The easiest way to get to Osaka is to travel to Kansai International Airport (KIX), as it is the starting point for entry into Japan. Osaka was always overlooked by the first visitors to Japan, and it is always a beguiling, confusing, overstuffed nut to crack. If you travel to most of Japan's 47 prefectures, you will arrive in Osaka, which is - of course - the entry point for the rest of the country.

Himeji is located in the city of Osaka, Japan's second largest city after Tokyo and home to the world's second largest population after China.

For more information on activities in the Osaka region, see the Travel Reports of Kyoto and the Kansai region in Japan. If you are planning a multi-day Osaka tour, you should visit Kyoto, Hiroshima and Nara. Kyoto is also an hour away by train from Osaka, but I would strongly recommend staying there for more than a day. For details of the routes from Osaka and Kyoto, please see our Osaka Routes page, which lists all the cities included in our route, as well as links to more information about each city.

It is less than an hour by train from Osaka and you can drive from Kyoto to Osaka in less than an hour, so consider this part of your trip to Japan. I hope this article has given you a better understanding of why I love Osaka and why you should. Cycle Osaka is an attempt to bring together the two things I love most about Japan - cycling and the city of Osaka.

Unlike other destinations in Japan, Osaka does not have as many attractions, which is why it is not as popular as Tokyo or Kyoto. Kyoto is such a popular tourist destination that not many travelers visit Osaka without spending a few days there.

If you want to come to Japan for 10 days and skip Tokyo altogether, you can make a kansai - just a route that only includes Osaka, Kyoto and Nara, or, if you want to do it as a "kansa only" trip, fly to Tokyo and spend the rest of the time in Kyoto or Tokyo. If you just want to visit Kyoto and Osaka (and possibly NARA), you can try to arrive early in the morning and stay until evening when Osaka comes alive. If you stay in Osaka (or part of two days), it makes sense to spend your entire rest period in and around Kyoto / Tokyo, but it is quite possible to visit Osaka on a day trip from Kyoto.

If you visit more cities than just Osaka, if you visit Japan, you might want to invest in a Japan Rail Pass. The JR Pass is a good investment, especially if you are in Osaka for more than a few days, such as a day trip from Tokyo to Kyoto or Tokyo.

This 3-day week Osaka Itinerary will take you through the highlights of Osaka and introduce you to many great culinary experiences that can be found in Dotonbori and other areas of Osaka. If you have a few days InOsaka, grab a JR Pass and take advantage of the central location of the place by taking an entertaining day trip to Osaka.

If you are interested in doing some of the more unconventional things in Osaka, look at the off-the-beaten track. Kyoto is an easy day trip from Osaka as there are many great restaurants, shops and attractions as well as some great hotels and restaurants.

There is also Legoland Japan (SCMAGLEV Railway Park), which is a popular tourist attraction with some of Japan's most popular attractions. If you are heading to Tokyo to visit the Japan Disney theme park, Universal Studios Japan is located in Okayamabe. There are many great restaurants, shops and attractions in Osaka, as well as some great hotels and restaurants. The Shinkansen is available to travel from Shin - Osaka Station to the south - west or from Osaka - Shibuya Station to the north - east.

It is very well-to-do and is accessible from most of Japan's major cities, including Tokyo, Nagoya and Nagasaki. It is a popular tourist destination with many great restaurants, shops and attractions in Osaka.

Osaka International Airport, better known as Itami (ITM), is served by the JR Osaka Loop Line and Kansai Line as well as the Nihonbashi Line. The most useful train for visitors is the JR OsakaLoop Line, which, as you can guess, runs through Osaka and also takes you to and from Kanagawa Airport. It takes about 45 minutes to get to Osaka, and only 30 minutes by train to Nagoya, Nagasaki, Tokyo and Nagazaki.

The Nagai Stadium in Osaka is home to J-League club Cerezo Osaka and was the venue for the 2002 World Cup. Nearby is the University of Osaka, home to the University of Osaka, and the Japan National Football University (JNFA), which hosts its home games at Kansai Memorial Stadium.