Takoyaki and okonomiyaki
Osaka's two famous dishes are perfect for one. Takoyaki stands sell small portions you eat standing up, and many okonomiyaki places have a counter where the chef cooks right in front of you.
Osaka might be the easiest big city in Japan to enjoy on your own. The food is made for counters, the people chat with strangers, and almost everything is a short train ride away. Here are the best things to do alone in Osaka, from your first takoyaki to a quiet museum afternoon, and how to turn a solo trip into one with a new friend in it.
Osaka's two famous dishes are perfect for one. Takoyaki stands sell small portions you eat standing up, and many okonomiyaki places have a counter where the chef cooks right in front of you.
Fried skewers, ordered one or two at a time, so you can stop whenever you like. The one rule: dip each skewer in the shared sauce once, before you bite. No double dipping.
A covered market near Nippombashi with seafood, fruit and grilled snacks. Go in the morning and graze stall by stall. Prices are tourist-level, so pick a few things rather than everything.
Small standing bars around Kyobashi, Tenma and Namba are made for one person and one drink. Point at what the next person is having and you'll be chatting in no time.
The basement food floors in Umeda and Namba are a solo eater's dream: bento, sweets and snacks to take to a park bench.
Osaka is said to be the home of kitsune udon, noodles with sweet fried tofu. A cheap, quick, very local lunch for one.
The castle is a reconstruction with a museum inside, but the huge park, moats and stone walls are the real treat. Go early in the morning for a quiet walk or a run.
Neon signs, the canal and the famous running-man sign. Busy and loud in the best way, and very easy to wander alone. Take a short canal cruise if you want to sit down.
Retro streets, old-school arcades and Tsutenkaku tower. A little scruffy, very Osaka, and full of cheap kushikatsu.
The Umeda Sky Building's open-air rooftop and Abeno Harukas, one of the tallest buildings in Japan, both have observation decks. Sunset is the best time.
An island between two rivers with the National Museum of Art, Osaka, the Nakanoshima Museum of Art and the Museum of Oriental Ceramics. Perfect for a rainy afternoon alone.
Shitennoji is one of Japan's oldest temples, and Sumiyoshi Taisha is known for its arched red bridge. Both feel calm compared with the crowds in Kyoto.
Narrow lanes of old houses turned into small cafés, vintage shops and galleries, a few minutes' walk from Umeda. Bring a book.
One of the longest covered shopping streets in Japan. Walk it end to end, snacking as you go, with no plan at all.
Vintage clothes, record shops and coffee stands near Shinsaibashi. Great for people-watching from a café window.
Spa World in Shinsekai is a big bath complex, and every neighbourhood has a simple public bath. Bathing alone is completely normal in Japan.
A big green park in Suita with the giant Tower of the Sun. Wide lawns, gardens and room to breathe.
An easy forest walk to a waterfall in the hills north of the city, reached by Hankyu train. Lovely in autumn.
Doing things alone is great. Having one local friend to show you their favourite places is even better. Buy Me a Matcha is the only app made for meeting one new friend at a time over a matcha, in English. It's friends only, never dating, and it's free to download. Pick your area by station, send a matcha to someone nearby, and if they send one back, choose a café and a time together. Women can choose to see only women, and only women see them. It just opened in Osaka, and tourists can sign up too and add the day they leave. More ideas in how to make friends in Osaka.
Around half an hour by JR special rapid from Osaka Station, or by Hankyu or Keihan train. Temples, tea and, of course, matcha: see matcha cafés in Kyoto.
Under an hour by Kintetsu train from Namba. Nara Park's famous deer, Todaiji's giant Buddha and quiet old streets.
Around 20 to 30 minutes by train. A harbour, a pretty Chinatown, hillside western houses and Kobe beef if you want a treat.
The home of Uji matcha, between Kyoto and Nara. Byodo-in temple, riverside tea houses and matcha everything.
Buy Me a Matcha is the only app made for meeting one new friend at a time over a matcha, in English. Just opened in Osaka: free to download, friends only.
Yes. Osaka is safe, easy to get around, friendly, and full of counter-style food that's perfect for one person.
Takoyaki, okonomiyaki at a counter, kushikatsu in Shinsekai, kitsune udon and snacks at Kuromon Market. Standing bars are great for one drink.
Walk Dotonbori, catch the city lights from the Umeda Sky Building or Abeno Harukas, or try a standing bar in Tenma or Kyobashi.
Yes. Kyoto, Nara and Kobe are each well under an hour by train, and Uji is easy to reach too.
Try Buy Me a Matcha, the app made for meeting one new friend at a time over a matcha, in English. It's friends only, free to download, and tourists can sign up with the day they leave.
No. It's friends only. Women can also choose to see only women, and only women see them.