Universal Studios Japan™ is a world-class theme park located right in Osaka loaded with entertaining attractions.

Located in trendy Umeda district in the northern part of Osaka city, Sonezaki Ohatsutenjin-dori is a shopping arcade with more than 100 shops and restaurants which attract customers both day and night.

The area around JR Osaka Station has recently undergone a rejuvenation to become a stylish part of town, packed with gourmet dining options and shops showcasing the latest in fashion.

Said to be the longest in Japan, the 2.6km shopping street of Tenjinbashisuji has more than 600 eateries and shops selling traditional wares like knives, chinaware, kimono, tofu, and tea.

Opened in 2003, the underground Diamor shopping mall in Umeda was designed to recreate the streets of Europe, with an elegant light-filled atrium paved in marble.

Kitashinchi is Osaka’s most popular nightlife district, where bright neon signs light up the narrow streets full of high-class bars, clubs, and tiny izakaya where Japanese businessmen entertain their clients.

Four regal lions adorn this iconic and historical stone bridge which leads to Nakanoshima Park.

For more than 380 years people have been shopping along Shinsaibashi-Suji arcade for food, clothing and other daily necessities.

Dotombori with its famous billboards and bright lights is a symbol of the Minami Area, and draws tourists from all over the world who want to sample the Osaka food culture of ‘kuidaore’, or ‘eat til you drop’.

It is a fact that half of the sales that take place here are to restaurant owners and professionals seeking out the best in produce and fresh fish.

Osaka’s coolest spot for youth culture is America-Mura (American Village), where the streets are packed with trendy clothes, second-hand shops, galleries, cafes, and more.

Takoyaki has become so famous it is now a tourist attraction in and of itself in Osaka.

If takoyaki is Osaka’s top street snack, okonomiyaki comes in at a close second.

Once the biggest observation wheel in the world (now surpassed by the London Eye), the Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel at Osaka Bay is an impressive sight, with panoramic views of the city, mountains, and the ocean below.

Without a doubt one of the top tourist sites in Osaka and a symbol of the city, Osaka Castle is a beautiful attraction featuring grand gates, steep walls made of huge blocks of stone, and a wide moat.

Designed as a ‘vertical city’ of shopping and entertainment, ABENO HARUKAS opened its doors in 2014 to offer shopping, accommodation, a museum and an observatory.

Built as a bridge connecting the two towers of the Umeda Sky Building, the circular Kuchu Teien Observatory offers an unobstructed 360-degree view of the city from 170 metres above ground.

You can’t miss the huge red ferris wheel which sits atop HEP FIVE – the massive Hankyu Entertainment Park in the centre of Umeda.