Why You Shouldn't Leave Out Osaka on Your Japan Itinerary

October 10, 2025
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Osaka is an incredible mix of culture, food and nightlife and not one to miss on your Japan itinerary. Here are all my favourite things about Japan’s second largest metropolitan city.

When I first started planning my Japan itinerary, many people I talked to as well as many blogs and forums suggested leaving out Osaka and spending more time in e.g. Kyoto. I only had 2 weeks to see as much as possible after finishing my ski season in Japan, and was determined to make the most of it.

In the end, I decided to actually start my trip in Osaka, partly as it was much cheaper than Kyoto and it has some incredible day trips.

After all that, I had the best time in Osaka. While many other travellers just breezed through, I actually spent 4 days there and loved the lively mix of culture, nightlife and shopping that the city offers.
For anyone not convinced yet, here are my top reasons you should add Osaka to your Japan itinerary:

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Table of Contents

Why you shouldn’t skip Osaka:

1. It’s the perfect first-time Japan trip combined with Tokyo and Kyoto

Combining Osaka with Tokyo and Kyoto on your first-ever trip to Japan just makes sense. While it is a very touristy route, it gives a good mix of culture, cities, nature and attractions. If you include daytrips to places like Nara, Mt. Fuji and Kamakura, you really get the best of everything.

All three cities are also easy to travel and navigate, even with no knowledge of Japanese and little travel experience. Because while everyone hates on “touristy” places, there is a good reason they are so touristy and it makes them a very attainable travel destination.

I would recommend heading there outside of peak times to avoid the cities being overrun, late march and autumn are great times!

2. It has incredible day trip options

One of the main reasons that I chose to stay 4 days in Osaka was the daytrips. Because while you can do many of them from neighbouring Kyoto, Osaka is much cheaper to stay in and even closer to some of the destinations.

My two favourite daytrips are Nara (the bowing deer) and Himeji (Himeji Castle). Both were such an amazing time and had very unique attractions.

Find my full guides on daytrips from Osaka here:
Ultimate Nara Day Trip Itinerary From Osaka Or Kyoto
Ultimate Himeji Castle Day Trip Itinerary From Osaka Or Kyoto

3. It’s more affordable than Kyoto and Tokyo

I’ve already touched on this in the last point, but Osaka has much more affordable accommodation than Kyoto and hence is a better option for budget-travellers looking to go on daytrips. I also found restaurants overall a little more affordable.

In addition, Osaka doesn’t get quite as overrun as Kyoto, making for a more relaxed experience and exploration.

Check out my favourite hostels and hotels in Osaka here:
Where to Stay in Osaka – Budget to Luxury

4. It has some super unique attractions

While many say Osaka is too similar to Kyoto and Tokyo to visit, I would strongly disagree. The city had a completely different vibe and many unique attractions that I really enjoyed.

First of all is of course Universal Studios, which is one of the best theme parks in the world. But there is also Dotonbori with the neon lights, Namba Yasaka Shrine which is different to all other shrines I saw in Japan, Katsuō-ji temple with the Daruma Dolls and so much more.

Check out my favourite things to do in Osaka: 16 Must Do Things in Osaka

How many days do you need in Osaka?

I would say you need 4 days if you want to include the most important day trips (Nara and Himeji) and 5 days if you are including Universal Studios on your trip.

You can see the main sights of Osaka in just 2 days, however I would highly recommend adding those extra days for Nara, Himeji Castle and Universal Studios.

Can Osaka be a day trip from Kyoto or Tokyo?

Yes, Osaka could technically be a day trip from Kyoto. I would say not from Tokyo, as it is 2.5 hrs each way by Shinkansen.

You can get from Kyoto to Osaka in just 12 minutes by Shinkansen or 40ish minutes by local train. That means its super easy to head there on a day trip if you are short on time and have booked an additional night in Kyoto.

I even made a blog post about seeing Osaka in a day, which you can read here: How to Spend A Day in Osaka, Japan

As mentioned in this blog though, I would really recommend planning in some time to stay in Osaka. It is worth it!