Osaka articles
Osaka local-knowledge articles — history, food and place names, with sources. Prep for "Naniwa Expert Quiz".
- Osaka's Konamon CultureTakoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu, butaman. Meet the "konamon" you can't talk about Osaka food without—and their origins and rules.
- Osaka's FestivalsOsaka's signature festivals: the Tenjin Matsuri, one of Japan's three great festivals, the fierce Kishiwada Danjiri, and Toka Ebisu.
- Osaka's Hard-to-Read Place NamesHanaten, Kireuriwari, Itachibori, Kisaichi. Osaka is dotted with place names you can't read at first sight. Here are their readings.
- The World of Osaka-benThe signature words of Osaka-ben—ōkini, nandeyanen, hokasu, naosu—the dialect of a city of commerce and comedy, with meanings.
- Osaka Castle & the City's HistoryOsaka Castle, built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. From Ishiyama Honganji to the Siege of Osaka and Sanadamaru, we trace the city's turning points.
- Osaka's Comedy & Performing ArtsThe stage culture of Osaka, the city of laughter: Yoshimoto's manzai, Kamigata rakugo, and the puppet theater of Bunraku.
- Osaka's Private Railways & GeographyOsaka's private railways—Kintetsu, Nankai, Keihan, Hankyu, Hanshin and Osaka Metro—plus key geography like Kita, Minami, Umeda and Namba.
- The Nation's Kitchen & the Merchant CityIn the Edo period, goods from across Japan converged on Osaka, "the Nation's Kitchen." We trace its markets, merchant districts, and people.
- What is a "Naniwako"? Osaka's old name Naniwa"Naniwako" means an Osaka native. The old name "Naniwa," its origins, the many kanji, and the Naniwazu poem.