Osaka City Guide
- Danielle Dybiec
- 21 hours ago
- 4 min read
Japan is the top country in Asia for the Nine Muses Travel community for good reason. The artisan traditions, culture, history, and food are all delightful to uncover. If you're short on time, consider traveling in one direction between Osaka and Tokyo or vice versa, stopping at Kyoto or other places on the way. You'll save some time that way instead of backtracking to Tokyo as both the start and end city.
What's there to see and do in Osaka? I'm so glad you asked....
Excerpt of 11/24/2025 Virtuoso article by Chadner Navarro can be found here.
Hot on the heels of its World Expo, “Japan’s Kitchen” keeps the party rolling.
Osaka – the energetic port city known for nightlife, street food, and salarymen – has always worn its third-place finish behind Tokyo and Kyoto (as far as tourism is concerned) with neon-lit confidence. Its no-fuss hustle and bustle, however, has been front and center this year, thanks to the just-completed Expo 2025, which welcomed approximately 28 million visitors – the start of an ambitious hospitality and culture renewal. Some of the world’s most coveted brands are launching hotels, restaurants, and bars, and Grand Green Osaka, a former cargo yard remade into a 22-acre multipurpose entertainment zone that debuted in 2024, will roll out new attractions through 2027 in the heart of the Umeda district. Step off the well-trodden tourist path in newly vibrant Kitakagaya, the erstwhile shipyard that recently blossomed into a creative enclave. It’s home to not just design studios and art galleries, but also microfarms and pop-up saunas, offering a cool complement to central Osaka’s scene.
Eat
Start the day in pop-culture hub Nipponbashi with plump sesame bagels, savory curry loaves, and flaky croissants at Quoi from chef Yusuke Takada, the genius behind Michelin-starred La Cime.
Omakase meals at Itaru Yasuda’s Sushi L’Abysse Osaka Yannick Alléno swing between dishes that show off French indulgence or Japanese precision. His tasting menu with two faces might range from almond blanc-manger with seaweed and lobster-stuffed zucchini blossoms to isaki nigiri, with rice ice cream for dessert, all plated on custom creations by renowned ceramist Ryosuke Matsuo.
It’s easy to miss Philia, a second-floor kushikatsu restaurant in a nondescript building in Minamimorimachi. Chef Ryuya Kaneko’s whimsical takes on skewered, deep-fried dishes span global flavors with the likes of cheese-and-tripe cutlets, rice cakes topped with a delicate eggplant gelée, and a potato-and-anchovy croquette.
Drink
Japan meets Italy at Gucci Giardino. In the Umeda location of the Florentine fashion house’s second bar, moody, red-heavy interiors scream drama. High-gloss cocktails match the vibe, including the From Osaka with Amore, a medley of Tsukino Katsura nigori sake, house-infused sakura (cherry blossom) shochu, osmanthus essence, and fresh Hokkaido cream.
Raise a glass to the country’s growing wine scene at city-center Fujimaru from vintner Tomofumi Fujimaru, who has a vineyard on Osaka’s outskirts. This two-floor space operates an Italian dining room upstairs, where you can sample a Yamagata Prefecture sparkling rosé and an umami-packed, skin-contact white made from estate-grown Delaware grapes.
Shop
Graf Studio’s shoppable headquarters next to The National Museum of Art is a treasure chest of the brand’s homewares (its minimalist, stainless steel Sunao cutlery sets, for instance, make great souvenirs), as well as pieces designed by international ateliers – including leather goods by Taiwan’s Kamaro’an and Sekisaka’s sculptural glassware from Fukui Prefecture.
For a beautiful selection of hard-to-find, made-in-Japan fashion, plan time in Nishitenma to mine Vasell’s stock of pleated-just-right trousers by Calmlence, three-layer waterproof bomber jackets by Taichimurakami, and Araki Yuu’s breezy silk-blend T-shirts.
Stay
The 291-room, manor-house-like Ritz-Carlton, Osaka feels right at home in the city’s Umeda luxury shopping and business district. For an extra dose of opulence, book one of two Japanese Suites, which have tatami flooring, stone tubs, and timber walls. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and a $100 hotel credit.
Soaring high above the Nakanoshima district, the 164-room Conrad Osaka is as much a gallery as a hotel, with hundreds of works by the likes of sculptor Kohei Nawa and light artist Takahiro Matsuo. The 38th-floor heated indoor pool is a beloved year-round perk, as is the top-floor lobby and lounge, which receives a nightly crowd of guests and locals to take in Osaka’s best sunset views. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and a $100 hotel credit.
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