I visited Osaka in May of 2006. Osaka is Japan's 3rd largest city. I stayed at the Hotel Chou near the Dobutsuen-Mae subway stop, a rather dogey part of town, but very inexpensive with quick access to the subway. I strolled the streets of the Dotonbori and Ame-mura parts of town, where the long city walking mall goes on and on forever and is dramatically lit up at night. I also visited the world class aquarium and the Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, a shrine to sailors, the oldest of it's kind in Japan. Osaka was a great taste of what Japanese big city life is like.