# Osaka: Japan's Most Vibrant City



## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

Osaka is Japan's 2nd city after Tokyo. But being 2nd doesn't make it less interesting. The city is a bit more compact and rough around the edges, giving it a bit more intensity then Tokyo.


*Osaka: Japan's Most Vibrant City*



The first batch are from Osaka Chuo Ward in June this year. Just making a walk along some of the buildings before I was able to check in to my hotel near Honmachi Station.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

Mido-Suji, the main north south road running through Central Osaka.


IMG_1621 by Momo1435, on Flickr


The Kitahama, Osaka's and even Japan's tallest all residential tower.


IMG_1678 by Momo1435, on Flickr


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice photos from Osaka :cheers:


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

'

*Dotonbori Shinsaibashi*


The main tourist part of central Osaka, with it's canal and lot's of lights at night.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Bond James Bond (Aug 23, 2002)

Nice pics! But I think they need to bury some more of those power lines underground.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

'

More scenes from Central Osaka.

'


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Fantastic! Doesn't look rough at all. Almost want to visit Osaka as much as Tokyo.


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## OnTheNorthRoad (Oct 17, 2010)

Nice set!  Looks really exciting and busy.


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## FabriFlorence (Sep 29, 2004)

Very interesting city!


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

'

*Tosabori River*


The part of the Kyu-Yodo River south of Nakanoshima Island which streams directly through central Osaka.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Osaka, Momo :cheers:


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## Christi69 (Jan 1, 2009)

Very nice set of a vibrant city!


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

'

*Osaka Castle *

'


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Looks like a very green city. Love the castle


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

The castle is very beautiful, one of the most famous buildings of Japan.


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## weirdo (Feb 15, 2003)

Didn't spend enough time in both Tokyo and Osaka. Asakusa, Shibuya, Ginza, Akihabara, Daiba - these Tokyo neighborhoods are kind of world famous and seeing them in person gives that whoa-I'm-IN-Japan feeling. 

On the other hand, I don't have much idea on how Osaka's going to be like, so coming into areas felt like you're enjoing something new, if you get my drift. Even places that are arguably more recognizable - Dotonbori, Namba, Castle area, feels that way.

Kyoto's a bit in between. The shrines were recognizable and gave me the landmark feels I got from Tokyo. Discovering the sprawl in between the Kyoto sites felt adventurously off the beaten a la Osaka.

Other than that, I can't say these Tokyo and Osaka have pronounced differences. Of course, it's an opinion of a visitor with limited experience.

Please post more images. This is a beautiful thread.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

'

*Umeda & Sonezaki*


Some shots from the neighborhoods directly south of Osaka Station.

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

The Hanshin Umeda Station directly across the street from the main JR Osaka station.


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The Shin-Hankyu Building & Hanshin Department Store are being rebuilt, this will be completed with a 190m tall office tower on the spot of the Hanshin Umeda Station on the 1st photo.


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The Hankyu Men's Osaka department store


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Directly behind the large buildings around the stations begins the small but dense city with a overdose of restaurants and bars. 


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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This parking lot in Sonezaki used to be a large modern ruin, an entertainment center that was never completed after the construction stopped a couple of decades ago. About 2 years ago it was demolished without a plan for something new. At least, not a plan that has been made public yet, but that's not strange in Osaka, it happens a lot that new construction projects are revealed just before the start of construction. 


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One more look at Umeda.


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## DarkLite (Dec 31, 2004)

Amazing photos from Osaka, I can't wait to travel there within two years. What I love about the latest sets of photos is that the city packs a very powerful punch even if it isn't the largest or most important city in Japan. The architecture is just as fresh and the street scenes are even more lively than in the capital. There is so much to observe and point out in your photos but I'm going to summarise the feeling by saying that Osaka definitely wins in the majestic department with it's castle and classic views of the city skyline.

Please keep us posted with more brilliant snapshots.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

Osaka is the 2nd city of Japan, it's also the main city of the Keihanshin area = Greater Osaka. With a population of 19 million it's the 15th largest urban area in the world. It's a very large city. 

Compared to Tokyo the city center of Osaka is more compact. It got everything that Tokyo has, just a bit less and smaller, therefor everything is much closer together. The whole city has a bit more edginess that central Tokyo is sometimes missing. Therefor it's a more intense and vibrant city, which is the reason why I chose the title of this thread.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

Crowds at the Kiyomizu-dera Temple, I always like these class pictures. 


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

back into the city.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## DarkLite (Dec 31, 2004)

Kyoto has a different urban feeling than other cities of comparable size in Japan. The absence of tall buildings is very noticeable.

Maybe something that gives Kyoto so much magic is it's geography. Being nestled between those hills and streams conveys an intimate perception of it's environment.

Lastly I'm pretty impressed by the cleanliness of the narrow streets despite the presence of thousands of tourists who stroll the place every day. From a foreigner's point of view the city doesn't seem to be too spoiled by tourism yet, the regulations must be strict though.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

You don't see the Nutella and ticket shops everywhere like in popular European cities. But it has become much more touristic in a Japanese way then I was in Kyoto about 10 years ago. Other historical cities in Japan are far more unspoiled then Kyoto and are also more interesting. 


But never mind, continuing with more pictures from Kyoto.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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The gardens of the former Imperial Palace


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Nijo Castle


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

'

*Kyoto Tower*


The last batch of Kyoto pictures, viewing the city from 100m up in the sky from the Kyoto Tower.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

That’s a very long train...................


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

Kyoto station


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Way back in the hazy sky you can still make out the silhouette of Osaka's skyline. 


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

The Kyoto Tower


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Lego model of Kyoto station


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

openlyJane said:


> That’s a very long train...................


It's a Shinkansen N700 series, with 16 cars it's just over 400m long. The standard lenght for all trains on the Tokyo - Osaka Tokaido Shinkansen line.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Really beautiful pictures, would love to see both Osaka and Kyoto (and Tokyo of course). But I think Kyoto should be included in the thread title as well, since there are lots of pictures from there as well.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

Back in Osaka.


*Nakanoshima Park*


Osaka doesn't have many parks, but this one on Nakanoshima Island is a nice one.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

Back in Osaka


*Kaigandori Chikko - Kaiyukan Tempozan*


This area is located on a man made island in the harbour area of Osaka. It used to be a mixed industrial /residential area, but it has been for a large part transformed into an entertainment area with the Kaiyukan Aquarium and the Tempozan ferris wheel.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

Tempozan Ferris Wheel


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the aquarium


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You have a nice view of the skyline from the waterside.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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Large barriers prevent the neighborhood from flooding during high tide. 


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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all the islands in the Osaka harbor are connected by large buildings.


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old warehouse, now used for events.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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The port and the Cosmosquare area with the former Osaka WTC Cosmo tower, now it has become a local government office building. The area around this tower was supposed to become a large development area, but the economic crash in the early 1990s stopped any further developments. Even though there are several attractions like a big mall it never grew into the area it was supposed to become. 


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

This waterside area is also a reminder of the bubble years. It's all nicely landscaped, it probably was supposed become something like the area with the aquarium and ferris wheel on the other side of this island. But as the developments stopped this terrace slowly degraded into this lonely place. 


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It gives a good view on the maritime activities in the port of Osaka. 


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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*Namihaya Ohashi Bridge*

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

I was a bit too late to go over this bridge as I didn't prepare for night shoots, especially since it was a bit too breezy and all the cars coming over the bridge did cause vibrations. But you got a good view over the harbor and the Osaka skyline up on this bridge. 



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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

'

*Fukushima - Umeda*

Fukushima is a pretty generic Japanese geographical name. This is not the prefecture in the Tohoku region mostly known internationally for it's nuclear disaster after the Tohoku Earthquake / Tsunami in 2011. This is the neighborhood in Osaka. The pictures continue into Umeda neighborhood north of Osaka Station.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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Umeda skyline


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

Coming into Umeda


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This was the 1st hotel I stayed on my 1st trip to Japan. 


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

'

*Random shots from Osaka*

'


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

Cool building in close to Shin Osaka station


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Liquor vending machine.


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There are also Hustlers in Osaka.


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Giraffe at Tempozan.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

Aeon Mall Dainichi


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Osaka Festival Towers


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Bicycle shop.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

'

*Dotonbori*


now in daylight.


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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

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