★ Traveling to Kansai
Osaka at a glance
Kansai viewpoints that will make you want to leave the moment you see them
Recommended seasonal spots selected by This Is Osaka
Kansai Guide: Make Your Trip More Fun
Stay, look, soak in, the metaphorical temple garden
A god lives beyond the red torii gate, a story of a Japanese shrine.

★ Three meals a day isn't enough! Delicious Kansai
Kansai's Specialty Cuisine I Recommended Kansai Snacks I Popular Department Store Food Court Snacks I Japanese Sake I Convenience Store Snacks I Tips for Using Japanese Convenience Stores I Franchise Restaurants

★ Kansai Food Exploration Diary
Okonomiyaki I Sushi I Udon & Ramen I Takoyaki I Kushikatsu

★ Kansai Shopping Exploration Diary
Drugstores I Kansai's Marts & Supermarkets I Japan's Large & Low-Price General Stores I Kansai's Complete Collection of Character Goods Shops I Kansai's Department Stores, Shopping Malls, and Outlets I Kansai Airport Recommended Souvenirs I Japanese Shopping Know-How, From Duty-Free to Discount Tips

★ Recommended Kansai Itinerary
Sticking to the basics! Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara: 4 nights, 5 days
2 nights and 3 days in Osaka Bay
Osaka Amazing Pass & e-Pass Bonus Lottery
A soul-sucking entertainment trip: Osaka and Kyoto, 3 nights and 4 days
3-night, 4-day Kyoto Mindfulness
3 nights and 4 days with parents
3 nights and 4 days with children

★ Kansai Travel Guide
Kansai IN & OUT I Kansai Transportation Guide I Kansai Transportation Pass Guide I How to Use ICOCA and Contactless Cards I Currency Exchange & Local Payment Know-How I Kansai Accommodation Features I Luxury vs. Value-for-money Newly Opened Hotels I Things to Note When Reserving Accommodations I Find Accommodations by Area in Osaka I Kansai Basic Information I How to Use the Google Maps App for Local Use I Kansai Festival Calendar

★ Osaka
Going to Osaka from our country
Getting from the airport to downtown Osaka
From Osaka Port to the city center
Going to Osaka from other cities in Kansai
Osaka city transportation
Good to know: Osaka travel tips
Osaka at a glance
Osaka Highlight Stamp Collection
● Namba & Dotonbori
● Shinsaibashi & Amerikamura
SPECIAL Izakaya entrance simulation
Umeda
SPECIAL Cafe Alley, Nakazakicho
● Nakanoshima
Kitahama Retro Trip
A walk in Utsubo Park
● Osaka Castle
SPECIAL Experience Osaka, the City of Water, on a Boat
SPECIAL Retro Exploration Around Osaka Castle, Tsuruhashi and Karahori
Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street
● Tennoji
SPECIAL Shinsekai Kushikatsu Street
SPECIAL tram travel, Hankai Tram
SPECIAL Top 6 Hot Springs in Osaka City
● Bay Area
SPECIAL: Secret Leak! The Complete Universal Studios Guide
Northern Osaka area

★ Osaka suburbs
● Wakayama
SPECIAL Shirahama I Koyasan I Kumano Kodo

★ Kyoto
From Kansai International Airport to Kyoto
Going to Kyoto from other cities in Kansai
Kyoto city transportation
Kyoto at a glance
Kyoto Highlight Stamp Collection
● Kyoto Station
● Around Kyoto Station
● Kiyomizu-dera & Gion
SPECIAL Secret Girl Maiko
SPECIAL Kimono Experience
● Central Kyoto
● Ginkakuji Temple & Heian Shrine
SPECIAL: Nine Historical Figures You'll Encounter Again and Again During Your Travels
● Kinkakuji & Ryoanji
● Arashiyama
SPECIAL Torokko Train & Hozugawa River Boat Ride
SPECIAL Sagano
Northern Kyoto
Southern Kyoto

★ Near Kyoto
● Wooji
● Ohara
● Lake Biwa
SPECIAL Kinosaki Onsen I Amanohashidate

★ Kobe
Going to Kobe from our country
From Kansai International Airport to Kobe City
Going to Kobe from other cities in Kansai
Kobe City Transportation
Kobe at a glance
Breaking the Kobe Highlight Stamp
● Sannomiya & Motomachi
● Bay Area
● Kitano
SPECIAL Suma I Awaji Island

★ Kobe suburbs
● Mt. Rokko & Mt. Maya
Arima Onsen
SPECIAL Japanese Hot Springs: A Closer Look
SPECIAL Himeji Castle

★ Country
Getting from Kansai International Airport to Nara City
Going to Nara from other cities in Kansai
Transportation in the city
● Nara Park & ​​Naramachi
SPECIAL Horyuji

INDEX

■ Mapbook (separate appendix)
MAP 1 Osaka Prefecture
MAP 2 Kita (North)
MAP 3 Kita (South)
MAP 4 Minami (North)
MAP 5 Minami (South)
MAP 6 Tennoji
MAP 7 Osaka Castle
MAP 8 Bay Area
MAP 9 Kyoto Prefecture
MAP 10 Kiyomizu-dera & Gion
MAP 11 Shijo Kawaramachi & Gion
MAP 12 Nijo Castle & Kyoto Gyoen
MAP 13 Ginkakuji Temple & Heian Shrine
MAP 14 Kinkakuji & Ryoanji
MAP 15 Arashiyama & Sagano
MAP 16 Kyoto Station
MAP 17 Kobe Prefecture
MAP 18 Sannomiya & Kitano
MAP 19 Motomachi & Bay Area
MAP 20 countries
MAP 21 Wakayama
Osaka Subway & New Tram/Monorail Route Map
Kyoto Subway & Railway Route Map
Kobe Loop Bus Route Map
Kobe Subway, Railway, and Monorail Route Map
Various Japanese conversations

★ Exceeding expectations once again! Rewriting the standard for Osaka, Korea guidebooks.

There is a reason why “This Is Osaka” has been consistently loved for 10 years since its first publication in 2015.
This is the result of the meticulous planning of Terra Publishing, a company that has been dedicated to travel for many years, the collaboration of a professional travel editorial team and designers, and top-class writers who have dug deep into Osaka.
Local information, quickly captured in line with travel trends, boasts a high level of reliability that cannot be obtained through social media.
This book contains information that will enhance your Osaka travel experience, including the latest hot spots in Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara in 2026 and 2027, a NEW Universal Studios Japan 100% strategy guide, and new accommodations. It also perfectly organizes smart travel methods, including the Kansai public transportation system that has been fully digitized with contactless cards, mobile tickets and passes, and how to use travel cards.

★ The real kick of an Osaka trip! The ultimate local experience.

Up-to-date Osaka information is a given! Readers also rave about "This Is Osaka," which generously includes travel information on Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara.
It contains information on great day trip destinations while staying in Osaka, how to visit gardens and temples, hot spots on local SNS, new restaurants, and transportation information.
The charm of small cities such as Kobe, a port city that has become a hot spot thanks to direct flights by Korean Air; Nara, the city of deer; and Wakayama and Shirahama, the southernmost cities in Kansai, were also given significant attention.
This book is packed with the true charm of Kansai travel, including hot spring town trips, sea trips, tram trips, cable car mountain trips, and trekking. It is the ultimate Kansai guidebook useful for everyone, from solo travelers to couples and families with children and the elderly.

★ Easy-to-understand structure at a glance, the expertise of 'Terra', which has been devoted to travel books for 25 years.

The greatest strength of travel publisher Terra's best-selling "This Is" series is its easy-to-read, clever layout, which arranges attractions along the traveler's route.
If you read along to the clearly introduced attractions in numerical order, your travel itinerary will be naturally completed.
The emotional photos and illustrations on each page, along with the tour course, fully convey the excitement of travel. It also offers a wealth of practical information, including the characteristics of the people of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe, dialects for getting to know the locals, a comparison of Osaka vs. Tokyo food, and Japanese travel etiquette and safety.
It is a life guidebook that you can take out from the bookshelf and read again and again even after returning home, and it makes you reminisce about your trip.

★ Osaka Gourmet's Secret Notes: 270 Super-Special Restaurants in Kansai!

A top-class travel writer who has traveled all over Japan for over 20 years has carefully selected 270 delicious restaurants in Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara, setting the standard for a gourmet Kansai tour.
From centuries-old establishments to the latest gourmet restaurants, trendy indoor and outdoor pubs, recommended snacks from the food halls of Osaka's three major department stores, and even the best matcha desserts in Kansai, the matcha capital, we've gathered them all.
Every page is packed with information on local favorites, including family-friendly restaurants perfect for families with children and seniors, franchise restaurants with no lines, and street food options.
From Osaka, the mecca of udon, sushi, and takoyaki; to Kobe, the land of cakes, bread, and steak; to Kyoto, known for its refined cuisine such as eel rice bowls, shabu-shabu, and sukiyaki, the diverse food culture of Kansai is captured in an interesting way.

★ Get ready for a shopping spree! Here's a list of must-buy Osaka must-buy items.

In this latest revised edition, shopping information has also been upgraded.
We analyze Osaka's latest shopping trends, including newly opened shopping malls, character goods shops, and popular miscellaneous goods chains, and provide detailed information on each region's representative shopping streets, arcades, stylish select shops, vintage shops, and outlet stores.
Check out our guide to conveniently located supermarket locations for travelers, how to shop and pay like a local, supermarket and drugstore recommendations, Kansai-exclusive items, and even a list of airport souvenirs! From how to use shopping mall and department store discount coupons to duty-free and refund procedures, we've compiled all the know-how and essentials for shopping in Kansai.

★ The best travel guide to Japan! Up-to-date transportation information, meticulously planned and researched.

With “This Is Osaka,” you don’t have to search through social media for complicated traffic information.
This book is considered to be one of the most friendly and detailed travel books on Japan.
Traveling through Kansai, the notoriously complex "seasonal kingdom," is made easy with this book! It covers everything from how to get from Kansai Airport and Kobe Airport to the city center, as well as transportation options throughout the Kansai region, with easy-to-understand diagrams and photos.
In preparation for the 2025 Osaka Expo, we've thoroughly analyzed Kansai's state-of-the-art transportation system, which has been fully digitized, and fully covered how to use IC cards and contactless cards, as well as information and instructions on how to use dozens of passes.

★ A must-read for a smart Osaka trip! Complete guide to payment methods and practical information.

It contains detailed, up-to-date practical information on Kansai, which has become increasingly digitalized.
From entry procedures at the newly renovated Kansai Airport and Kobe Airport to currency exchange know-how using various travel cards, mobile pay and contactless card payment methods, ATM usage, Google Maps usage, luggage storage and delivery, and how to make reservations at tourist attractions and restaurants, this book contains all the smart information you need for your Osaka trip.
We also didn't miss out on a comparison of prices in Osaka and Korea, seasonal weather and clothing coordination for each situation, a festival calendar, recommended seasonal spots and regional itineraries, tips for using hot springs and izakayas, information on Kyoto kimono experiences and light-up events, and useful tips for emergency situations.

★ Travel time and transportation all in one place! 7 BEST recommended courses by schedule and theme

The biggest challenge when traveling to Kansai, where there is so much to see, eat, and buy, is planning your itinerary.
The best Kansai courses in this book carefully calculate not only the length of stay at each location but also the travel time, making it a reliable guide even for novice travelers who are unsure of where to start and how to get around.
We introduce a variety of themed, customized routes suggested by Japanese travel experts, including the basic Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe-Nara course consisting of 2 nights and 3 days to 4 nights and 5 days, as well as solo travel, family travel with children, filial piety travel with parents, and a course to win money using the Osaka Amazing Pass and e-Pass.

★ Guidebook master 'Terra's' signature 1+1 map & subway route map

The detailed maps in "This Is Osaka," which accurately capture even the smallest alleys that are difficult to see even on Google Maps, are by far the best among travel guides to Japan.
The book's zone-by-zone concept map, composed of intuitive illustrations, is useful for grasping the locations of tourist attractions, restaurants, and shops at a glance, planning routes, and developing a sense of direction.
The portable, detachable mapbook is easy to carry around and open while on site, and a specially included, highly readable Osaka subway map is also included.
We've updated the maps and route maps, which local readers unanimously recommend as "really convenient," to the latest information.