to Dotonbori. More local, lived-in, and is one of my favourite spots in Osaka. Walk around and take in the view of the tower while eating kushikatsu (a deep fried battered skewers of everything). There's a rule: you get one pot of dipping sauce and you never double dip. I'm serious.