Visiting Osaka has been one of the most pleasant surprises of my visit to Japan. I didn’t thin

Visiting Osaka has been one of the most pleasant surprises of my visit to Japan. I didn’t think I’d take to this city so strongly, and now I’m regretting that I only have two nights here.

I’m sure my sentiments towards Osaka are partially to do with feeling disappointed in Kyoto and its overwhelming amount of tourist BS. Additionally, it’s nice to be back in a big city (Osaka is the second biggest in Japan).

But really, I think my esteem for Osaka has more to do with lifestyle. It reminds me a bit of Hamburg, in that it doesn’t really have a ton of tourist stuff to go see, it just seems like a great place to chill out, and a great place to live.

I’m also really liking the AirBnB place I’m staying in here. It’s really clean and nicely decorated, with a great balcony in my room. It just felt sort of like home when I got here. Plus the people I’m staying with are really nice, and it’s in a hip semi-industrial area. If you’re ever in Osaka, you should definitely stay here.

I mostly just relaxed and walked around in Osaka, but there are also a few things that are worth seeing. First, the main reason I came here was to visit the National Museum of Art, Osaka. Besides having a remarkably cool structure, I read that its permanent collection features a ton of artists that I like, including my favorite Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. They didn’t actually have any of her stuff on display, but the contemporary art I saw there was really top notch.

Also, Osaka has a really cool aquarium, which I guess should be no surprise in a country so obsessed with fish. It’s a bit overrun with kids, but the massive main tank has a whale shark, and the whole place is worth a visit.

I’ll certainly make a point of spending more time in Osaka the next time I’m in Japan (and I’m definitely coming back, because I really love this country).
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