Neon jungle

The pedestrian area that lines the Dotonbori canal is the heart of Osakan culture; it’s where fans gather after the local baseball team wins and many a big night gets started. Enjoy the show as neon arrays compete for attention with animatronic signs of g

2. Pinball parlour

A visit to The Silver Ball Planet (big-step.co.jp/pinball) is a step back in time. It boasts the largest collection of working pinball machines outside the United States. There’s everything from original 1970s models featuring Captain Fantastic and Evel Knievel to Star Wars and AC/DC.

3. Lucky lion

Among the flashing lights and ramen joints of the Namba entertainment district you’ll find a Shinto shrine (2-9-19 Motomachi, Naniwa-ku) built inside a slightly gaudy giant lion’s head. Locals believe the lion swallows evil spirits and attracts good luck, making Namba Yasaka Shrine popular around exam time.

4. Highway to the future

The city’s urban landscape inspires sci-fi movies but one of the most bizarre sights is real. A highway runs through three floors of the Gate Tower Building (5-4-21 Fukushima, Fukushima-ku) – a compromise between the government that wanted to build the road and the landowners who refused to sell up. Snap great photos from below.

5. Grand entrance

The imposing red-brick Osaka City Central Public Hall (osakachuokokaido.jp), inspired by New York’s Carnegie Hall, was built in the Taisho period by a wealthy stockbroker. You can tour the grand rooms and other spaces then try the elegant basement restaurant, a design collaboration with Brit Tom Dixon.

6. Subterranean art

The National Museum of Art (nmao.go.jp) is underground, with a dramatic steel-andglass entrance wing, designed by César Pelli, rising from the earth. Inside, you’ll find collections of contemporary Japanese and Western art and a restaurant that serves themed food based on the current exhibition.