Osaka Castle, built in 1583 on the former site of Ishiyama Honganji Temple, was intended by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to be the center of a unified Japan. It was destroyed by Tokugawa troops in 1615, but rebuilt in the 1620s. The main tower burnt down in 1665 and was reconstructed in ferro-concrete in 1931. It miraculously survived air raids during the war and underwent major repairs in 1997. The modern interior includes an elevator for accessibility and houses a museum about the castle's history and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street, running east to Mido-Suji Avenue, is Osaka's best-known shopping area, with a 380-year history. It was bustling even in the Edo Period. The 600-meter-long arcade hosts shops of all kinds: kimono tailors, clothing stores, restaurants, jewelers, and boutiques. It's perfect for a casual stroll, with plenty of window-shopping and food to enjoy.

Fushimi Inari Shrine in southern Kyoto is renowned for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which line trails leading into the sacred Mount Inari's forest. Dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice, it's the most significant of thousands of Inari shrines. Fox statues, believed to be Inari's messengers, dot the grounds. With ancient origins predating Kyoto's establishment in 794, it holds great historical importance.