Osaka

Osaka or Umeda, the second largest city in Japan and is located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the Japanese main island of Honshu. Osaka is the capital of the Osaka Prefecture with a population of about 20 million people (as per year 2007). The Japanese view Osaka as the gourmet 'food capital' of Japan for its excellent cuisines.

Osaka is a very commercially driven city but at the same this great city is also home to many tourist attractions Japan.

Universal Studio - Universal Studios Japan (at the Tempo-zan Harbor area Osaka) is the first Universal Studios outside USA. There are altogether 18 attractions and rides, 20 theme restaurants along with plenty of stores. Some of the attractions at this theme park such as Snoopy Studio and Universal Studios Motion Picture Magic, are Universal Studios Japan's original and cannot be found elsewhere. Also, there is a Japanese restaurant called Saido in New York Area of the park.

Osaka Aquarium - The world famous Osaka Aquarium is located in the vicinity of Osaka Wan (Osaka Bay) area. Also known as the Kaiyukan (playing in the sea pavilion), the aquarium, it is one of the world's largest aquarium exhibits. There are 15 huge tanks of marine exhibits, each representing a region of the Pacific Rim on which Japan sits.

Tempo-zan Harbor Village and Suntory Musuem – Both of these tourist attractions can also be found in the Osaka Bay area. Here, art loving tourists can find a large number of galleries housing impressionist, post-impressionist, modern art and photography.

Contemporary art lovers will love the The Suntory Museum as this is where contemporary art in all its forms are displayed. The museum is also home to a spectacular IMAX theatre, showing the newest IMAX movies every day of the week. To add more icing onto the pudding, just a short distance from the Suntory Museum, tourists can get a bird's eye view of Osaka by taking a ride on a 368ft (168m) tall Ferris Wheel. Do bear in mind that this is the fifth largest ferris wheel in the world and be braced for a dizzying ride.

Osaka Natural History Museum – The Osaka Museum of Natural History is a must visit for tourist who are interested in the the study of living beings, ecology, geology, astronomy, bio-chemistry, meteorology etc. This museum is also a treasure trove of Japanese history and culture.

Umeda Sky Building - is a spectacular high rise building in the Kita district of Osaka, near Osaka and Umeda Stations. It is also known as the "New Umeda City".The 173 meter tall building consists of two main towers which are connected with each other by the "Floating Garden Observatory" on the 39th floor. The observatory offers a great view of the city for a 700 yenadmission fee.

The Takimi-koji restaurant mall, a replica of a Japanese street of the earlyShowa Period, can be found on the first basement floor. Offices occupy most of the building's other floors.

WTC Cosmo Tower-With three stories underground and 55 stories above ground, the WTC is a center of trade information linked with 282 cities around the world, boasts a height of 256 meters; it’s the highest tower in western Japan. You can take a nonstop see-through elevator to the observatory on the top of the tower; the elevator takes you to the 52nd floor in just 80 seconds. On the 55th floor, you will have a breathtaking 360-degree panoramic view; you will be able to see all the way out to the faraway Kansai International Airport, to Awaji Island, and to the Rokko Mountains. After the beautiful and exciting sunset, you can enjoy the lovely night view with the millions of lights of the town, the lights of ships floating offshore, and an illuminated view of the ATC.