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Why Is Osaka So Wildly Popular With Foreign Tourists?

Last updated: 28 February 2020

Recent years have seen the number of foreigners visiting Osaka increasing at an exceedingly high rate. Every year, a large American credit company puts out a report on the rankings of rapidly growing travel destinations.

When looking at the average rates of increase spanning the past eight years, Osaka proved to have the fastest increase rates in the world in 2016 and 2017. It even surpassed Japan's capital and hot-spot, Tokyo.

So just why is Osaka garnering so much foreign attention? We'll tell you all about why it's attracting so many travelers.

According to the Japan National Tourism Association (JNTO), the number of foreign visitors in Japan increased by 8.7 percent from 2017 to make a total of 31.2 million visitors. According to statistics dating back to 1964, this is the highest figure yet.

There are various reasons for this, some being the easing of visa regulations, the popularization of discount airline tickets among low cost carriers, and the depreciation of the yen.

Out of the rest of Japan, Osaka has seen a world-top-level increase in numbers. Compared to five years previous, 2017 saw a roughly 420 percent increase in visitors.

When people hear “Osaka”, the food usually comes to mind. There is even a word called "kuidaore" which essentially means “to eat your assets away”.

From food stands to Michelin-starred restaurants, people can enjoy a wide array of food. Osaka was even listed in the New York Times article "52 Places to Go in 2017" for its "culinary legacy", titled "The ultimate Japanese feast awaits".

Within easy access of Kansai Airport, Nanba's Shopping District of Dotonbori has a large number of takoyaki octopus dumpling stands that use particularly large cuts of octopus. They are always packed with long lines.

On top of that, there is plenty of unique Osakan soul food such as okonomiyaki savoury pancakes, kushikatsu deep-fried skewers, and udon noodles.

Osaka is known to have three shopping districts within very close range of each other; the Umeda area, nicknamed "Kita" (North), the Nanba area, nicknamed "Minami" (South), and Tennoji.

The four most popular spots among foreign visitors are Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, Universal Studios Japan, and the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.

Laid out along the railway, they’re all cost-efficient and easy to get to. For travelers to whom every minute counts, this is incredibly important.

Osaka also has easy access to the popular former capitals of Kyoto and Nara. Not to mention its proximity to Kansai Airport means travelers end up going through Osaka no matter their destination.

For travelers, the ability to connect to the Internet is vital. In Osaka, travelers can easily access the "Osaka Free Wi-Fi" and "HANKYU-HANSHIN WELCOME Wi-Fi" networks at many transportation and public facilities, hotels, restaurants, and shops.

There's also a large number of pharmacies that carry manuals for foreign visitors. These manuals have eight different sections that cover general conversations, verifying conditions, etc.

Complete with illustrations, the manuals come in four languages - Korean, Chinese (traditional and simplified), and English. Visitors that buy make-up and medicine at drugstores can conveniently point at the pictures and competently get their points across. These helpful services are bound to please foreign visitors.

When asked what comes to mind when thinking of Osaka, many people say it is "The City of Smiles". That shows just how many people have a sense of humor in Osaka.

Even so, Osaka has always been a city of merchants. Humor has always been an indispensable communication tool used to do business smoothly.

Osaka’s sense of humor comes across especially well when observing its billboards in Dotonbori. It even has some characters that are moving crabs and giant desserts... When in Osaka, you're bound to feel the city’s personality in every corner.

The 2025 World Expo will be hosted in Osaka again after a 55-year gap! Yet another large event is set to bring the world's attention back to Japan following Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

To be hosted on the man-made island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay, the event will take place over a period of 185 days, starting in May and ending in November.

With 150 countries participating, the number of visitors is expected to reach about 28 million. In preparation for the Expo, hotels are being built and transportation facilities are being serviced.

The city will be able to offer an even better traveling experience and captivate an increasing number of visitors.

Text by:WESTPLAN