Osaka is perhaps Japan’s most fun, eclectic, and exciting city. It has a wonderful bar scene, is less crowded yet arguably more eccentric than Tokyo, and it has some of the very best museums in Japan. Osaka is often thought of as Tokyo’s more fun and vibrant little brother. Its people are more relaxed, more funny, and more carefree.

The Very Best Osaka Museums

In Osaka you can find all the otaku delights that Tokyo has, as well as all the temples and traditions, the iconic modern towers, and the beautiful parks. But you’ll also find Japan’s best food and bar scenes, as demonstrated by some of the Osaka museums you’re about to discover. So let’s dig into five of the very best Osaka museums.

Cupnoodles Museum 

This is a quirky way to see Japan’s modernization into a period where homecooked meals fell by the wayside and the birth of japan’s convenience culture was born. The museum very much embraces and encourages creativity – it’s a place where ramen pots adorn the ceilings and walls of the ‘ramen tunnel’ and colourful and unusual flavours take you way beyond the super noodles of the West.

One of the highlights of the museum is the interactive exhibit delving into the life and work of Momofuku Ando. Ando developed the instant noodle in 1958 and unknowingly started a worldwide noodle revolution. Before leaving, you can enjoy one of the more famous aspects of the museum which is visiting the ‘My Cupnoodles Factory’ to create your own flavour of noodle with your own plastic cup design and branding. 

As we’ve mentioned, Osaka is the foodie capital of Japan, and the Instant Ramen museum is not only one of the most unique Osaka museums, but also one that demonstrates the quirky and delightfully strange side of modern Japanese culture. And it celebrates just how cherished food and innovation are to the culture of Osaka.

Read More: One Perfect Day in Daimyo, Fukuoka

Osaka Museum of Housing and Living

Wandering Osaka’s side streets, you can find whispers of the Edo Japan that once was, traditional buildings stand tucked next to pachinko parlors and convenience stores. Although very little lingers of the Japan of the past in most major cities, here you can immerse yourself in Edo period Osaka.

You can explore traditional buildings of the Meiji, Showa, and Taisho periods within the model village before heading upstairs to explore the rest of the building.

Upstairs, you’ll find quaint shops, a museum, and several interactive exhibits. You can even combine a trip to the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living with a kimono rental (available on site) to get those special pictures in front of the traditional streetscape background.

If you want to truly see how Japanese architecture, living traditions, and lifestyles have changed, evolved, and been maintained throughout the eras of Japanese history, this most delightfully unique of Osaka museums will certainly entertain and enlighten.

Osaka City Museum of Fine Art 

Combine a visit to Tennoji Park with viewing over 8000 works of Japanese and Chinese art at one of the most famous art galleries in the country. The garden and house the museum is set in were donated by the Sumitomo’s, a famous local family, and it’s worth going simply to these this beautiful piece of architecture.

This vast selection of East Asian art spread is over five floors and features everything from calligraphy to sculptures. It’s a vibrant collection showcasing the best of traditional art in Asia. They also host various special exhibits throughout the year.

Of all the Osaka museums, the Osaka City Museum of Fine Art is perhaps the most precious. It celebrates and puts in pride of place the incredible range and spectacle of Japanese art, celebrating it at one of the most stunning and captivating Osaka museums.

Read More: See the Sights of Osaka by Bicycle

Suntory Yamazaki Distillery 

No trip to Osaka would be complete without a visit to the renowned Suntory Distillery, the oldest whisky distillery in Japan, founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii.

There are two ways to explore the distillery: either at your own pace where you can access the museum, shop and tasting counter or by taking a guided tour. The tour is worth the cost as you’ll see the inner workings of the brewery and some of the older areas of the factory.

The kegs themselves are huge and and a real highlight of the tour. A member of staff will also teach visitors about the heritage of whiskey in Japan and this brewery in particular. While in the distiller, paying a visit to the whiskey library where you can see over 7,000 whiskey bottles is a must. Set at the foot of Mount Tennozan and provides a scenic backdrop for this fascinating visit.

Whisky is an integral part of Japanese society and modern Japanese history. At this most curious of Osaka museums, you’ll see why. As you discover the frantic and eccentric world of the Osaka bar scene for yourself, this Osaka museum is something to also explore during your visit in order to fully appreciate the love and affection that Japan has for its whisky.

Osaka Science Museum

There are a lot of science museums around the world, but what makes this Osaka museum special is that it is dedicated specifically to the themes of ‘space’ and ‘energy’. The building itself is enormous, and it stands out just enough as a space-age looking thing that sets it apart from its neighbours.

A lot of the exhibits in Osaka Science Museum are interactive, with a view to educating, fascinating, and opening the minds of both children and adults (though children are certainly the primary focus here). It’s a great place for families to bring their kids for this very reason.

Osaka Science Museum is separated into four floors and a basement, and these floors boast a planetarium, displays which celebrate and educate visitors about the scientific history of space (both its exploration and discoveries), and so much more.

In fact, there’s enough at the Osaka Science Museum to justify more than one visit, and even though it’s dedicated more to kids, adults will certainly feel like kids when visiting.

Mint Museum

This Western-style brick building, constructed during the Meiji era, was originally a factory before becoming the Japanese Mint and later a museum.

This intriguing space is where you can see the history of Japanese coins and the development of modern coin making techniques in action. Over three floors you’ll see examples of Japanese and Chinese coins through the years, original equipment, and a floor of rare special edition coins like the Star Wars editions.

The museum shop is a fascinating stop where you can buy reproductions of unique coins, perfect if you want a unique souvenir. The Mint Museum becomes a particularly hot attraction in the Spring when it transforms into a prime spot for cherry blossom viewing as the garden bursts into a wash of pink.

Of all the Osaka museums, this is one that brings to life some truly intriguing and entertaining history concerning a topic that you might, at first, not be so excited to dive into. But Osaka has a way of surprising and entertaining us in the most unusual of ways.

Read More: Explore the Hidden World Outside Kyoto

Being a short hop from both Kyoto and Nara makes Osaka one of our favourite cities for being based in Japan. It’s such a convenient hub to explore other parts of the country too. Check out this itinerary for Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara for some great ideas.

Explore the Hidden Side Streets and Eateries of Osaka

Cycling is a major part of life in Osaka, more so than I’ve seen in any other Japanese city, and we were very excited to get stuck into this unique and essential aspect of Osaka culture by taking a city and food tour combined. Getting to know Osaka is a dream you’ll get to know a number of exciting neighbourhoods on this tour.

Tip: If you’re travelling around Japan, don’t forget your JR Pass. Trains are expensive!

A Different Kind of Tour

Tours can sometimes be the bane of the traveller. They’re a dying breed in many ways. With the internet and a hundred different published travel guides, we can plan our own holidays and explore new places without the aid of a tour guide.

However, perhaps knowing that they are a dying breed, Cycle Osaka have chosen to evolve and keep up with the times. They succeeded at this and have produced the single most fun guided tour I have ever experienced while on holiday. We opted for their food tour, but other options include: a half day cycle tour, a full day tour, and a bay tour.

Each one is unique and will take you around different and off-the-beaten-track areas of Osaka.

Why did we choose the Cycle Osaka Tour?

Osaka is a stunning city, not overwhelming in its size like Tokyo, but with endless amounts of sights, shops, and restaurants to explore nonetheless. It’s certainly not possible to see everything in three days, which is how long we had.

And so, before the Cycle Osaka tour, we satisfied our nerd tastes by visiting Nipponbashi Denden Town (Osaka’s answer to Tokyo’s Akihabara), and thoroughly explored downtown Namba. And, of course, we spent time in the vibrant district of Dotonbori, which is also a hub for trying some of Osaka’s must-eat dishes.

But the problem lies in the food. Osaka is famous for its delicacies (most famously takoyaki and kushikatsu), and much of this food originated in the Shinsekai area (a hundred-year-old square kilometre which surrounds Osaka’s iconic Tsutenkaku Tower).

It’s impossible to try all of the food on a budget, and within a short space of time. That is unless a handful of guys have set up a special food tour, on which you cycle around the Shinsekai area and other surrounding parts, sampling all of the great foods available.

These food stops include:

• Street Oden
• Korean market
• Chijimi pancakes
• Flame grilled wagyu
• Kushikatsu
• Fresh sushi

If all of that sounds overwhelming for two or so hours, it isn’t. Ben makes sure that you sample enough that you can really appreciate it, but not so much that your appetite is spoiled.

Worried about riding a bike?

One small apprehension I had when we booked was that neither of us had actually ridden a bicycle in at least four years, and thought we’d struggle on the route. But Osaka is a bike-friendly city, where cycling is encouraged, and the route you take is incredibly smooth, easy, and fun.

In fact, since Japan is known for its costly subway travel, most residents of Osaka and Kyoto opt for getting around by bicycle, a convenience not really afforded to residents of Tokyo.

Is it just food?

Not at all. As you cycle, you’ll make a quick stop at Osaka’s Shittennoji Temple (Japan’s oldest Buddhist temple, famous for never having closed its gates in 1400 years) and you’ll have a chance to chat with the locals who frequent the food places you stop at. I had a chance to practice my Japanese with some hilarious old men while sampling the oden.

We even chatted a little Korean with the long-time Korean residents of Osaka who set up their food market and have ingeniously combined traditional Korean foods (such as kimchi and tteokbokki) with Japanese cooking styles in order to produce some of the most delicious meats and vegetables I’ve ever tasted.

How was the tour guide?

Ben was a fantastic host, throwing out facts about both Osaka and its food history by the armful. The beauty of the tour was that it carries none of the awkwardness and wooden problems that come with typical city tours.

Thanks to how the itinerary is designed, the food places which have been selected, the cycling aspect (rather than a car or bus), and the guide’s charming approach, the whole tour felt far more like a few hours spent with your mate who just wants to show you his city. And that is exactly how a tour should be. I can’t recommend this Cycle Osaka tour highly enough. Visit their website and view their many tours here.

If you liked this review and love cycle tours, then how about doing the same in Taipei?