Osaka Castle & Dotonbori Lively One-Day Walking Tour

The Osaka History Museum is located in front of Osaka Castle and is built on the site of an ancient palace. The 10th floor of this museum is a great spot to overlook Osaka Castle. Through the windows, you can command a panoramic view of the beautiful castle and get a good understanding of its huge size and the whole structure of the castle. In addition, the informative exhibits enable you to understand the origin and real history of Osaka deeply. In particular, the diorama of the ancient court and the busy merchants’ town are impressive.

Osaka Castle, built in the 17th century by the Tokugawa Shogunate, was a solid castle protected by double moats, tall stone walls, turrets, etc and originally was the home of the samurai leader of the Toyotomi family. The castle is now widely used by Osaka citizens as a park. After looking at the view from the observation deck of the main tower, you will learn about Osaka and Japan's history centered on samurai through the exhibits on each floor. At the facilities in MIRAIZA on the castle grounds, you can also experience ninja knife throwing!

Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street is Japan’s longest one at 2.6 km containing 600 shops, and it is always bustling with a large number of local citizens. It's fun just looking around the shops, and as there are a lot of restaurants, we recommend you choose your favorite restaurant here for lunch.

The townscape of Osaka about 180 years ago is reproduced in full size, and you can actually walk in it. You will see, touch, and experience old time Japan, the structure of the houses, the products sold at that time, the utilities and the living habits of the common people. Why don’t you get a feel for the citizens’ life which is so different from the samurais?

Osaka's food culture has developed because of its people who are extremely fond of delicious things since ancient times, and Osaka has come to be called the Food Capital of Japan. In this market, many shops are lined up, and seafood such as crabs, pufferfish, sea urchin, meat such as Wagyu (Japanese beef) and Kobe beef and also various sweets are prepared at the stores. A large number of customers visit here to enjoy all kinds of food while strolling around. Try to find your very favorite food item, too!

Now Dotonbori is the most popular tourist attraction in Osaka. Originally, this area was loved by the locals as entertainment area with a row of theaters along the canal. Currently, restaurants with colorful billboards line both sides of the canal including, of course, shops selling takoyaki, the octopus balls that originated in Osaka, and famous ramen shops. Take a photo in front of the well-known Glico-man signboard and enjoy exploring the surroundings. If you are looking for souvenirs, Don Quiote is also nearby.