What to see in Osaka: chaos, colour and lots of food

Osaka is the perfect counterpoint to Kyoto: fewer temples and more noise, more lights and a huge amount of food. I did almost all the classics and this is what stayed with me.

What I did (almost everything)

I did the classics: Osaka Castle, the Kaiyukan aquarium, Dotonbori and plenty of street food. And, for some reason, what I liked best was the centre, with so much colour and light. If I remember correctly, that was the Dotonbori area: neon, giant signs, people everywhere and the canal reflecting the lights at night.

The street food was fantastic. Go hungry and try whatever catches your eye on the street. If you want names, our itinerary recommends the takoyaki in Dotonbori and the kushikatsu in Shinsekai, plus Kani Doraku, the famous crab restaurant with the mechanical crab on its facade.

Where I ate

• Hozenji Yokocho: incredible sushi. It's a traditional alley very close to Dotonbori, a huge contrast with the noise nearby.
• An omakase in the Tennoji area (Comma): highly, highly recommended. I actually didn't remember the name until now; it's the kind of place worth recommending. If you're building a food route through Japan, write it down.

Sleep in Osaka or Kyoto?

I did both: a few days in Kyoto and then I moved to Osaka. And honestly they are two completely different places:

• Kyoto is tradition and culture.
• Osaka is chaos and fun.

Kyoto needs more time than Osaka. So if you're short on time and can only stay in one, my advice is to sleep in Kyoto and make a day trip to Osaka, which is easier than the other way round. If you can, the best option is to combine both, as I did. In our 17-day itinerary we give Osaka two days, after Kyoto and Nara.

More on where to sleep in Kyoto and Osaka: where to stay and on the other city in what to see in Kyoto. All organised day by day in the 17-day Japan itinerary.