Osaka: what to see in 1 day

Osaka Castle inaugurates the day: the sixteenth-century fortress rebuilt in reinforced concrete after the war dominates a park of plums and cherry trees, with an internal museum retracing the history of the lords who had it built.

Descending toward the centre you reach the Kuromon Ichiba Market, the covered market known as Osaka's pantry, where you can taste sea urchin, grilled scallops and fruit among the stalls of vendors.

For lunch, one of the many venues in the neighbourhood offers takoyaki, the octopus balls fried while still hot, born right in Osaka, to taste fresh from the street.

Dotonbori is the quarter of canals illuminated by neon signs in the shape of crabs and dragons, with the famed Glico runner billboard running along the bridge for nearly a century.

Shinsekai, the quarter built in the early 20th century around the Tsutenkaku tower, instead seems to have frozen in time among vintage signs and kushikatsu restaurants.

With evening, returning to Dotonbori, venues along the canal remain the most convenient for dinner, with neon lights reflecting in the water.

Osaka Castle, Kuromon Market, and street takoyaki already compose the gastronomic soul of the city, while the afternoon choice between Dotonbori and Shinsekai brings with it the contemporary or more nostalgic side.

The Umeda Sky Building with its suspended observation terrace and a trip to nearby Nara remain chapters for a second visit. Seeing the neon signs of Dotonbori reflected in the canal remains the shot you take away from Osaka.