This charming city serves up amazing cuisine, superb shopping and a friendly spirit, with the restored Osaka Castle offering a spectacular lesson in Japanese history and culture. Osaka's nickname – Tenka no Daidokoro (The Nation's Kitchen) – originally referred to its Edo Period status as Japan's rice-trade hub; today it refers to the city’s reputation as a gourmand's paradise. Take in a 360-degree view from Abeno Harukas – Japan’s tallest skyscraper – before visiting the city’s spectacular aquarium and through Dotonbori, Osaka’s glittering heart. The immensely historical city of Kyoto is within reach, beckoning with spectacular architecture that includes thousands of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.