JAL Guide to Japan - General Information

Familiarize yourself with the local history, culture, and other basic details. Hot news.

Check out this introduction to a few reccommended spots while your in town.

Get local and try some of the flavors offered
that you can't fined anywhere else.

Unique souvenirs, ideas that this city is famous for.

A schedule of annual festivals, shows and events for you to experience and see.

Now take a short trip just beyond. Relatively close, one and two day trips out of town.

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City map. Find your way.

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All kinds of information on other cities in Japan.

Osaka Kita and Minami, 2 distinctive centers

Map of Kinki area

Osaka, with a population of approximately 2.65 million is the third largest city in Japan and with only Tokyo and Yokohama sporting larger populations is thus the largest city in western Japan. Osaka as was, was once used as a castle town by Toyotomi Hideyoshi but prospered rather more in its role as a merchant area.
Many rivers run through and around the city and thus the city has been given the title of "a city of water.
"The presence of water notwithstanding however, the city today has 2 distinctive centers. In the north, the Kita area around Umeda and to the south of Kita, running along the north-south Mido-suji Street, the Minami area around Namba are always filled with crowds.
Kita plays host to many modern shops and various shopping-cum-entertainment complexes while Minami contains both fashionable stores and shops selling local Osakan goods and dishes all wrapped up in a lively, bustling atmosphere.
When you talk about Osaka, you can't forget to talk about the food culture of Japan's 3rd largest city and supporting the well known European image that portrays Osaka as the kitchen of Japan is the local saying that people in Osaka will eat themselves out of house and home; the result of both being a wealth of inexpensive but delicious restaurants in the city.

Namba Yasaka Shrine Natsu Matsuri

Namba Yasaka Shrine Natsu Matsuri

- Namba Yasaka Shrine, Naniwa-ku, Osaka City
- Tuesday July 12th - Thursday 14th

The modern looking buildings of this shrine are 1974 reconstructions of much earlier originals and a large Shishiden, a shape like the head of a lion, standing 12m high by 11m wide by 10m in depth is a central attraction of the shrine while the Funatogyo Ceremony, held in Dotonbori on the evening of the 12th, is the highlight of the shrine's festivities.

Tenjin Matsuri Festival

Tenjin Matsuri Festival

- Osaka Tenmangu, Kita-ku, Osaka City
- Sunday July 24th - Monday 25th

The Tenjin Matsuri of Osaka's Tenmangu Shrine is one of the annual summer festivals of this shrine that is said to enshrine Sugawarano Michizane, god of learning. As one of the nation's three major festivals, alongside the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto and the Kanda Matsuri in Tokyo, it boasts a 1000 years of history. Various rituals including Hokonagashi-shinji and Shishimai dancing are held on the 24th. The Rikutogo starts with Moyooshidaiko performances (in which a large drum is used) on the 25th and a procession involving two portable shrines follows the performance. The festival comes to a climax at Funatogyo, held on the local river and surrounded by bonfires as fireworks illuminate the night sky above.

Sumiyoshi Matsuri

Sumiyoshi Matsuri

- Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka City
- Saturday July 30th - Monday August 1st

The Nagoshi-harai ritual held on the 31st is the focal point of this festival and sees scenes in which Nagoshime women and children, decked out in costumes of the Middle Ages go through the Chinowa (a large ring made of thatch) to purify themselves and wish for good health in what is aptly known as the Chinowa-kuguri event. Visitors, if interested are more than welcome to stop being onlookers and participate themselves. Following the parade of the portable shrine, the solemn Aranigono-ooharai ritual is held at Shukuin Tongu in Sakai City on August 1st.

http://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/ (Japanese only)