Travel
Hemispheres
2013 October
Three Perfect Days: Osaka
by Robert Michael Poole
Japan
Japan’s third city may not have the gloss of Tokyo or the timelessness of Kyoto, but it’s second to none in terms of its food, energy and an unflagging sense of fun.
A NEON MAN RUNS ALONG A neon blue track on the iconic Glico candy billboard above Dōtonbori Street, one of Osaka’s more garish tourist destinations. But just below this busy thoroughfare, reflections of chochin lanterns ripple in the canal as a parade of boats drift lazily by. These contrasting images say a lot about Japan’s third city.