Visiting Osaka The beautiful city of Osaka is located on the south shore of Honshu. And though it is one of Japan's largest cities, it is a hidden gem of Japan. Osaka is very modern, even futuristic but there are still natural sites to visit as well as traditional cultural sites. There are two main city centres in Osaka - the south community called Minami, and the north district called Kita. These two areas offer different kinds of attractions. Minami Kita Here are some of the highlights that you will want to see during your visit to Osaka. Osaka Castle This castle was completed in the 16th century by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and was the largest castle in Japan at the time. The main castle contains a great museum where you can learn about the castle and about the local history of Osaka. Osaka Castle is both a cultural and a natural site because the grounds of Osaka castles also contain a beautiful and natural park land where you can see many of the indigenous tr...