Tokyo and Osaka are the two biggest cities in Japan. They are located in the Kanto and Kansai regions, 500km apart.
When planning a trip to Japan you may wonder whether it is better to visit Tokyo or Osaka. Here is a brief introduction to these two cities which may help you decide.
Tokyo and Osaka Comparison Overview
Tokyo | Osaka | |
---|---|---|
History | Edo period | Ancient transport hub, key mercantile area |
Culture | History, pop, high-tech (including robotics), anime | Comedy |
Sightseeing | Tokyo Tower, Asakusa Sensoji, Omotesando and Harajuku, Shibuya Crossing, Ueno Park, Tokyo Disney Resort | Dotonbori, Osaka Castle, Kaiyukan Aquarium, Umeda Sky Building, Universal Studios Japan |
Things to Do and See | Sushi making, Edo crafts, swordsmanship, manga and anime, sumo wrestling and Kabuki show, Maid Cafe | Bunraku Puppet Drama, Japanese Comedy |
Excursions | Yokohama and Kamakura, Mount Fuji and the Five Lakes, NikkoYokohama, Kamakura, Mount Fuji, the Fuji Five Lakes, and Nikko | Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Himeji, Kobe |
Food | Fine and Michelin-starred dining, Edo-period food such as Nigiri-zushi, Tempura, SobaA variety of international foods, Michelin-starred food, and typical Japanese food including nigiri-zushi, tempura, soba, ramen, chankonabe, and monjayaki | 'The Nation's Kitchen', reasonable prices, food and snacks such as Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki in Dotonbori |
Shopping | Anime goods, traditional crafts, fashion and brand-name goods in Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku and Ginza | Clothing and fashion goods, gadgets, high-tech, Japanese sweets and Takoyaki souvenirs at Umeda, Namba and the Takashimaya Osaka Store |
Traffic and Transportation | Bustling | Relaxed |
Accommodation | Wide-rangingWidest range of clean and comfortable hotels | Affordable prices |
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Customized Trip Planning
My experience with Alisa at Asia Highlights has been excellent. I wanted to customize my trip to South Korea and Japan. I made several changes and asked many questions which she answered promptly. My trip included only hotels and transportation because I wanted to explore on my own. This gave me the option to book my own tours if I want. I selected Asia Highlights because of the great reviews and booked because Alisa was helpful in planning my trip. More
JBC, Feb 2024
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Japan Tour
Alisa did a fantastic job, answering all my questions and catering to what I want for our upcoming Japan tour. The itinerary was so detailed! We are so excited for our trip! More
Theresa Beltran, Feb 2024
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The experience of working with Bert was…
The experience of working with Bert was amazing! Everything is clear! The route he introduced and planned for the travel in Japan was amazing! More
Polina Fedorina, Feb 2024
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Outstanding Agent
We haven't taken our trip to Japan yet with Asia Highlights, but I am so impressed by the thoroughness, communication skills, and attention to detail of their hard working agent, Claire Wong. I sent an inquiry to Asia Highlights and immediately I was given Claire as my agent. She designed a trip for my family that works for us and my communications with her via WhatsApp have been excellent. She always gets right back to me with answers and suggestions. Her English is perfect. Because of Claire, I have a very high regard for Asia Highlights, and I'm glad that I chose this company for our trip to Japan. More
Edwin Lowe, Feb 2024
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Japan Trip Planning
Although our travel plans will not materialize for another 2 months, we had the absolute pleasure of working with Bert Hu in putting our trip to Japan together. Bert was extremely professional in meeting our needs and tailoring a trip to our interests. Bert was also quite patient and helpful when we had to change a few details and add a couple days. I'm sure I'll have more wonderful things to say after our experience in Japan. More
John, Feb 2024
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Bert Hu knowledgeable travel adviser.
Hello! My trip adviser Bert Hu gave very clear instructions about the my travel plan to Japan. He is very knowledgeable and guided me step by step. I highly recommend Bert Hu as a personal travel adviser. Thank you for making my future trip easily accessible. More
Fatema Mohammedi, Feb 2024
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Awesome
Such a great company to help us find our next family trip. We have been working with Bert Hu he is very informative and helpful. Looking forward to continuing doing business and our travels to Japan. More
Shaunda, Feb 2024
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It is my first time in Japan
It is my first time in Japan, I am glad that i found Asian highlights especially meeting claire the travel agent! She is amazing. She is very helpful all through out the process, she respond quickly to all my inquiry. She made the process so smooth. During the trip, I have to praise the company for giving us amazing accomodations and the best tour guides. Claire made everything happened. There are few bumps and she solve it right away.She was honest about the things that she can not provide. It is my first time to ask for help from a travel agency , I am glad I found Asia highlights. If I will plan tour in the future I will definitely ask help for this company. I recommended this company to my family and friends! Thankyou once again. More power! Keep it up Claire! More
Cc, Jan 2024
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Claire has listened carefully
Claire has listened carefully to our ideas and has created a highly customized journey for us. She has been very responsive and has shown a deep knowledge of travel options in Japan. More
Michael Brandenburg, Jan 2024
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Sharon from Asia Highlights
I highly recommend Sharon and her tour guidance.She is very patient and utmost polite.I absolutely loved coordinating my iteniery with her although I was unable to travel to Japan this time.She is an absolute gem and I recommend her to make your Japanese holiday an extraordinary and hassle free experience. More
Tess Thomas, Jan 2024
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10 Day Family Vacation in Japan
We had the absolute best time in Japan! Jennifer was our wonderful tour guide in Tokyo and Ho was our amazing tour guide in Kyoto and Osaka. We can’t thank them both enough for making our 10 day sightseeing trip truly a trip of a lifetime!! More
Sabrina Wilmoth, Jan 2024
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Trip to Japan
Family trip to Japan. Excellent itinerary, allowed for seeing many different sights in multiple cities in Japan. The tour was well-paced with enough time to explore on our own in the evenings. Tour guides were knowledgeable, had great attitudes and were accommodating, willing to modify our plans to allow us to see other sights if we wanted to as well. The vans were large and comfortable for the longer drives and water was always provided. More
May, Nov 2023
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Fall in Japan
The local tour guides in each city were so friendly and knowledgeable. They took care of us like we were family. The accommodations and meals were exceptional. We would definitely use this tour company again for future travel needs. More
, Nov 2023
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Alisa Liu is a star to work makes Asia Highlights even better
Alisa Liu was my contact person for Asia Highlights. She was remarkably punctual, she was thoughtful, and she handle an emergency on my end, with grace and patience. She recommended great hotels in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka Japan that put us in the center of the action. The guides she choose were personable, punctual a knowledgeable about their cities. More
Brent Zadorozny, Oct 2023
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Excellent service
Started using Asia Highlights to plan my trip to Japan. Sharon was very helpful, giving me all the information I would need for the tour. I would definitely use Asia Highlights again, when planning another trip to Asia. More
Rachel Nelson, Oct 2023
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Japan tour
Our airport pick-up went very smoothly. Our guide, Vivian, on the second day was very nice, very accommodating, took into account our preferences. In Osaka, our trip to the castle was a very long walk with lots of steps to climb and quite honestly wasn’t very interesting. But Dotonburi is a must-see and we enjoyed that very much.Our trip to Hiroshima was very memorable. I highly recommend it. Our guide, Etsuko, was very knowledgeable and kind. The trip to Miyajima island, on the other hand, wasn’t too memorable. Our next city, Kyoto, is a truly wonderful place to visit. All the temples we went to were very interesting and very distinctive from each other (Kinkakuji temple, Nijo castle, Sanjusangendo temple,Kiyumizo temple, Fushimi Inari shrine, Kasuga Taisha shrine, Tojaidi temple). The sake tour was a downer and wouldn’t recommend it.Our guide, Ritsuko, was a darling. She was very knowledgeable too and kind and warm and easy to talk to. Our last tour in Tokyo was a rainy day and Sue, our guide, was able to change our tour to the next day. She was so efficient and so accommodating and so kind and very knowledgeable too. More
Mrs Cristina Hidalgo Loris, Oct 2023
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Very good tour of Japan
Very good tour around Japan for 10 days, including Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto. Excellent guides and experiences. Albee, the tour organiser, was always available to sort out changes to itinerary or extra requests. More
Guy Slimmon, Oct 2023
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Everything is good
All of the hotels were wonderful and our guides were super friendly, knowledgeable and flexible. We had a 10 day trip that included multiple cities and lots of different sights, we squeezed in as much as we could, including a 2 day hiking trip to Mt. Fuji (our guide Sun Nan was awesome!). Our guide in Tokyo, Jennifer, was lovely and our guide for 2 days in Kyoto, Dennis, was also super great. We did a food tour in Osaka with Vivian which was nice Sallie Fujimoto-Swun More
Ideale Tran, Oct 2023
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Thank you for the wonderful experience…
Thank you for the wonderful experience we all truely enjoyed. From the beginning (making first contact with Sharon from Asia Highlights) to the end (Saying good bye to our amazing guide Lilly) the experience was top notch. Great communication while preparing the trip and excellent local knowledge of our tour guide. I can highly recommend Asia Highlights and would not hesitate to use them again for our next trip. More
Dany Gruosso, Oct 2023
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Vacations in Japan
The guides Jessie and Vivian were very kind and professionals and the drivers as well. In a future vacation we will get in touch with Asia Highlights without a doubt. More
Hilda Andrade, Oct 2023
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1. History: Edo History vs. Transport and Trade Hub
Tokyo
Tokyo has only been the capital of Japan since 1868. Originally a fishing village called Edo, it became the center of government when Tokugawa Ieyasu became Shogun.
The Tokugawa Shogunate ruled Japan for 268 years from 1600 to 1868. During this period Edo rapidly developed and its population grew, establishing the city as a center of culture and commerce.
After the Tokugawa Shogunate ended and imperial rule was restored in 1868, its name was changed to Tokyo and the city became the capital of Japan.
Osaka
Osaka is the second-largest city in Japan. Known as 'the city of water', it is an ancient transport hub and a key mercantile area, trading especially with Korea and China. Osaka continued to flourish when the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi based himself at Osaka Castle in 1583.
Osaka is also known as 'Manchester of the Orient' because of its successful spinning industry. Osaka is one of Japan's major cultural and trade centers.
2. Culture: Futuristic and Historical vs. Traditional and Local
Tokyo
Tokyo is the capital city of Japan and the world's most populous metropolis. A mixture of history, pop and high-tech, the city's history can be seen in districts such as Asakusa with its many excellent museums, historic temples and gardens.
Tokyo offers a high-tech lifestyle with the modernity of Harajuku's vibrant fashion, robot restaurants, maid cafes, cosplay, manga and anime.
Osaka
Osaka is famous for street food, top-notch shopping and friendly locals. Osaka's comedy culture is on show with a wide variety of Yoshimoto comedians from the city. The friendly atmosphere derives from the locals' love of conversation and laughter.
3. Sightseeing: City Attractions vs. Pleasant Surroundings
While Both cities have many attractions such as shops, museums, parks and temples, Tokyo is much bigger and offers sufficient interest for a three- to five-day visit. Osaka is more famous for its vibrant culture and needs only two to three days for its sights.
Tokyo
Tokyo is rich in tourist attractions. Sights include Shibuya Crossing and the Tokyo Skytree, the Disney Parks, Tsukiji Outer Market, Senso-ji in Asakusa and the Meiji Jingu Shrine, the Tokyo National Museum, the National Art Center and Mori Art Museum, Shinjuku Gyo-en and, for cherry blossom and autumn leaves, Yoyogi and Ueno parks.
Around Tokyo there are day trips to Yokohama, Kamakura and Nikko, (famous for history and culture), and Hakone, Mount Fuji and the Five Lakes, (for natural surroundings and hot springs).
Suggested reading: The Top 6 Day Trips from Tokyo — Perfect for Families, Retired Couples...
Osaka
Osaka also offers a number of tourist attractions, including Dotonbori, Osaka Castle and the Kaiyukan Aquarium, Universal Studios Japan, the Umeda Sky Building and Minoo Park.
Osaka is smaller than Tokyo, but offers more in its surroundings. Day trips to popular cities such as Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Himeji and Kobe are recommended.
4. Things to Do: Tokyo has More Activities
Besides sightseeing, Tokyo and Osaka offer various fun activities for tourists which provide a great opportunity to get close to Japanese culture.
Top things to do in Tokyo:
1. High-tech entertainment at the Robot Restaurant in Kabukicho in the Shinjuku area.
2. Taste the freshest seafood and learn to make Sushi around the Tsukiji Fish Market.
3. Go Kart in bustling areas like Akihabara, Shibuya and around the Tokyo Tower.
4. Drink at the Maid Cafe at Akihabara.
5. The Edo Crafts Experience, make Kiriko cut-glass or Edo-style bamboo blinds.
6. Watch a Kabuki show at Kabukiza.
7. Take a Samurai Sword Dance class.
8. Explore the world of anime and manga in Studio Ghibli.
Top things to do in Osaka:
1. Watch Bunraku puppet shows at the National Bunraku Theater.
2. The Kimono Wearing Experience.
3. Watch Japanese Comedy at the ROR Comedy Club.
4. Sample the local dishes.
5. Food: High-class and Michelin Cuisine vs. Street Food
Tokyo
Tokyo is one of the best cities in the world for diners, with more top-notch international cuisine and Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city on the planet.
You can find international restaurants in Azabu, Hiroo and Roppongi districts, casual dining anywhere in Tokyo, fine cuisine on the top floors of skyscrapers and major hotels and themed dining in the Ninja 'Robot' Restaurant.
Tokyo also has famous local and regional Japanese specialty dishes from the Edo period such as nigiri-zushi, tempura, soba and ramen noodles, chankonabe and monjayaki.
Osaka
Osaka is famous for its local dishes and strong food culture. It is said people from Osaka will spend all their money on food and drink until they go bankrupt!
Local specialties include takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu, kitsune udon, teppanyaki and beef. You can experience Osaka's food culture at the neon-lit Dotonbori district and in Kitashinchi.
Alongside its food, Osaka offers a unique and authentic drinking culture. It is famous for tea and soy milk drinks such as genmaicha soy milk and sake.
6. Shopping: The Latest Trends vs. Bargain-hunting
Tokyo
Tokyo is one of the world's best cities for shopping. You will never feel bored, finding such interesting and unique goods as anime, traditional crafts, trendy fashion and designer brands.
Tokyo has countless shopping districts, each with its own character. You can buy electronics and computer goods in Shinjuku and Akihabara, clothing in Shibuya, Harajuku and Ginza, pop culture at Akihabara and Harajuku and Japanese memorabilia and handicrafts at Harajuku.
Osaka
Osaka is famous for a huge variety of shopping areas, arcades, streets and malls, selling all kinds of items from luxury goods to bargains. Osaka is known as a great city for bargaining, a unique experience.
The three best places are Umeda, Namba and Shinsaibashi-suji. Shinsaibashi-suji is Osaka's oldest and busiest shopping arcade. Great things to look for include clothing and fashion, gadgets, high-tech, toys, Japanese sweets and Takoyaki souvenirs.
7. Traffic and Transportation:Bustling vs. Relaxed
Tokyo
Tokyo has a great network of train, subway and bus lines and frequent transportation services, but it is overloaded. Tokyo's small roads are congested during the rush hour, so driving in Tokyo can be a scary experience in the morning and the evening.
Shinjuku Station is the world's busiest train station with over 3.6 million passengers a day. It is also the world's second-biggest with over 200 exits and 51 platforms serving thirteen lines.
Osaka
Osaka features less crowded public transportation with wider roads and less traffic. Traveling around Osaka is generally safer and more relaxed than in Tokyo.
Subways and trains are the best way to get around Osaka. The most useful train and subway lines are the Osaka Loop Line, the Midosuji Line and the Chuo Line. The easiest and best way to use Osaka public transport is to have a prepaid card such as Icoca, Suica or Pasmo.
8. Accommodation: A Wide Range vs. Affordable Prices
Tokyo
Tokyo offers the widest range of lodging choices in Japan with international and domestic hotel chains, hostels, dormitories, capsule hotels and ryokan. Shinjuku is the most popular district for accommodation in Tokyo because of its convenient location and abundant shopping, entertainment and sightseeing opportunities.
Hotel Century Southern Tower is a pleasant four-star hotel in Shinjuku with an excellent location, just a few steps from the station entrance, 900 meters from Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and 1.3km from Meiji Jingu Shrine. The average price is around 250-320 USD per night.
Osaka
There are fewer hotels in Osaka, but they tend to be more affordable than Tokyo. When in Osaka, the Osaka Station and Shin-Osaka Station areas are highly recommended. These are transportation hubs, convenient for side-trips to nearby cities.
Hotel New Hankyu Osaka is a four-star hotel with a good location, a three-minute walk from Osaka Station, ten minutes walk from the Sky Building and Umeda Station. The average price is 130-180 USD per night.
Conclusion
You may enjoy Tokyo more if:
1. You are interested in pop and high-tech culture.
2. You have a sufficient budget to enjoy the world's best Michelin food.
3. You prefer the latest, trendy shopping.
You may enjoy Osaka more if:
1. You are interested in local atmosphere.
2. You delight in trying a variety of reasonably-priced food and snacks.
3. You prefer a destination with a more friendly and relaxing feel.
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It was a whirlwind across a number of cities, but a very comprehensive experience across the many sides and cultures of China. Most days had sufficient activities, but weren’t overwhelming, which was great.Across cities, we had excellent tour guides, like Kitty (Beijing), Jenny (Xian), William (Guilin/Yangshuo), Kris (Shanghai), and Tony (Yellow Mountains.)
moreFrom the time we landed in Beijing until we left, we were well taken care of. My wife and I had Lily Liu as our guide and she was amazing. From arranging visits to all the different sights, to teaching us the history, it was fantastic.
moreThe tour was excellent. Selinda was very knowledgeable about all the aspects of our tour. Selinda was very interesting and knew so much Chinese history
moreWe made a private tour through South China in January 2024. Altogether Chengdu was the highlight. We had an incredible day at Emeishan. In Chengdu our guidewas Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen.
moreOther highlights are too many to mention but here are a few Ken taking us to the Terracotta Warriors and our food tour in Xian was amazing,
moreOur day volunteering at the Panda Base was truly unforgettable. Helen, our guide, provided us with invaluable insights about Chengdu and the pandas, enriching our tour with her knowledge and expertise. We're grateful to Helen for accompanying us throughout the day and showcasing the highlights of China.
moreWe had a booking with China Highlights through Silvia Ye who guarenteed a perfect organisation. In Chengdu our guide was Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen.
moreWe traveled to China during the Chinese new year and we had Kris as our guide and he is simply knowledgeable,helpful and great.
moreWe visited Guilin for 2 days and stayed in the Guilin Waterfall hotel. Guilin was absolutely beautiful! Our guide, William, was very knowledgeable and kind! He taught us so much about Guilin and the surrounding area! We really enjoyed trying the specialty rice noodles of Guilin. Our highlight was the Li river cruise.
moreAmazing tour and the guide Mr. 贺霄 was very accommodating with our needs and request as we have bought our 2 years old with us. Well explained for all the place we visited. Any additional cost were informed well ahead and didn't felt any pressure if we opt not to go for additional detour. The trip was relaxing/ laid back/no rushing with zero shopping!
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