Osaka map
Here is a satellite view that shows island Osaka.
Google Maps: Searchable Map of Osaka.
City Coordinates: 34° 41′ 37.456″ N 135° 30′ 7.794″ E
Osaka
The city is the third largest city in Japan. It is called Japan’s trading capital. It is located at the mouth of the Honshu River on the island of the same name in Osaka Bay. Due to its many canals, it is called “Japanese Venice”.
Osaka is Japan’s smallest prefecture, located on 1850 sq. km. You can imagine how many people there are here – more than 8 million people in the streets and canals of the prefecture.
The city has a history of over 1400 years. It was initially a small fishing village, and in the 20th century it became the leading industrial center of Japan with one of the most developed ports in in the country.
Buddhism enters Japan for the first time right through Osaka. Historians say the first Buddhist pilgrims have entered the country through the city. The oldest Buddhist temple in a country whose name is Shitennoji is located at the Osaka Bay.
We recommend that you visit Osaka in the spring when the flowers of the flowering cherries are scattered on the streets and give a fabulous look to the city.
One of Osaka’s biggest attractions is “Osaka Castle”. It is built in 1583 and known under the Japanese name of Ozakajo. And also played an important role in the unification of Japan in the 16th century.
The Osaka Castle is surrounded by 30-meter stone walls. Built it to protect the palace’s inhabitants from the raids of the enemy. Its interior space extends on 60,000 sq. m. in which 13 buildings are located that are an example of Japanese mastery and art from that time. The buildings are inlaid with gold ornaments and the architecture is just stunning.
Osaka points of interest
If you are visiting Osaka, there are several places that you should visit:
- Osaka Museum of History
- National Museum of Art, Osaka
- Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan)
- Universal Studios Japan
- Osaka Castle
Another of the sights you should see is the Osaka Aquarium, which is also one of the largest in the world. Its architecture is impressive and it includes 16 aquariums with a total capacity of 5400 cubic meters.
To get an idea of the size of the aquarium, we will only say that the glass walls are made of 314 tons of acrylic glass, equivalent to more than 1.5 times the annual world production.
In Osaka can also be seen many of ancient temples that were built before the era of Buddhism. One of the oldest temples is distinguished not only in Osaka but also in Japan – Sumiyoshi Taisha. It is a typical example of what the style of buildings in Japan was before the 5th century.
We finish with a world record – this is the record of the world’s longest escalator in the Umeda sky building. You can reach the building by following this map.
You can visit one of the hundreds of restaurants there. By tasting both traditional Japanese cuisine and modern Asian food from anywhere in Asia. If you prefer drinking to eating, you can visit one of the dozens of thematic bars. They are typical of the modern Japanese culture. Of course, if you want something more familiar, then in Dotonbori you can also find a number of the world’s most famous restaurant chains known in Europe and America.