Ladle Water Over the Moss-Covered Fudo Statue at HozenjiIn the tiny Hozenji temple alley off Dotonbori, find the Mizukake Fudo statue so drowned in green moss it looks furry, then ladle water over it like everyone before you. Your wish, his bath.CultureEasy20 min
Rub Billiken's Feet at the Top of Tsutenkaku TowerRide up Tsutenkaku Tower in Shinsekai and rub the grinning feet of Billiken, the pointy-headed mascot who became Osaka's god of things-as-they-ought-to-be. His arms are too short to scratch himself, so it is your job.WeirdEasy40 min
Feed a Coin Into the Mystery 10-Yen Vending Machine in FukushimaNear Osaka's wholesale market at 3-1-16 Tamagawa, Fukushima, feed a coin into the legendary 10-yen mystery vending machine whose windows are taped over. You get a drink. Which drink? That is the adventure.WeirdMedium30 min
Photograph the Building a Highway Drives ThroughStand under the Gate Tower Building in Fukushima and watch the Hanshin Expressway plough clean through floors five, six and seven. The elevator skips them entirely. Get the shot of a road eating an office.Photo HuntEasy25 min
Hunt the Perfect Plastic ParfaitProwl Sennichimae Doguyasuji, the kitchenware arcade near Namba, for sampuru: the eerily realistic plastic food. Find a fake melting parfait or mid-slurp ramen keychain you would genuinely try to eat.Hidden GemEasy30 min
Obey the One Sacred Skewer LawAt Kushikatsu Daruma in Shinsekai's Jan-Jan Yokocho, order deep-fried skewers and dip them in the communal sauce exactly ONCE. Double-dip and the angry mascot's spirit judges you. Use cabbage as your spoon.Food & DrinkEasy45 min
Eat at Omurice's BirthplaceHokkyokusei in Shinsaibashi invented the ketchup-blanketed omelette-rice dish back in the 1920s for a customer with a delicate stomach. Order the original and taste a century-old act of culinary kindness.Food & DrinkEasy40 min
Snap the Fairytale Garbage PlantOut on Maishima island stands the Maishima Incineration Plant: a working trash-burning facility painted in Hundertwasser's wild spirals and gold-tipped towers. Photograph the prettiest place rubbish has ever been destroyed.Photo HuntMedium50 min
Dig Through Vintage Games at Super Potato in NipponbashiClimb the cramped shelves of Super Potato Retro-kan on Ota Road in Nipponbashi and dig out the oldest, weirdest game machine you can find, from a Famicom to a wheezing MSX. Geek heaven, no spending required.Local DetailEasy35 min
Conquer the Vertical Rainbow BridgeAt Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine, scale the Taiko-bashi drum bridge, a wooden arch so steep at 48 degrees it is basically a ladder. Cross it for spiritual purification and slightly trembling knees.ActiveBold1 hr
Lap the castle moat with the dawn regularsJoin Osaka's morning runners on the 4km outer loop of Osaka Castle Park, circling the stone moat before the tour buses wake up. Nod at the same regulars twice and you are basically a local now.ActiveMedium45 min
Jog Along Nakanoshima Park Between Two RiversTrace the 3km out-and-back along Nakanoshima Park, the slim strip of green wedged between the Dojima and Tosabori rivers. Time it for 6:30am when the rose garden is quiet and the retro library glows in the early light.ActiveEasy35 min
Design Your Own Cup Noodle at the Cup Noodles MuseumAt the Cup Noodles Museum in Ikeda, design your own cup, pick a soup and four toppings, and seal a one-of-a-kind instant ramen for about 500 yen. It is the actual birthplace of instant noodles, so you are creating art in a noodle cathedral.FamilyEasy1 hr
Burn off the kids on the Tennoji lawnsLet everyone loose on the wide open green and playground at Tennoji Park, a leafy oasis with a pond and a tiny century-old Japanese garden tucked beside the zoo. Pack convenience-store snacks and claim a patch of lawn.FamilyEasy50 min
Climb the Rainbow Maze at Kids Plaza OsakaKids Plaza Osaka near Ogimachi is a hands-on children's museum built around a towering, brightly tangled climbing structure and learn-by-doing exhibits. Keep your ticket stub and you can re-enter the same day after a snack break.FamilyEasy1 hr 15 min