It’s been more than 2 years since we’ve moved to Osaka and there are still so many things that surprise me about the life here. On the other hand, I’ve already got used to many other things which I had found unusual before. This article is my little “Expat’s guide to life in Osaka”. It will answer all of the questions you may have, give you some advice on what to expect when moving to Osaka and provide some inside info about our life here. I hope you’ll find it useful!
Useful things to know when moving to Japan
In this article, I covered everything you should know before and after moving to Japan.
Read MorePeople of Osaka - Osaka-Jin
Let’s start with Osakans or as they call them in Japan – Osaka-jin, because I think it’s the people who mostly determine the vibe of their city. Osaka has always been a city of merchants. Throughout the history, Tokyo (and Kanto region) was the city of samurais with many schools that has taught martial arts, Kyoto was on the other hand the Royal capital and the spiritual city full of monks, gorgeous temples, magnificent palace and charming parks. These historical presumptions contributed to the fact that people of Kyoto as well as Tokyo are more reserved, polite, but may seem to be a little bit cold.
However, the Osakans are the direct opposite! As merchants, they had to be (and still are) engaging, humorous, laid-back and very easy-going. If you look lost, they’ll come and try to help you even if they don’t speak English. And if they do, they come to you on the street just to say a few words. They have their own dialect here, which can be sometimes difficult to understand for people outside of Osaka. For example, they greet each other with “Mokari makka” which literally means “Are you profiting?” or “Are you making good money?” How funny is that? So far I had only the best encounters with the lovely local people and that is why Osaka is very popular with expats too!
Tokyo, Kyoto...But what is there to do in Osaka?
If you're interested in Osaka-Jins and what you can expect from them, here's a local's guide on Osaka's biggest asset - Its people.
Read More
Osaka - The nation's kitchen
Osaka got its nickname Tenka no daidokoro, meaning the Nation’s kitchen, in the 17th century when the Japanese Emperor moved the royal capital to Kyoto. Even though Kyoto is stunning, its inaccessible location made it almost impossible to become the trading hot spot, but nearby port city Osaka fit the position perfectly. The rulers gave orders to collect all the goods here and then distribute them to the rest of the country. That’s how Osaka got its first dibs on the best foods and ever since then its cuisine just blossomed.
Kuidaore!
The true spirit of Osaka lies in its food culture which is represented by the famous saying: “Kuidaore!” with the literal translation: “Eat until you drop!” It is said that people of Tokyo love to spend their money on fashion and footwear, people of Kyoto on kimonos and formal attire and Osakans on food. For example, street food is not so common in Japan (because they love to keep their streets clean), but Osakans love their street food! Takoyaki, char-grilled octopus, or kushikatsu are just a few dishes to name that you can get in a food stall along the street. If you are heading to Osaka, you’ll probably get easily overwhelmed by the amount of choices you can eat here. For the “must try” dishes head to my article here that I wrote for Osaka.com about local foods, so you get an idea what to expect and what to eat here. A night out in Osaka filled with food and sake is a must-do activity to get to truly know the city!
Legendary Izakayas
Izakayas are a whole different food culture in Japan. They’re the favorite place to have some food and drinks after work and to connect with your colleagues and friends. Izakayas are Japanese pubs. They are tiny, they rarely have any windows and they serve some of the best dishes that warm up your soul. The dishes come in small portions and they are meant to be shared among everyone at the table so each person can try a little bit of everything. In Osaka, izakayas are the best place to engage with the locals and try some of the finest Japanese beer, sake and whiskey.
Slurping
Although I love going out to eat and explore all the little eateries, there’s one thing I can’t get used to and that is slurping noodles! I simply don’t like when people make noises while eating (or making noises in general) and it’s hard for me to enjoy my meal while listening to people enjoying theirs so loudly… Slurping is considered polite in Japan, so I guess I will have to try to live with it.
No tipping
Japanese service and hospitality is always impeccable, but tipping here is not common and it’s actually considered rude. They love to deliver special service to everyone and they don’t understand why people should pay them for it, so even if you have some spare change, keep it and rather donate it in a temple or shrine.
Cost of living - Is Osaka expensive?
Short answer: NO. But it all depends…
Of course it all depends on where you are coming from and what your standards are and where in Osaka do you live. Compared to Tokyo, Osaka is a little less expensive especially when it comes to accommodation prices. Compared to other cities around the world, if you’re coming from a bigger city in the US or Australia, the prices here shouldn’t surprise you. You might actually find it cheap here if you’re coming from a city like NYC or Sydney.
Accommodation prices
This of course is very subjective and again, depends on your standards but prices for accommodation here are not that high. For 2 people, you can expect to pay anywhere between 80k – 120k Yen per month for an apartment that is around 28-35m2 depends on where you live. If you’re a single you can easily pay as least as 50k Yen for a small 1 bedroom apartment (Usually 20-25m2). These prices may seem high if you’re coming from eastern Europe, Philippines or Indonesia. But a New Yorker, Sydneysider or Singaporean would laugh at this.
The only thing that can move up your accommodation prices are ‘Key Money” and Move in fees. I will explain the key money concept in the section below called Finiding a long term accommodation in Osaka.
Food and groceries
Like I mentioned above, Osaka’s food scene is amazing and there’s an absolutely overwhelming amount of eateries all around the city. Just like you can find some Michelin star restaurants and pay some good money for a meal, you can also eat out very cheap as there are izakayas and stalls everywhere. Groceries here are pretty standard in their prices, but you can pay a lot more for fruits and vegetable.
Transportation
Transportation in Japan is something that can get pricey, especially if you’re having a full time job and also want to explore the country. BUT, there’s an upside to this…If you find a job here, it’s more than likely that your employer will cover all of your transportation fees to and from work. How good is that?
Finding a long term accommodation in Osaka
Renting a flat in Osaka, or Japan in general, can be a challenge for foreigners, especially if you don’t speak the language. Here are some tips on what to expect and how we got our apartment. life in osaka
Staying in an AirBnb
As you may have heard, apartments in Japan are small and it is true, especially in the big cities. When we came to Osaka we had an Airbnb apartment booked for the first month. It was on a very good location, right next to the metro station and only 4 stops away from Namba (which is one of the 2 main train stations in Osaka). The apartment building was new, which was awesome but we had only a small futon bed and I can tell you, my back suffered.
You can often find futon beds in accommodations around Japan because they want to bring the authentic Japanese experience to their visitors as this was/is the way people here sleep. Of course not everybody but it’s a pretty common thing in most of the ryokans for example.
That’s why for the second month we were looking for something with “normal” beds, but we still stayed in an Airbnb. We found a nice, considerably big apartment that was a little bit farther from the city and a little bit more expensive but the bed was worth it after sleeping for a month on the floor.
After the first month we were considering that we move every 2 or 3 months and just go from one Airbnb to another, but in the end we decided we’d like to settle. Moreover, we would have to re-register our address all the time and it doesn’t look very good when you are applying for work visa.
Renting an apartment in Osaka
Soon after we started to look for a flat to rent, we realized that it isn’t easy. For expats it’s actually quite difficult to get a proper place, because not everyone wants to rent to “gaijins” (gaijin = stranger). Another issue was, that we couldn’t speak Japanese, which many building owners saw as a big problem. Even if someone decided that they would be willing to rent us a place, the price for the property went suddenly up.
Luckily, thanks to a Facebook group that helps to find accommodation in Osaka, we found a real estate agency which helped us to find a place to live. At first we were not fussy about how old the potential apartment was, but after having some inspections, we realized that Barney in HIMYM was right when he said: “New is always better” and so we told the realtor we don’t care how small, but must be new. Older Japanese apartment buildings may have big rooms and lots of space, but they have tatami floors (bamboo mats instead of timber or tiles), strangely shaped wardrobes and super tiny bathrooms that are usually located in the middle of the kitchen.
Moreover, apartments go unfurnished, so on top of the rent, electricity, gas and Wi-Fi bills, you have to pay rental fees for bed, washing machine, cutlery etc. By the way, it’s normal in older apartments to have a washing machine on the balcony and Wi-Fi and utility expenses here are quite high. There are also shared houses for expats that you can find on different Facebook groups, which are usually on invitation only but you can apply and be approved within few hours.
Key Money explained
Another normal thing in Japan, which is not so normal for me, are the “moving in” payments. Besides the deposit for the flat (which will be returned to you), you have to pay “key money” to the owner. If you think it’s a deposit for keys, you are wrong. It’s a gift to the owner that he/she is so good to rent you their apartment. Key money can be as much as 2 month worth of rent. Doesn’t it seem a bit crazy to you? Because it certainly does to me.
But we got lucky with our agent, who really tried to help us. Many real estate agencies in Japan have their own apartment buildings which they rent short term on booking.com or Airbnb and so does the agency he works for. He is also an expat so he knew the struggle was real and he rented us an apartment in his agency’s “hotel”. It’s tiny, but it’s new, fully equipped, we don’t have to take care of the bills because they are included in the rent and there were no key money!
Even though renting an apartment in Osaka is a challenge, it’s doable and you can find people who will be willing to help you.
Useful websites
However, if you are speaking some Japanese and you are looking for a flat in Kansai area, or you would like to see what’s on offer, I used to check these websites when we were firstly looking for a place. Hopefully they’ll help:
The Best areas / Wards to live in Osaka (Not only for foreigners)
Osaka is really large! It is the third biggest city in Japan and it consists of 24 districts/wards. It can be overwhelming to decide where to start searching for accommodation, but as soon as there’s a train station nearby, you will be fine (moreover, you never know in which area you will find a job). The city of Osaka is divided into two major hubs – Kita and Minami (meaning North and South in Japanese), but there are many smaller wards that are great (and often also cheaper) option if you decide to move to Osaka. Let’s have a closer look to some of them.
Kita is the area around Osaka and Umeda Stations, and it is considered to be the heart of Osaka with plethora of restaurants, shopping malls, hotels and entertainment. It is Osaka’s main business and transportation hub and you cannot go wrong if you find accommodation here, however, the prices can be a little higher than elsewhere.
Minami is the second largest and busiest district surrounding Namba and Shinsaibashi Stations. This area is primarily focused on shopping and nightlife. If you enjoy going out, this might be the right place for you, however, same applies as with Kita, that the prices for accommodation might be higher.
About 2 km south of Minami is Tennoji area with another big train station. Tennoji used be the place of low-cost living, however, this is quickly changing and the area is transforming into a trendy neighborhood with a big park, stylish cafes, ZOO and let’s not forget that the highest skyscraper of Japan is also located here. I really enjoy Tennoji, especially in summer when the park’s lawn transforms into one big picnic.
Osaka Castle is the number 1 tourist spot in Osaka. Even though the castle is usually busy, the surrounding neighborhood is calm with a great park where you can find plenty of opportunities for sport, picnics or relax.
Kyobashi station in Miyakojima ward is not far from the castle. It is a fairly large station with Keihan line that will comfortably take you to Kyoto or northern parts of Osaka, such as Hirakata or Expo 70’ Commemorative Park. The area around O River is lined with Sakuranomiya Park with thousands of cherry trees that bloom in early April.
Fukushima is modern and exciting area that is popular among expats. We currently reside here and I cannot be happier with our choice. There are plenty of Japanese as well as international restaurants, cafes and bars, plus some great museums. The area around Nakanoshima Island is rich with parks and public gardens.
Minato is a large ward that spreads from Bentencho station all the way to the Osaka Bay. Bentencho area is our former neighborhood which is also popular among expats, it’s not very expensive and it is very convenient, because at its station, JR Loop line and metro Chuo line meet. It has also some great supermarkets, as it is mostly residential area.
Osaka Bay area is quite far from the city but you can find here some great attractions such as Universal Studios or Kaiyukan Aquarium. You can find here plenty of restaurants and shops, so if you would find a job nearby, it is a great area to live.
Grocery shopping in Osaka
Finding a good supermarket in a new country is not always easy, especially if you are a foreigner in Japan and you would like to buy some western groceries. Convenience stores are great, but their selection of fresh food is limited by their size so eventually you will have explore your neighborhood to find a supermarket of your needs. There are many brands and independent grocery stores in Osaka, so you don’t have to worry you would miss anything. Here are some of my favorite chains and my go to places:
Life
Life is the most popular supermarket in Osaka and you can find its branches all over Japan. Besides wide range of Japanese produce, fresh fruit and vegetables, you can find here a good selection of western products as well (but it depends on wards and areas where the shops are located). They usually include drug and cosmetics section and some homeware too.
I especially love their ready-made dishes that are always freshly prepared on the spot and their bakery section! You can never go wrong when shopping in Life.
Gyomu Super
Gyomu is probably my favorite supermarket in Osaka, but unfortunately they are not as widely spread as Life. If there’s a one nearby your house, it’s a win for you!
Gyomu means wholesale in Japanese, so this market is targeted mostly on restaurants and other commercial businesses, but anyone can come in and shop here (it is not like Costco where you need a special customer card to be able to enter). It looks like your regular Japanese supermarket, but as you walk down the aisles, you will find many western foods, for example Italian gnocchi, wide range of pasta sauces, Mexican tortilla chips, or even borscht soup in a big glass jar. Their frozen section is large and amazing, you can really find anything here. They also have a good section with seafood and wide variety of canned food, such as chickpeas or beans.
Kaldi Coffee Farm
Don’t get fooled by its name, Kaldi is more than a place to buy coffee. Besides wide selection of coffee beans, this shop, even though small in size, offers wide variety of western savory foods, seasonal sweets such as advent calendars or valentine chocolates, they have selection of teas, cheeses, pasta and more. There are only 7 Kaldi shops around Osaka and they are usually part of a department store or you can find them within a train station. I personally like going to Kaldi because of their teas and chocolates (in most Japanese supermarkets they don’t have other tea than green or black), but it is not a shop where you would make a big shopping. For premium imported goods, you have to pay a premium price, but from time to time it is nice to treat yourself.
Aeon MaxValu
MaxValu doesn’t exactly offer a lot of western food, it is mostly focused on Japanese products, but they have many locations around Osaka and, as their name suggests, you can get here groceries for a good value. They have a good section of frozen food, ready-made dishes, fresh produce and some pasta and sauces too. It will carry you throughout the week with everything you might need.
Seijo Ishii
Seijo Ishii is full of international gourmet specialties and it is least friendly towards your wallet. You most probably won’t make a big weekly shopping here, but if you are craving French Brie, Manuka honey or Greek olives, this is the place to go.
Convenience Stores and Vending Machines
Convenience stores
Convenience stores, called combinis in Japanese, are also present on almost every corner. It’s 800 meters from our house to the train station and I pass by 5 different convenience stores (and maybe 15 vending machines).
Unlike anywhere else in the world, convenience stores in Japan are truly convenient! In Australia I never went to a 7 Eleven because it was expensive and food was disgusting, but here the prices are more than fair and they have wide range of dishes ready to be eaten. They can even heat them up for you and they are delicious! Honestly it hasn’t happened to me yet that I wouldn’t have a good food from a convenience store. The sandwiches and salads are made freshly, usually on spot, and the food often has English translations (unlike in normal grocery shops where everything is only in Japanese so shopping for food often ends with unexpected surprise, like when we thought we were buying milk and ended up with a yogurt).
7 Eleven is also a good place for travelers to withdraw money from their ATM. International cards rarely work in other ATMs of Japanese banks, but you’ll never have a problem in 7 Eleven.
Besides good food for a fair price and basic everyday items, in convenience stores you can also pay for your bills, such as phone, electricity, internet etc. You can bring the bill to the counter and pay right on spot! How convenient, right?
Vending machines
In Japan you don’t have to worry to get unexpectedly hungry or thirsty because a vending machine is never too far away. You can find them not only everywhere around the city, but also single standing at parking lots, in hotel corridors, randomly on the streets near family houses or literally in the middle of nowhere. There’s one vending machine to every 34 inhabitants in Japan and locals take care of them well. It rarely happens that anything would be sold out from their offer and they work perfectly so you don’t have to worry they’ll eat your money and leave you with nothing.
Vending machines are also important in case of natural disasters. They are remotely set to dispense drinks for free in case of earthquake or flood and they have addresses printed on them to help emergency workers find their location quickly.
Getting around Osaka - Public transport and Fees
Transportation in Japan is a story itself. I am still pretty overwhelmed by it and I still can get lost quite easily, even though my orientation around Osaka has notably improved since we first arrived. Google maps help a lot, but at the beginning when I was supposed to get somewhere I allowed extra time in case I miss my train or simply get lost. Compared to Sydney’s train system, Osaka is one big crazy maze!
Public Transport
The most convenient way to get around Osaka is by train or by metro (not the same thing!). There are seven different train lines operating around Osaka. The most useful one for visitors is JR Osaka Loop Line, which as you can guess, goes around Osaka in one big loop in both directions, and it also goes to the Kansai airport. The rest of the trains can take you all around Kansai area.
Besides the trains, there are also eight metro lines plus a new tram line. Because the trains and the metro are not owned by the same company, if you are changing transport from train to metro, or from one train to another, you have to buy a different ticket. Sometimes you even have to get out of the station and find a different entrance especially for that particular line. Even though the stations have the same name, they are different places (yep, confusing, but somehow manageable).
The stations in Osaka are big and busy. Many times I thought I am changing trains on a small unimportant station and so many times I was mistaken! You can literally go a kilometer within a station just to change platforms. Sometimes the stations gradually change into a shopping center without you even noticing. You are walking, looking for a train and in the meantime the platforms change into shops and you realize you are lost (again).
For example, Umeda Station in Osaka is the 4th busiest train station on Earth and from the top 51 busiest stations in the world, the first 23 are located in Japan, followed by Paris Nord on the 24th place.
Now if you are thinking, that you’d rather avoid trains and metro whatsoever and use bus instead, let me tell you that this idea is even worse, because even Japanese people don’t know properly how bus system in Osaka works, plus with the non-stop traffic, you’d rather be underground quickly getting from one place to another.
Machines to buy tickets are everywhere, there are generally few on every station and they also have English translation. Be aware though, that you can only pay cash (which is sometimes really inconvenient). If you are staying in Osaka for longer, you can get an ICOCA card at the station in special ICOCA machine (it’s blue with a little penguin). The deposit for the card is 500 yen and you can top it up easily so you don’t have to buy tickets every time you travel. In some cafés or convenience stores you can even pay with ICOCA if you run out of cash (not everywhere you will be able to pay by credit card, Japan is a country of cash and direct payments).
Fun fact – the other day I found out what ICOCA [i kou ka] means. The literal translation in Japanese is “shall we go?” Isn’t it cute? There are more prepaid cards for transport in Osaka – you can read about different options here. They work within the whole Kansai region, which means you can also use them in Kyoto, Nara, Kobe etc.
Public transport in Osaka is not cheap. The fee for metro or train starts at 160 yen (= 1.60 USD) and the final price depends on the total length of your journey. With changing lines from one train to another the price builds up and you can easily spend 800 yen per day just to get around the city (or even more). In Sydney I was used to that after 8 rides per week, the prices were discounted to 50% off and also if you tapped on back to public transport within one hour, the return fee was for free but here aren’t any discounts similar to this. However, it is a custom in Japan that employers pay for your journey and from work. It doesn’t matter if you take a train, drive a car or need to pay for bicycle parking. They will pay for it with each paycheck.
Taxi
I wouldn’t recommend taking a taxi in Osaka or Japan in general at all. Even though they look old school and cool, they have curtains inside and automatic doors that open for you when you approach, they are very expensive and not convenient. Japan has the most expensive taxis in the world and there isn’t Uber or Grab here so the prices are just what they are. We took a taxi twice when we were desperate and we paid about 20 USD for 2 km long ride, so just imagine how much it would be get from the airport or across the city.
How to get around Osaka
If you want to know more about transportation in Osaka, read this most detailed and well researched article on how to get around there is.
Read MoreOrder your JR Pass with unlimited train rides here =>
English speaking services
Navigating life through Japan without knowing Japanese is not always easy but it is doable. So far we have been living just fine and we are always able to find a common ground with staff members of different instructions we need to visit. People in Osaka, and Japan in general, are caring and respectful and will try to do their best to help you.
If you have a medical emergency, there are some hospitals in Osaka with English-speaking staff. You can find the complete list HERE.
Getting medical help in Osaka
For information on how to get medical help in Osaka, read this detailed article covering all aspects.
Read MoreLife in Osaka during COVID-19 pandemic
We relocated to Osaka in September 2019, not long before the world pandemic has started. This uncertain move turned out to be the best decision, because while other countries have been struggling with high numbers of sick people, lockdowns and businesses shutting down, in Japan life is more or less normal. Japan closed its borders for international visitors almost immediately and they took necessary precautions to avoid the spread of the virus before it even hit Europe.
If we were in Australia or Slovakia, we probably would’ve lost our jobs, but in Osaka we are able to go to work daily, yet feeling safe. Of course the situation is not perfect, but we were never in lockdown, economy is not on its knees, people are wearing masks all the time (even outdoors during hot and humid summer) and all the public spaces are regularly sanitized. We are able to travel locally, go to restaurants and enjoy famous tourist spots without masses of international visitors.
Although the life here may seem like there’s no pandemic, many small business were forced to close down without tourists and it can be especially seen in Kyoto. As per today (13th December 2020), Japan is planning to open its borders again in April 2021 and The Olympics are planned for the summer next year.
Covid-19 statistics and information Osaka
Official website of Osaka City for corona-virus pandemic with useful info and statistics.
Read More
So this is Osaka as I know it – tough, urban, sprawling, iconic, always hungry, laid-back and if you are planning to visit Japan, it’s utterly unmissable. Within all Japan, here you can meet the most expats, meet the friendliest people and eat the best food. It was the food and the close proximity to Kyoto and Nara that made us choose Osaka over Tokyo or any other place in Japan, and I’ve had zero regrets so far! I am truly enjoying our life in here.
If you are interested in how we moved to Japan, what was the reason and what my job is, head to my previous article HERE, which answers all these questions.
Of course there’s more to life in Japan than what I just mentioned and slowly but surely I will be bringing you more insight information from our life in Osaka. What about you? Have you been to Japan and have you visited Osaka? What were your impressions of this place?
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This design is spectacular! You definitely know how to keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Excellent job. I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!
Hello,
Just wanted to say thank you for your very informative piece. I am moving to Nishinomiya next month and this was very helpful. Having never been to Japan, this gave me a much better sense of where I am going to live for a year. Can’t wait to have my own experiences. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for your comment! I am very glad that you find my article useful! Good luck on your adventures in Japan 🙂