OSAKA (about 330 miles southwest of Tokyo) is the second largest city in Japan and the 13th largest city in the world, with a population of about 10.5 million people. Situated on a sheltered bay, it is also the commercial, shipping and industrial center of western Japan, the second major gateway to Japan after Tokyo and the transportation and communication hub of the Kansai region, with a convenient connections to Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe, the Inland Sea area, and Shikoku, which are all nearby. Even though Osaka is flat as flat can be its name means “big hill."

It is close to Kyoto, Nara and the heartland of Japan, and it offers fascinating glimpses of Japanese urban life: four-story office buildings under 12-lane expressways; multistory buildings with Ferris wheels and amusement parks on the roof; and subterranean shopping malls that pumped their sewage up and are so large you have occasionally go above ground to see where you are. The entertainment districts are full of bars and sex clubs. And we cann't forget the restaurants. Osaka has a reputation for having the best food in Japan.