Osaka Castle among walls and moats, with the city's skyscrapers behind
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Osaka in 1 day

  • 1 day
  • 6.4 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

A single day in Osaka can go a long way if you plan it well. This itinerary strings the three routes together in a comfortable order: temples and Shinsekai in the morning, the castle in the afternoon and the neon of Minami as the sun goes down. It is about 6.4 km on foot, with stops to eat the city's most famous dishes.

One day in OsakaTemples, castle and neon

Start early with the route «From Shitennoji to Shinsekai»: from the temple and its stone torii to the Tsutenkaku Tower and Jan Jan Yokocho Alley. Have takoyaki for lunch, which was born around here, before taking the metro to the castle. The afternoon belongs to «From Imperial Palace to Hideyoshi's Castle», with the Naniwa ruins and the Tako-ishi stone; check the keep's opening hours. At dusk head down to Minami for the mysteries route, which ends among the neon of Dōtonbori, where you have okonomiyaki for dinner.

  1. Morning

    From Shitennoji to Shinsekai: Ancient Temples and Old-School Osaka

    Mixed · 1.8 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. Shitennoji TempleOne of Japan's oldest Buddhist temples, founded in 593 according to the chronicles and rebuilt time and again.
    2. Stone Torii and the Gate of ParadiseA torii from 1294 which, according to its inscription, marks the eastern gate of Buddha's Paradise.
    3. Isshinji TempleThe temple that, since 1887, has made Buddha statues from the ashes of hundreds of thousands of people.
    4. Chausuyama HillA small mound that served as Ieyasu's headquarters in 1614 and Sanada Yukimura's in 1615.
    5. Tsutenkaku TowerThe tower that "reaches to heaven", symbol of the Shinsekai district, rebuilt in 1956.
    6. Jan Jan Yokocho AlleyA covered alley from 1921 named after the shamisen, with games of shogi and the smell of kushikatsu.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Takoyaki at Aizuya (sede central). Tamade-nishi 2-3-1, Nishinari, Osaka

  3. Afternoon

    From Imperial Palace to Hideyoshi's Castle: Fourteen Centuries of Power in Osaka

    History · 1.8 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. Naniwa Palace RuinsBeneath this lawn stood the capital of Japan in the 7th century, forgotten for more than a thousand years.
    2. Otemon Gate of Osaka CastleThe castle's main entrance, built in 1628, and a timber joint that for years looked impossible.
    3. Hokoku ShrineA shrine that worships Hideyoshi as a god, in the shadow of the castle he built.
    4. Sakuramon Gate and the Tako-ishi StoneThe castle's largest rock, weighing over a hundred tons, brought from Okayama across the Inland Sea.
    5. Osaka Castle KeepThe castle's third keep, paid for out of the pockets of Osaka's citizens in 1931.
    6. Yamazato-maru, Where the Toyotomi FellThe quiet corner behind the keep where, in 1615, Hideyori and his mother died as the castle burned.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Early evening

    Deaf Gods, Giant Lions and a Curse: Osaka's Mysteries

    Mysteries & legends · 2.8 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. Imamiya Ebisu ShrineThe shrine of the merchants' god, who, so custom says, must be knocked on the back because he is hard of hearing.
    2. Namba Yasaka ShrineA twelve-meter lion's head that, people believe, swallows bad luck.
    3. Hozenji Temple and Mizukake FudoA moss-covered statue that everyone splashes with water, beside the old Sennichimae graveyard.
    4. Ebisu Bridge and the Curse of the ColonelDotonbori's busiest bridge, where a KFC statue ended up in the canal and a curse was born.
    5. Mitsutera TempleAn 1808 temple tucked under a hotel, a sacred camphor tree and the saddest tanuki in rakugo.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Okonomiyaki at Okonomiyaki Mizuno. Dōtonbori 1-4-15, Chūō, Osaka

The map

Osaka in 1 day, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Osaka in 1 day

  • Wear comfortable shoes: you will cover more than six kilometres, and the castle grounds have a lot of gravel and a few slopes along the walls.
  • Use the metro to get between areas; the three routes are in different districts and it is not worth walking from one to the next.
  • If you want to go inside the castle keep, check the hours beforehand and book the afternoon slot that suits you.

Questions

Osaka in 1 day: your questions

Can you see Osaka in one day?

You can see the essentials: the castle, Shitennoji, Shinsekai and Dōtonbori. The pace is brisk, with no museums or markets, but you leave with a very clear idea of the city. If you can, give it two days.

How far do you walk on this itinerary?

The three routes add up to about 6.4 km (1.8 + 1.8 + 2.8), not counting metro rides and the steps to the restaurants. It is perfectly doable with comfortable shoes and some water.

Where is it best to start?

At Shitennoji and Shinsekai in the morning, since that southern side is best in daylight. Then the castle, and finally Dōtonbori, which looks best once the neon is on.

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