Tokyo vs. Osaka?

Hello everyone!

First of all, I am new to this forum, so it will be a pleasure learning from all of you :)

My question: Which city would be better for a 4-5 night stay? Tokyo or Osaka? I hear wonderful things about both. Which has a better nightlife? Food? Transportation? What have been your personal experiences? Which city is easier to explore on foot?

My girlfriend, her sister and I will be traveling to Japan in January of this coming year. We%26#39;re starting to make plans now, and I am beginning to look into major cities. We%26#39;ll likely be staying in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto %26amp; making day trips to Nara and Hiroshima.

Thanks for your help!

Tokyo vs. Osaka?

IMO - Tokyo would be better for a 4-5 night stay.

No need to stay in both Osaka %26amp; Kyoto. Pick one and do day trips to the other. It%26#39;s only about 30 minutes by train between the two cities. A good resource - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e623.html

Tokyo vs. Osaka?

Hello fellow NYer. I agree, you don%26#39;t think you will find anyone on here who will suggest Osaka over Tokyo. Tokyo has better everything, but they are similar cities - Osaka is Tokyo-lite.

Bottom line: Stay in Tokyo, take a day trip to Osaka.

I live in Tokyo and even though I%26#39;m a Tokyoite, I can say there%26#39;s nothing bad with Osaka. Some people just like to write Osaka right off but I don%26#39;t think that%26#39;s right.

Osaka has better food in my opinion and I know many Japanese people who live in Tokyo that agree on that point.

The Osaka *area* includes fantastic places like Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Himeji etc. All within fast reach. Hiroshima is faster to get to from Osaka then Tokyo.

Both areas are well covered by transportation.

Both arees have more then enough nightlife to keep you busy for 4 or 5 days.

Break the mode and give Osaka area a shot.

The information missing here is the total length of your stay. If the 4-5 nights are the bulk of your stay, then making day trips out of Tokyo will eat your time just riding the train.

Osaka is interesting and full of action in addition to nearby Kobe and Nagoya.

Osaka is a good city but it doesn%26#39;t offer as much itself as Tokyo does. However, Osaka, when combined with the surrounding areas, has lots to offer. You can visit (or stay at) Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Himeji, etc. All these places are relatively close.

Tokyo has more to see. Outside Tokyo, good places to see include Hakone, Fuji Lakes, Nikko, Kamakura, etc.

It really depends on your interests as I wouldn%26#39;t rate one over the other.

By the way, when visiting Japanese cities, it typically involves subway or bus rides plus quite a bit of walking. Be sure to have comfortable shoes.