Port guide: Osaka, Japan

Hyperactive Osaka is a hard-working, progressive, fun-loving city whose shopping, dining and street life provides a heady counterpoint to Japan’s cultural sights.

Who goes there

Some cruises do start or finish in Osaka, particularly those operated by small-ship companies such as APT, Heritage Expeditions, Ponant, Scenic and Travelmarvel. However, most ships are passing through, either on longer Asian itineraries that link Japan with other Asian ports, or on Japan-intensive itineraries. Nearly all the major cruise lines now visit, so you have an abundant choice of budget, style and itinerary.

Tourists flock to Osaka’s Dotonburi to have a Japanese shopping experience.Credit: iStock

Sail on in

Japan’s energy and culture is what amazes visitors, not its urban infrastructure, which tends to the prosaic and concrete. Nondescript buildings and port facilities greet you from the deck of a cruise ship as it sails past several small islands and into the mouth of the Aji River. The most notable landmark is the Ferris wheel that looms over the cruise quays.

Berth rites

Ships dock at Tempozan Passenger Terminal, reopened in May this year and now twice the size of its previous incarnation. There isn’t much at the terminal itself, but it sits on a redeveloped waterfront with plenty of Osaka buzz, a shopping mall, and attractions such as a Ferris wheel, enormous Osaka Aquarium and Universal Studios Japan theme park. Families could easily spend the whole day here.

Going ashore

Osaka’s extensive metro network includes a station close to the cruise terminal which makes visiting the city by yourself easy if you want to save on excursion costs. You’ll also get a much better chance to soak up the urban vibe. Osaka isn’t so much about sights as street life – crowded, pulsating, neon-lit – plus endless opportunities to shop and snack. Dotonbori-bashi alone features kilometres of fashion stores and side-alley eateries. The more sedate can plunder brand-name boutiques along upmarket Midosuji-dori or the venerable stores of nearby covered street Shinsaibashi. Hit Amerika-mura for youthful fashion.

Don’t miss

Osaka only has one traditional tourist sight, Osaka Castle. Although a modern replica of the 16th-century original, this eight-storey keep with its upturned copper eaves and massive defensive walls is still splendid, and provides panoramic views. A museum is devoted to shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who unified Japan, and displays samurai armour and weapons. Surrounding parkland is magnificent in springtime thanks to hundreds of cherry trees.

Get active

Japan’s densely packed cities aren’t conducive to jogging or cycling, so resign yourself in Osaka to using your ship’s gym. Still, you should have a decent walking workout by the time you’ve finished a day’s sightseeing. Top spectator sports are baseball (the season runs from April to October) and sumo (March).

Best bites

Osaka is the best destination in Japan for dining, with upmarket kaiseki restaurants catering to the wealthy, and endless street stalls and budget outlets servicing office workers and travelling businesspeople. Bargain-priced specialties include okonomiyaki (egg pancakes), takoyaki (octopus balls), yakitori (chicken skewers) and udon noodles. You can also plunder food halls for bento boxes, dumplings, pre-prepared meals and jellied sweets: the food hall of Takashimaya department store beneath Namba station is incredible.

Further afield

The vast majority of shore excursions provide various day-long tours to Kyoto, 80 minutes’ drive inland. Japan’s former capital has far more than you could possibly see in a day, with excursions usually taking in highlights such as Nijo Castle, the Golden Pavilion and a significant Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine. If you’ve been to Kyoto before, save your excursion money. An alternative is Nara, Japan’s even older capital whose hillsides are dotted with venerable temples and where deer roam through its parklands and, occasionally, its streets, too.