Osaka

Every destination on this list is reachable in under 90 minutes from central Osaka, so you can spend your time actually exploring rather than sitting on a train. Whether you want Kyoto’s thousand-year-old temples, Nara’s adorable deer, Kobe beef from the source, delicious matcha in Uji, the sacred mountain where Reiki was born, or a full day at Universal Studios Japan, these are the 10 best day trips from Osaka that are worth every minute of the journey.

After thirteen years living in Japan, my answer to every first-timer’s biggest question is always the same: stay in Osaka, visit Tokyo. Osaka is cheaper, easier to navigate, and has easy access to Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe all within thirty minutes by train. Tokyo is unmissable, but three to four days there is plenty. Base yourself in Osaka first, and you will experience Japan in a way that feels exciting, welcoming, and completely manageable.