Osaka —
The dossier
THE TRIP
Visited
Osaka on my Japan trip, November 2023
Basis
Trip I took
Updated
28 Oct 2026
The short answer
Osaka is Japan’s easiest city to love and the one where most of the planning is about food: book the three-star tables months ahead, carry a little cash for the counters, and use the subway, which is faster than any car. Visa-free for 90 days on US, UK, Canadian, Australian and EU passports, no tipping anywhere, and a Glico sign that switches off on 30 November 2026.
At a glance
Visa
Visa-free for 90 days for US, UK, Canadian, Australian and EU passports
Money
Yen; cards widely, cash for counters; 7-Eleven ATMs; no tipping
Best months
Late October to early December; late March to mid-April
Getting around
The subway, an IC card, and a car only on arrival days
Safety note
Very safe; the real hazards are summer heat and typhoons
Trip I took
Hotels here can be booked through Coco Tran Travel. How we review.The Dotonbori canal in early light.
Everything to sort before you fly to Osaka: how to get in and around, cash and cards, the etiquette of a street-food city, and the seasons.
Osaka at a glance
Osaka is the eating city of Japan, and the one that has the most fun with it. It has three MICHELIN three-star restaurants and the best street food in the country, a canal lit up with neon, and a castle park that is superb in autumn. It is also close to everything: Kyoto is fifteen minutes away by shinkansen, and Nara, Kobe and Himeji are easy days out. This page is the practical layer beneath The Rolodex: Osaka.
You’ve reached the quiet door.
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