Osaka stands as the rebellious, loud, and food-obsessed counterpoint to the polite perfection of Tokyo. While most tourists flock to the neon lights of Dotonbori for a photo, they often miss the bizarre history hidden in plain sight. For instance, the local castle looks ancient on the outside but hides a modern concrete museum on the inside. Furthermore, the city features a skyscraper that literally swallowed a highway exit ramp. Prepare to eat until you drop in the comedy capital of Japan.
Osaka
A highway passes directly through the Gate Tower Building. The Hanshin Expressway goes straight through the fifth, sixth, and seventh floors of this office tower. Interestingly, the highway does not touch the building itself but rests on a separate structure to prevent noise and vibrations from disturbing the workers inside.
Builders reconstructed Osaka Castle using concrete. Although it looks like a feudal fortress, the current main keep serves as a modern museum reproduction from 1931. Consequently, visitors often feel surprised when they find functioning elevators and multimedia displays inside the “ancient” walls.
Locals stand on the right side of the escalator. In Tokyo and most of Japan, people stand on the left and walk on the right. However, Osakans stand on the right, likely because of the influence of the World Expo in 1970 or historic railway announcements.
The city contains a tomb larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza. The Nintoku-tenno-ryo Kofun forms a keyhole-shaped burial mound that has a larger base area than the Egyptian pyramids. Despite its massive size, a dense forest largely hides it, so you see it best from the air.
Momofuku Ando invented instant noodles in a backyard shed in Osaka. He created the world’s first instant ramen, Chicken Ramen, in Ikeda city in 1958. Eventually, he developed Cup Noodles, which transformed global food culture forever.
The Glico Man sign has changed six separate times. The famous runner crossing the finish line first appeared in 1935 to promote a caramel candy rich in glycogen. Currently, the sign uses high-definition LEDs that can change backgrounds, whereas earlier versions used simple neon tubes.
“Kuidaore” means to ruin oneself by extravagance in food. This local proverb perfectly captures the spirit of the city, where people willingly spend all their money on delicious meals. It reflects the deep passion Osakans have for dining and drinking.
The mechanical clown “Kuidaore Taro” serves as a beloved mascot. This drum-playing puppet stood in front of a restaurant for decades and became a symbol of the Dotonbori district. Even after the restaurant closed, he remained a fixture of the street due to his immense popularity.
Shitennoji stands as the oldest state-established temple in Japan. Prince Shotoku founded this Buddhist complex in 593 AD, which predates many of the famous temples in Kyoto. Although fires destroyed the wooden buildings multiple times, locals always rebuilt them to match the original design.
The local dialect sounds loud and melodic. Osaka-ben differs significantly from standard Japanese, as it often deletes particles and changes the pitch of words. Comedians frequently use this dialect, so it became the unofficial language of Japanese humor.
Bunraku puppet theater originated here in the 17th century. This sophisticated art form involves three puppeteers manipulating a single doll in perfect unison. It developed alongside Kabuki and remains a high art that people can still watch at the National Bunraku Theatre.
A shrine features a massive lion’s head stage. The Namba Yasaka Shrine attracts visitors who want to pray for good luck in school or business. You must walk into the giant open mouth of the lion statue, which supposedly swallows evil spirits and brings victory.
Pedestrians walk faster here than anywhere else in Japan. Studies show that Osakans walk significantly quicker than people in Tokyo. This reflects the impatient, fast-paced nature of the city’s merchant culture.
Fans dive into the canal when their baseball team wins. Despite repeated warnings from the police, fans of the Hanshin Tigers jump into the Dotonbori canal to celebrate championships. This tradition even led to a local curse involving a statue of Colonel Sanders that fans threw into the river.
Finally, you must never double-dip your kushikatsu. The city is famous for these deep-fried skewers, which restaurants serve with a communal sauce pot. Because other customers use the same sauce, dipping a bitten skewer back into the tin insults the chef and the other patrons.
