Osaka

}} If Tokyo is Japan's capital, one might call Osaka its anti-capital. Ask a local, and they'll proudly tell you that while Tokyoites are reserved, polite and boring, Osakans are warm, friendly and colorful, in speech, clothing and spirit.

The Osakan rallying cry is kuidaore (食い倒れ), bringing yourself to ruin through extravagance in food, drink and more – a far cry from the austere Zen discipline often associated with Japan. Osaka dates back to the Asuka and Nara period.

thumb|300px|Osaka Castle Kansai International Airport ( ) is the main international gateway to Osaka (Metropolitan area airport codes: ). Also, Kobe Airport ( ) is nearby and easily reachable by boat from Kansai Airport. * | url=http://osaka-airport.co.jp/en/ | email= | address= | lat=34.785528 | long=135.438222 | directions= | phone= | tollfree= | hours= | price= | image=Osaka Airport01.jpg | wikidata=Q1046748 | content=This was Osaka's main airport before the opening of Kansai, where most domestic flights arrive.

Despite its name, it no longer serves international flights.

If you are planning to travel beyond city limits you might consider using the tickets from Surutto Kansai. For use in Osaka and other cities in the west of Japan, there are some other useful tickets. * * * thumb|300px|Osaka Metro Map The Osaka Metro is Japan's second-most extensive metro network after Tokyo, which makes the underground the natural way to get around.

The Midosuji Line (colored red on the map) is Osaka's main artery, linking up the massive train stations and shopping complexes of Shin-Osaka, Umeda, Shinsaibashi, Namba and Tennoji.

Osaka has a reputation among the Japanese for being crime-ridden, but it is still remarkably safe compared to any Western city of similar size. However, some areas in the southern suburbs, particularly Shinsekai and Tobita Shinchi, may be a little dodgy at night and the Airin/Kamagasaki area — Japan's largest slum, home to a lot of jobless and/or homeless people — south of Shin-Imamiya is best avoided after dark.

Incidentally, despite the movie stereotype of gangsters speaking in Osakan dialect, the actual base of Japan's biggest yakuza families is neighboring Kobe — and the most gang violence occurs in Tokyo. Unless you're dealing drugs or engaging in prostitution, you're unlikely to get involved with the local mafia.