Osaka

Osaka is the food city: Dotonbori and the alleys off it, kushikatsu and okonomiyaki, and a directness people notice after Tokyo. The castle and the aquarium fill an afternoon each. It works well as a base, with Kyoto around half an hour away by train and Nara and Kobe about the same, and it is the closest major city to Kansai airport. Cherry blossom in early April and autumn colour in November are the peaks and book up far ahead.