The city of Osaka anchors the second-largest metropolitan area in Japan, and is undoubtedly the heart and soul of Western Japan, often referred to as the Kansai region.
Osaka is a city that works hard and plays hard--the locals have their own colorful dialect known as "Osaka-ben" and the traditional Osaka-ben greeting, "How is business?" speaks volumes about the entrepreneurial spirit here.
Home to nearly 9 million people, Osaka takes the blending of old and new--common throughout Japan--to new extremes. A center for high-tech research and development, it's been the nation’s nexus of commerce for centuries now.
Kansai International Airport (KIX) is a destination for a number of flights from North America and is one of the main hubs to other Asian destinations. The airport sees flights between 73 cities in more than 30 countries. In January of this year, the airport served an average of 216 international flights per day.
Built on an artificial island, the airport is only a 30-minute train ride to the center of the city--and if you think the Swiss are famous for their clean, on-time trains, the Japanese might just be a few seconds ahead of them on the punctuality clock. There are also inexpensive, easy-to-use airport shuttle buses as well. For first-time visitors, these are a great way to see the metropolis.
Osaka is equipped with first-class meeting and event facilities, including the state-of-the-art Osaka International Convention Center, Osaka Central Public Hall, INTEX Osaka, Asia-Pacific Trade Center, and Kyocera Osaka Dome.
With approximately 40,000 guest rooms throughout the city, Osaka is also home to some of the world's foremost business hotels. Brands that have business-friendly properties here include Westin, Righa Royal, Hilton, Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, Hotel Nikko, and Hyatt Regency.
In addition to all of its meeting- and conference-friendly facilities, Osaka is within a 30-minute train ride to Kyoto, the cultural gem of Japan, and Nara, the country's ancient capital, now dominated by a large park where tame deer run free.
The food, as in all of Japan, is one of the best things about a visit. As the Japanese are famous for being big eaters, and, well, are not exactly moderate drinkers, take a small group of your outgoing attendees to a "tachinomi," which literally means "stand up and drink," and they're sure to strike up a conversation with "salary men" who favor these places for after-work libations.
Another culinary must-do is a visit to an okonomiyaki restaurant. There are thousands of them scattered around town, serving up a savory pancake-like concoction stuffed with seafood or other tasty bits. Think of it like the over-sized Japanese take on dainty French crepes.
Of course, in the self-proclaimed "City of Merchants," the shopping opportunities abound. The Namba area is home to pedestrian-only neon canyons packed with shops, department stores, restaurants, and bars. Den-Den town is the place to send the technology enthusiasts in your group. A huge shopping district dedicated to the latest high-tech devices and the full range of manga—Japanese comics—attendees can buy a slice of the future, today.
To top off everything Osaka has in store, the laid-back locals often go out of their way to ask confused travelers, in English, if they need any help. And, although attendees should exercise the same common sense necessary for any big city, Japan is an extremely safe place and the people are exceedingly honest--women still regularly leave their purse unattended on tables in public places and most lost wallets are returned with cash intact.
If someone in Osaka ever gives a planner the traditional Kansai greeting, she'll probably be able to reply that in Osaka, the business of meetings is pretty good.
