Osaka City, Japan: attractions, holidays

Japanese Venice, the gates of the Pacific Ocean, the city of Yakuza - so many names have one of the oldest cities of East Asia Osaka. Japan is a country of contrasts, and this city is one of its colors.

This is the third largest metropolis in the country, located in the south of the island of Honshu in the Osaka Bay. He made the city a major port and industrial heart of Japan. Osaka attracts many tourists thanks to its attractions, entertainment and shopping.

Osaka Castle

One of the main historical and cultural attractions of the city is the Osaka Samurai Castle in Japan. It affects tourists not only by its size (its area is one square kilometer, its height is 5 floors, and another 3 floors the castle goes under the ground), but also its splendor - its walls are covered with gold leaf. The castle was built in 1597 by General Hideyoshi. 20 thousand people were engaged in its construction. The castle stands on a steep embankment of huge boulders to protect against attacks.

In the XVII century, the castle was destroyed after civil wars, and subsequent attempts to restore it prevented the lightning strike that caused the fire. Until the 20th century the castle stood in ruins, and only in 1931 the mayor's office restored the monument of architecture, placing the museum in it. Then the main tower, which was destroyed in the 17th century, was restored according to the preserved image on the screen. True, World War II again affected the construction - the air raids of the Americans destroyed it in part.

After the war, the castle was restored and opened to tourists. Completely restored interiors of the main tower - they are all modern, but the main gate, moats, several original buildings, preserved from the Middle Ages. In the museum itself you can see an interesting exhibition telling not only about the castle, but also about Hideyoshi's activities, samurai and the history of the region as a whole. It also houses a screen that became a sketch for the restoration of the castle in the XX century.

In addition to the largest and most famous castle in Osaka, in the city you can see the castle of Himeiji or the Castle of the White Heron. It was built in the 16th century, and today it is a whole complex of 80 buildings made in the traditional Japanese style. This castle is no less interesting for tourists, besides it is included in the UNESCO heritage list.

Osaka City Temples

Japan, like any other country in Asia, is full of different temples. There are many of them in the economic center of the country. There are Buddhist and Shinto religious buildings. At the same time, among the first, the largest centers of various schools within Buddhism are represented.

Sitnno-ji, or the temple of the four celestial masters, is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in the country, representing Vasa's own school. The temple was built in 593 and since then has experienced many shocks - for many centuries it has been destroyed by fires and lightning, typhoons, wars and uprisings, bombing of American troops. And every time the temple was rebuilt. After the Second World War, it was rebuilt, but it was built not of wood, as before, but of reinforced concrete. Tourists who came to Osaka in April can attend the annual festival held in the temple and see how the court dances of the bugaku that existed in the 8th-12th centuries in Japan looked.

Another interesting Buddhist temple is Isissin-ji, mainly due to the fact that statues are placed on its territory from the ashes of dead people. From the middle of the XIX century on the territory of the church there were placed urns with the ashes of the deceased pupils of this Buddhist school. When the urn became so much that they had nowhere to store, from the dust, fastened with resin, began to make statues. A total of 13 statues were made, but 6 of them suffered in World War II.

The Shinto branch is represented in Osaka by such large temples as Tammann-gu, built in 949, and Sumiyoshi-taisia, the main sanctuary of the same-named god. In the latter, by the way, the oldest Japanese seals are kept.

Modern architecture: objects that amaze the imagination

As the economic heart of the country, Osaka could not do without structures that amaze with scope and manufacturability. You should start from Kansai airport. It is unique in that it is built on a completely artificial island. And although the cost of its maintenance will never pay off, this one of a kind airport. Osaka (Japan) can not but cause admiration for the persistence of the townspeople.

Despite the presence of ancient temples and castles, the face of the city is still its modern towers and skyscrapers. The television tower Tsutenkaku is considered a real symbol of the city and compared with the Eiffel. At an altitude of 91 meters there is an observation deck. It is very popular, but not the only one in the city. Skyscraper "Umeda Skye Building" has a platform on the 39th floor. This skyscraper of two towers and the similarity between the hanging gardens or the space observatory (as you like more), hovering at an altitude of 170 meters, can be of interest to tourists and the surrounding park, as well as a restaurant that imitates a Japanese street of the XIX century.

Maru-biru is another symbol of the city. In the skyscraper there is a hotel, and all its rooms have an indisputable advantage - the view from the windows of any room overlooks the main attractions of Osaka.

Interesting and soaring fountains. Osaka, Japan, pond Dreams are the location of a unique fountain, based on geometric figures with flowing water, as if suspended in the air. It looked like a miracle in 1970, when it was installed for the World Exhibition, today it is one of the business cards of the city.

Another similar object, no doubt, can be called the railway station of Osaka, mainly due to its unique watch. Streams of water are controlled by a computer and add not only figures that show time in Japan, but beautiful patterns - a fascinating and spectacular sight.

Amusement parks

The Japanese know a lot about entertainment and attractions. The most important amusement park, which offers Osaka and the entire island of Honshu, is, of course, "Universal". This is a theme park, competing with the famous "Disneyland". Here, attractions and entertainment, based on films produced by the studio "Universal" - "Jurassic Park", "Shrek", "Jaws", "Harry Potter" and many others. The park is so interesting and big (140 hectares) that it is not easy to get around it for a day, therefore tourists are advised to buy tickets calculated for 2 or 3 days. Here, even a snack can be interesting - in a pizzeria in the style of the "Godfather" or in a French cafe.

If there are not enough tourist attractions in Universal, the amusement park near the village of Tempodzan, known all over the world for its 112-meter-high observation wheel, makes it the largest in the world. Also on the territory of the park there is an aquarium with 35 thousand inhabitants, an observatory, a bird sanctuary, a state-of-the-art cinema and many other entertainments.

Osaka Museums

Those tourists who crave not only entertainment, but also enlightenment in Osaka, it is worth to visit local museums and exhibitions. As the largest port, Osaka has for centuries stolen exhibits on the history of relations between man and the sea. Therefore, it is not accidental that the Osaka Maritime Museum is so interesting. It is located at the entrance to the Osaka Bay and looks very impressive - a huge steel dome. Inside there are 4 floors, on which there is a variety of ship attributes, as well as a copy of a commercial vessel in full size.

You can see and the most interesting exposition in the museum of ceramics, which is about a kilometer from the castle of Osaka. The city with its noise and vanity remains behind the brick walls of the museum, and far from the bustle you can plunge into the peaceful meditative world of the ancient Japanese art and admire its best examples. Lovers of contemporary oriental art should visit the art museum, where, in addition to the main exhibition representing art of different periods, interesting exhibitions are held.

Also known throughout the world and the museum of Santori is its building in the form of an inverted cone and a collection of graphics of the XX century.

Oceanarium "Kayukan"

We have already mentioned the aquarium in Tempodzan, but it is worth mentioning separately, because not only Osaka, Japan, is proud of it. The oceanarium "Kayukan" is one of the most significant in the whole of Japan, and it was built in Osaka. This is a unique building like a winged butterfly and decorated with mosaic. Inside there are 14 reservoirs in which the inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean are represented. They are divided into zones according to their habitat. Here you can find not only fish, but also animals, underwater flora, corals and algae and many other inhabitants of the ocean. The pavilions are arranged in such a way that visitors can see the underwater and above water life of animals, for example, how seals seal themselves in the sun, and then dive to depth.

Natural attractions

Despite the industrial development and the forest of skyscrapers of glass and concrete, Osaka, like any other Japanese city, values its nature and its unique places. So, a tourist should visit the Tennoji park, which includes a zoo, a greenhouse and a botanical garden. This is the analogue of all the famous Central Park in Manhattan, the same green oasis in the center of the industrial city. Here you can see the traditional Japanese garden Kata-Cohen, which stretches around the pond just behind the art gallery. This garden belonged once to the richest merchant and was presented to the city together with the mansion. The garden is included in a large complex with a unique greenhouse - a completely glass building gathered flowers and plants from different parts of the world.

The local zoo has 1500 animals and birds, but the hummingbird is especially interesting as the only one in Japan, and the hippopotamus, for whom conditions similar to natural ones have been created.

On Osaka and the island of Honshu, you can admire the water, cruising along the Bay of Santa Maria on a three-deck ship. On board there is not only an open deck for exploring the city and the ocean, but also a restaurant and a museum of Columbus.

Entertainment and nightlife

Connoisseurs of traditional Japanese culture in Osaka are waited by the theater No and Kabuki, Bunraku, as well as Sumo fights.

Bunraku is a traditional Japanese puppet theater, and its homeland is Osaka. Japan reveres this kind of art very much. The National Theater Bunraku, located in the Namba quarter, gives performances to all comers, but it should be noted that the tickets are dismantled very quickly.

Kabuki - a unique kind of theatrical art, combining music, dance and drama. You can see the performances in the Seteku-za Theater. Particularly sophisticated spectators can also go to the Osaka Hall. But, where they place plays in a more complex style for perception.

Lovers of nightlife should go to the Ebisu-Basi area, where all the trendy youth of Osaka hang out, or in the region of America. This is a Japanese piece of America with its Statue of Liberty and King Kong. In the afternoon there are a lot of street musicians and flea markets, and at night in the American bars, local youth drinks and dances.

Shopping

Osaka Trade Center is the Shinsaybashi district. Here you can buy absolutely everything. In Sinsaybasi there are boutiques and shops of all world brands, and the covered street contains a huge market with a length of 600 meters. The area includes the American Village, where you can buy incredible souvenirs in benches and flea markets.

You can also go shopping in Dan Deng Town - this is the district of Nippobashi, where there is a local electronic paradise where you can buy any gadget. Today in Japan such neighborhoods can be found in any major city.

Cafes and restaurants

Like any metropolis, Osaka can offer the tourist any cuisine - from Indian to French, however, to try local specialties, go to the district of Dotombori or Umeda. These quarters are literally crammed with restaurants for every taste. Be sure to try the local version of the land - osjozi. They are made from rice, moistened with vinegar, algae and small pieces of fish. It differs in Osaka and udon noodles - it is cooked in vinegar along with seafood or meat. It is worth to find in Osaka and a restaurant, where they serve special meat pancakes okonomiyaki. Time in Japan differs from Moscow, ahead of it for 6 hours.