8 reasons why Osaka is so hot right now

Befitting a city whose Expo will serve as a laboratory for the society of the future, Osaka’s neighbourhoods are forward- thinking, adaptable and open to change.

Take Nakazakicho, an unassuming district tucked behind Osaka Station which, having been spared the Second World War bombings that devastated much of the city, has kept its old-school charm intact. Until not long ago, however, it was largely abandoned and semi-derelict, but today it’s Osaka’s hipster hub, with cafés, restaurants, galleries and boutiques lining its winding lanes. Salon de Amanto, the art café that sparked Nakazakicho’s revival, turned a dilapidated 19th-century building into a lively community space, and other small businesses followed suit, revitalising the neighbourhood.

It’s a similar story in Kitakagaya, where artists and creatives have turned factories and warehouses into studios and galleries, bringing life to an industrial area that struggled after the decline of the local shipbuilding industry. Indeed, Osaka’s neighbourhoods are no stranger to reinvention – Umekita used to be largely disued railway sheds until it was transformed by the ambitious Grand Green project.

Likewise, the once unfashionable Fukushima neighbourhood has become a culinary hub in recent years, while Tsuruhashi – the city’s Koreatown, the largest in the country – has benefited from increased interest in food and culture from across the Sea of Japan. On its atmospheric shopping streets there are plenty of places selling kimchi, Korean corn dogs and tteokbokki, the addictive street food of rice cakes in spicy sauce, while other retailers ride the Korean wave with K-pop items and cosmetics for sale.

Some things never change. Walk around Dotonbori on any night of the week and you’ll see takeout takoyaki drawing huge queues, okonomiyaki pancakes being grilled in smoky diners and signs flagging the deadly sin of double-dipping at popular kushikatsu joints. Osaka has long been the nation’s kitchen and that old local adage about eating yourself bankrupt – kuidaore – remains apt, although it does rather depend on your appetite, not to mention your financial situation.

Osaka’s culinary culture is diverse, going far beyond street eats, but what it has in common is a suspicion of formality, a rejection of the austere, buttoned-up restaurants found elsewhere. However, this preference for social, affordable and occasionally inelegant dining does not mean that Osakans have unrefined palates – just look at all those Michelin stars the city’s restaurants have garnered in recent years.

A local love of new ideas, bold flavours and culinary experimentation – and a determined shunning of airs and graces – makes Osaka the perfect location for a Time Out Market, where the most exciting food in the city can be enjoyed in a welcoming space, including as a takeaway enjoyed in the park upstairs. For elevated takes on Osaka classics you can try new-wave kushikatsu at Kushiage001 by Kushiage010, and fresh takes on okonomiyaki and takoyaki at Koala Shokudo – see the full line-up here.

Osaka is a city that lives and breathes sport, with a passionate fan base ready to cheer on everything from baseball to sumo and even high-speed boat racing.

Baseball is king, and the Hanshin Tigers, based at Koshien Stadium, are at the heart of it. Known for their fiercely loyal (and long-suffering) fans, the Tigers finally broke their 38-year Japan Series drought by winning the biggest prize in Japanese baseball in 2023. The team they beat in the season-ending series was Osakan rivals the Orix Buffaloes, who had beaten the Tigers to claim the 2022 title. The city hopes that the two will meet again in 2025’s end of season showpiece.

Football fans rally behind Gamba Osaka and Cerezo Osaka in the J.League. Gamba, historically one of Japan’s top clubs, finished fourth in 2024 while Cerezo, led by their vibrant pink kits, came in tenth.

For something more traditional, sumo fans pack the Edion Arena every March for the Grand Sumo Tournament, where Osaka’s lively crowds create an electric atmosphere. Fans of a more flamboyant form of wrestling, meanwhile, flock to Osaka-Jo Hall and Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium for bouts of puroresu, a local take on America’s WWE that features males and female wrestlers from across the country and is guaranteed to raise a smile.

And then there’s kyotei – speedboat racing. This fast-paced sport sees daredevil racers skim across the water at venues like Boat Race Suminoe, a purpose-built artificial lake at the heart of the city. It’s an adrenaline rush, blending strategy with sheer speed.

Tipplers are spoilt for choice in Osaka, where the options for sipping an exquisite cocktail are always growing, and run from the quirky to the sophisticated.

At the wonderful Bible Club, hidden away down a secret staircase in Namba, they’ve taken the prohibition-era theming extremely seriously, with antique glasses, furniture and decorations, even going so far as to source a US flag with 48 stars. This low-lit drinking den knocks up sensational mixes including the Barn Burner, which comes with a wedge of burnt hay to aerate the bottom of the glass and a satisfying smack of winter wheat bourbon. Another favourite is the B’isco sour, which incorporates the taste of Bisco biscuits, a local favourite manufactured by Glico, of the famous running man advert. An international spread of guests listen to jaunty 1920s music and nibble cubes of almond cake between swigs of their cocktail, often settling in for the night.

Those who move on elsewhere are well advised to turn their steps towards Bar Nayuta, just a short saunter away. Even more challenging to locate, up several flights of stairs in an otherwise anonymous block, Nayuta repays the effort to visit many times over. This pocket-sized venue is lit by candles and dominated by a gleaming, well-stocked bar staffed by super knowledgeable mixologists. There are no menus here – the charming barkeep will give you a brief interview about your flavour preferences before creating a completely new cocktail designed just for you. Equally mysterious, dinky and brilliant is Craftroom, a ten-seater in Umeda that’s been named one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, the first in the city to bag the award, and has made a name for its updates on classic cocktails.

If you prefer your drinkeries clearly signposted and spacious, however, head straight for the none-cooler Living Room at the W Hotel. This laidback space is a haven of calm from the busy streets below: order yourself an exotic alcoholic mix (one option includes honey from local urban bees) and kick back to the mellow sounds of the inhouse DJ: bliss.

Raw, unpretentious and unapologetically rough round the edges, Osaka’s music scene is a reflection of the city’s character – and all the better for it. There are many live houses (the Japanese term for a small live music club) to choose from. Amerikamura neighbours Livehouse Pangea and Livehouse Bronze are great for discovering up-and-coming rock and indie bands, while nearby Hokage specialises in the punkier side of things. Jazz fans will love Bar 845 in Namba while at Dotonbori’s Club Under the psy-trance and techno begins late and keeps going till the trains start up again.

There’s also Namba Bears, a hole-in-the-wall live house which has spent the past 39 years championing the kind of nonconformist sounds that could only come from Osaka. Set up by Seiichi Yamamoto, formerly of Osaka noise legends Boredoms, Bears is DIY through and through. The entry fees are low, the drinking policy is BYOB (there’s a cooler box filled with Asahi if you arrive empty-handed) and the acoustics are so deafeningly loud that earplugs are an indispensable item. For unmissable club nights, meanwhile, you’ll want to hit up Joule, a triple-storied space with a monster dancefloor and roof terrace, featuring everything from house to hip-hop.

Osaka’s caffeine scene has come on leaps and bounds in recent times. Java junkies will adore LiLo Coffee Roasters, where the choose-your-own-adventure menu lets you select your beans, method (V60, espresso, siphon or aeropress) and whether you’d like it hot or iced – the baristas, working with a veritable science lab of brewing equipment, are happy to offer suggestions. While you can’t go wrong with the original branch of Lilo, we’re fond of its Kissa, a short walk away, which blends specialty coffee with the ambience of a mid-20th century kissaten (traditional café).

With its signage, walls, chairs and counter all jet black, Honmachi hole-in-the-wall Notequal by Dripclassic is unsurprisingly big on darker blends, while the Brooklyn Roasting Company, with three branches in the city, is another fine option for those who favour more intense brews; at their Kitahama branch the flawless espresso drinks can be savoured on a terrace overlooking the Tosabori River.

And then there’s Mel – short for Melbourne, where owner Masahiko Fumimoto fell in love with coffee – a standing room-only space which specialises in drip coffee from lighter roasts, although there’s a La Marzocco espresso machine on hand for fans of flat whites. It’s so good, in fact, that it was selected for Time Out Market Osaka.

I hear an Expo is coming to Osaka. What’s that all about?

It’s a global event that brings together the countries of the world to showcase some of their most exciting innovations and technology in custom-made pavilions for up to six months at a time.