Osaka is the capital of Osaka Prefecture and the biggest component of the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area,
the second- largest metropolitan area in Japan and among the greatest in the world with over 19 million
inhabitants. Situated at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, Osaka is the second-largest city in Japan
by daytime population after Tokyo's 23 wards and the third-largest city by nighttime population after Tokyo
and Yokohama, serving as a major economic hub for the country.


A North view from the 52nd floor guest room of Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel


Osaka is located in the humid subtropical climate zone, with four distinct seasons. Its winters
are generally gentle, with January being the coldest month. The city rarely sees snowfall
during the winter. Spring in Osaka starts off mild, but ends up being hot and humid. It also tends
to be Osaka's rainy season, occurring between early June to late July. Summers are very hot
and humid. Fall in Osaka sees a cooling trend, with the early part of the season resembling
summer while the latter part of fall is like winter. Osaka experiences a second rainy period
in September and October, when tropical weather systems, including typhoons, coming from
the south or southwest.


Shitennouji Temple


(L) Torii of Shitennouji (R) The temple and Abeno Harukus ( The tallest building in Japan, 300M high )

(L) Great West Gate (M) Courtyard (R) Pagoda under a repair


Dotonbori is a large-scale downtown along the south bank of the Dotonbori-gawa Canal. Osaka is known as
the gastronomists' town, and thus the entire area of Dotonbori is thronged with an unbelievable number
of restaurants and amusement facilities, and is dearly loved by the visitors to Osaka.

Dotonbori is often selected as a scene in the Japanese and foreign movies as the symbol of Osaka.
There are promenades on both sides of the Dotonbori-gawa Canal to offer better environment for
a downtown, which are always attracting visitors and residents. In both sides of the Dotonbori-gawa
Canal, there are lined up with advertisements and neon signs. The entire sides of buildings are decorated with
neon lamps. The illuminated signboards and neon lamps reflect on the Dotonbori-gawa Canal at night,
making Dotonbori very exciting place.


(L) A boat crise on the Dotonbori-gawa Canal (R) Both sides of the Canal are lined with advertisements and neon signs.

(L) A well-nown ' Kani-doraku' shop with the crab's model extends the limbs. (R) Dotonbori-gawa Canal

　Dotonbori 　Dirty downtown full of Asian people


Abeno-Harukas

Abenobashi Terminal Building is a multi-purpose commercial facility in Abeno-ku, Osaka. It consists of the New Annex
(main tenants: Osaka Abenobashi Station, Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Main Store Wing Building), Eastern Annex
(Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel), and a 300m tall skyscraper Abeno Harukas. The reconstruction began in January 2010,
and opened in 2014. The building is 300 meters tall and has 62 floors, making it the tallest building in Japan.


The 300-meter high tallest building throughout Japan

(L) Ticket gate to the Harukas-300 observatory (M) A waiting space for the elevator (R) An elevator at the 60th floor point

(L) A cafe at the 58th floor (R) A roof garden on the 58th floor

A sunset over the Osaka Bay that is viewed from the 60th-floor observatory.

Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel


Railway Stations around Osaka


(L)Tennouji Terminal of JR Hanwa Line
An Airport-express train to kansai-International Airport departs from Platform 3 or 4.
(M) Platform of Kintestu Tsuruhashii station connects with a stairway to change JR lines.
(R) The railway track is entering to Namba-line underground Osaka-Kamihonmachi station.

(L) Kintestu Osaka Uehonmachi building (R) Uenohonmachi Osaka-line ground terminal station

(L) Osaka-uenohonmachi underground station. Express trains to Nagoya and Kashikojima depart from this plateform.
(R) Kintestu Osaka-Uehonmachiground terminal station

Kintetsu-express trains have a smoking booth in the vehicles.


Shrine and temples in Nara
Kasuga-taisha 春日大社　 Todaij, Nigatsudo 東大寺 Horyuji, Toshodaij 法隆寺　 Nara Park　奈良公園

Osaka
Osaka, Shitennouji, Dotonbori, Railways in Osaka 大阪　 Tennoji Zoo 天王寺動物園

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Smoke-free hotels in Japan
Smoke-free hotels in Tokyo
Smoke-free hotels in Kyoto and Nara
Domestic travel in Japan
Stress-free travel in Tokyo Metropolitan and Kyoto area
Travel sketch in Japan and the world in respect to smoking regulations


大阪 大阪市、四天王寺、道頓堀、大阪圏内鉄道
執筆　医学博士 宮本順伯
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This information was provided by the Smokefree Hotel and Travel.
The article was writtenand photography was taken in April 2018, by Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D., PhD.
Copyright (C) 2018 Junhaku Miyamoto, PhD. All right is reserved.