Discover Osaka on our 3-hour introductory tour with a local expert or East Asian scholar. Designed to provide a perfect introduction to Osaka for first timers or reorient returning travelers to the history and culture of this vibrant city, this tour will explore Osaka’s growth from an early mercantile center to a bustling economic Asian powerhouse.  

Our tour will move across the city to various interesting locations such as Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, Namba and Hozen-ji. This tour offers a solid introduction to a fascinating city (often wrongly overlooked in favor of its cousins, Tokyo and Kyoto). 

We’ll start near Osaka Castle as we begin with learning about the rule of Osaka after the unification in the 16th century. Although not the original structure, the site offers an important location to discuss the rule of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the violent emergence of the Tokugawa shogunate. We’ll visit the interior of the castle and view Osaka from a great vantage point before we venture across the city to other sites leaving the lush green park area behind us. We’ll hop in a taxi or use public transport as our route takes us to a buzzing district in Osaka: Dotonbori. Named after a 17th-century merchant, Yasui Doton, the area has a 400-year-long history of entertainment which we’ll touch upon. We may pop to a nearby temple tucked behind the bustle of the surrounding area as we step back in time to a more traditional Osaka. We’ll stroll through the warren of streets and finish our time together at Kuromon market - an arcaded local haunt with shops specializing in everything from fresh urchins to seasonal vegetables. This will give us an opening to talk about the history of the market (which dates back to the Edo period) and the gastronomic scene in Osaka today. 

We will leave our introductory tour with a deeper understanding of this electric Japanese city. We’ll have traveled to a number of important locations, immersing ourselves in feudal history, Japanese entertainment tales, and local customs, traditions, and gastronomy with our expert guide. We’ll say Sayōnara (goodbye) with a more contextualized view of Osaka.

To continue your explorations of the city with Context, we recommend our Savoring Osaka Food Tour.

Our private tours are limited exclusively to travelers in your party. They are designed to provide a learning experience that is completely tailored to you and your traveling companions. Private tours give you more flexibility with scheduling (you decide when the walk best fits in your trip), the ability to tailor your itinerary (we'll work to match the itinerary to the interests and dynamics of your group), and more personalized time with your guide.

We meet near Osaka Castle and we may end near Kuromon Market. Your route may differ according to your guide. Your confirmation email will have the exact meeting point details along with a map.

Tours operate rain or shine. The majority of this walk is outside, so please be prepared with either an umbrella or a hat/sunscreen.

This tour isn't part of our family portfolio, but we have family-friendly guides who lead this tour and would be able to adjust the content for children.

We do cover quite a bit of ground on this tour and therefore we recommend contacting us with any mobility questions; we will be happy to advise if the itinerary will be appropriate for you or propose modifications where necessary. Please feel free to contact us.