Osaka has a reputation among Japanese travelers as the country's eating city, and the evidence is in the streets after dark. Dotonbori is the famous canal, but the interesting walking is in the lanes either side of it.
Where to walk
Start at Namba, walk north through Shinsaibashi, cross the canal, then go west into Hozenji Yokocho, which is two narrow stone lanes that survived the war. Later, take a train to Shinsekai for a completely different, older atmosphere.
Practical points
- Standing bars, tachinomi, are cheap and welcoming and often cash only
- Kushikatsu rule: one dip in the shared sauce, never two
- Last trains are around midnight, plan the walk home
Osaka is 15 minutes from Kyoto by rapid train, which makes an evening here easy even if you sleep elsewhere.
