What's to See in Osaka by Cynthia Rosenfeld

Osaka, Japan’s second largest city is often overlooked by exploring foreigners. Though it has not been the capital of Japan since the 8th-century, Osaka remains important to Japan’s financial and commercial success up to the present. Business travelers should consider adding on a day or two and bringing their family for a truly Japanese experience often at favorable prices compared to Tokyo.

Start discovering Osaka at its roots. Built atop the remains of an earlier Buddhist temple Osaka Castle was originally constructed in the late 16th-century as the center of a new, unified Japan under the Toyotomi lineage which actually only lasted until 1615 when the first castle was destroyed. Rebuilt in the 1620s, its main tower was later struck by lightening and burned down. The delicate five-layer donjon structure with triangular details and curved tips was reconstructed in 1931.

Inside, seven floors display period weapons, armors and crafts while the top floor offers a viewing deck with unobstructed panoramas over Osaka. Locals gather on the castle’s 60,000 square meter leafy grounds during cherry blossom season each spring when taiko drummers perform throughout the day. Tourists will especially enjoy the water bus service that operates a 1-hour cruise beginning on the waterway surrounding the castle and continuing along the river that flows through the city. Each summer, just north of the castle the Osaka Tenjin-matsuri Festival takes place. One of the three largest annual festivals in Japan, 100 ships float down river under an umbrella of fireworks.

Speaking of sailors, Osaka’s Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine is one of Japan’s oldest Shinto shrines, built in the 3rd-century to honor the guardian deity for sailors. Each of its four wooden sanctuaries has been designated as a national treasure and all were constructed in the Sumiyoshi-Zukuri style with straight roofs. Outside the shrine, 600 stone garden lanterns stand in a single row. Around three million people visit this shrine at the beginning of a new year to ask for prosperity and good fortune.

Osaka’s sights are not limited to ancient treasures. Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan on the waterfront of Osaka Bay teems with 580 different kinds of marine life. The name itself means “playing in the sea pavilion” in Japanese and it is truly a playpen for children of all ages. The aquarium is one of the world’s largest, focusing on Pacific Rim marine life inside its 15 tanks. Sunfish, sea otters and rockhopper penguin call these 11,000 tons of water home as do dolphins and sea lions. Start on top then spiral down to the central tank representing the Pacific Ocean, to watch the whale shark, the aquarium's main attraction.

Surrounding the aquarium, Tempozan Harbor Village has recently developed with shopping and dining along Osaka Bay. When it opened in 1997, the 112 meters high and 100 meters wide Tempozan Harbor Village Ferris Wheel was the largest in the world. Its been eclipsed by the London Eye and others but this 17-minute ride (¥700) offers unsurpassed views around Osaka Bay, east to the Ikoma Mountains and west to the Akashi Strait Pearl Bridge.

For locals, the wheel serves a practical purpose, by providing the next day’s weather forecast: orange lights indicate a sunny day, green lights a cloudy day and blue mean rain. If that’s the case, head indoors to the Suntory Museum designed by Osaka native and world renowned architect Tadao Ando. In its solar powered galleries, the Japanese beverage company displays works from its own collection of 15,000 museum quality posters as well as temporary exhibitions like the upcoming Russian Avant-Garde.

Osaka boasts not one but two city centers. While Kita ("North") which is located around Osaka and Umeda Stations is the city’s economic hub, Minami ("South") is known for cutting edge teen fashion shopping in the Amemura district, considered Osaka's counterpart to Harajuku and 24 hour eating under neon lights and mechanized signs, including the famous Glico Running Man sign and Kani Doraku crab sign in Dotonbori.

Fashionistas with deep pockets can keep chic by stopping in at Osaka’s only world renowned fashion innovator, Evisu Tailor. Bold face names like Kanye West and Madonna wear these handmade raw-denims instantly recognizable by the embroidered seagull logo on the back pockets. Meanwhile those in search of the latest Japanese gadgets should head straight to Den Den Town, an area crammed with electronics merchants where the deals are often better than in Tokyo's Akihabara. Those with an obsession for uniquely Japanese experiences from manga and anime to maid cafes, known collectively as ‘otaku’ will find their pleasures met in abundance along these jam-packed avenues.

Cultural tourists meandering through Minami will want to detour into the National Bunraku Theater (tickets ¥4,000-6,000) to catch a performance similar to kabuki but starring meter tall puppets and explore the dozens of traditional restaurants and shops along Hozenji Yokocho Alley with Hozenji Temple at one end where local merchants pour water over the ancient statues for luck.

When its time to retire for the night, Osaka offers a diverse selection of overnight options. Creatures of comfort will want to snuggle into the high thread count sheets and pillow top mattresses at The Ritz-Carlton Osaka an expectedly lavish address with 292 silk clad guestrooms within walking distance of Osaka Station. Design hotel addicts won’t have to go without thanks to the recent opening of The Cross Hotel in the heart of Minami on a surprisingly quaint, ginko tree lined street.

These white lacquered rooms are small but chic with strong reading lights and a long work desk with plush ergonomic chair. Men in search of a quintessentially Japanese adventure should consider climbing into one of 418 sleeping pods at the Capsule Hotel Inn Osaka. Japan’s first such accommodation built by Kisho Kurokawa in 1977 is still a popular choice for business men (no women allowed) who miss the last train home and curious foreigners but those over 180cm tall may find it a tight though memorable fit.