Eat, shop, eat, relax, eat, repeat. We scoured the streets of Japan’s second-largest city to prove why Osaka deserves an express ticket to the very top of your travel bucket list. Bursting with vibrant colour, tradition, friendly locals and some of the very best fare that’ll ever pass your lips, this lively city on Japan’s southern island of Honshu is extraordinary in every way. Well, what are you waiting for? Osaka beckons.
To say that Osakans are fond of their food is an understatement of monumental proportions. Far from a simple means of nourishment, food is a way of life here and the Tourism Media team wasted no time enthusiastically joining in.
Claiming it was purely for research purposes, their culinary exploration of this foodie’s paradise kicked off at Kuromon Market, or “Osaka’s Kitchen” as it’s affectionately known, and truth be known, they probably never left! They tickled their tastebuds with local specialities like akoyaki (a snack of batter balls filled with octopus), okonomiyaki (layers of fried vegetables, meat, seafood, noodles and eggs on a thin flour pancake) and ushikatsu (deep-fried meat skewers) and returned home a few inches wider around the waistline. The excuse? They felt an obligation to do Osaka’s world-class food scene justice. This, we understand completely!
For those of us left behind at home, traditional souvenirs and curious knick-knacks were purchased under the unique roofed arcade of Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street. Next stop? The charming neighbourhood of Shinsekai, where cheap clothing stores, mah-jong clubs and low-cost restaurants jostle for space along the bustling neon-lit streets.
Nick Moore, our chief editor on this video acknowledged the hard work of our photographers, saying they “worked tirelessly to capture all parts of the city, day and night, from the busiest streets to the quietest parks”. But the effort from the entire team from the shoot planners, script writers, music composers, and the entire post-production team is what Nick believes made polishing off the Osaka travel guide so gratifying. He said ,”it just makes my job significantly easier. And this team effort makes it easy to promise high-end videos we can be proud of, and Osaka is one of them.”
Juxtaposed against this buzzing cosmopolitan metropolis is a tranquil oasis so peaceful you’ll think you’ve been transported to another planet: The epic Osaka Castle and its 106 hectares (264 acres) of manicured parklands was the team’s favourite place of respite. And, just 15 minutes away, Kyoto served up many more opportunities to experience traditional Japanese culture, tradition and cuisine at its best.
We are very proud of Jacquie, one of our composers (yep, our background music is all in-house too!). She received a Hollywood Music in Media Awards nomination in the World Music Category for this piece and says, “This is a really prestigious awards ceremony (pretty much one under the Grammys for music) and receiving a nomination was a huge honour.”
Osaka will leave its stamp on your heart long after you’ve left. Arrive with a plan and leave with a treasure trove of very special, lifelong memories.
Learn more about Tourism Media’s photography, writing, music composition and post-production teams via our custom content production services.
