About Osaka

In 2013, "Washoku: Traditional Japanese Food Culture" was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. This has sparked growing interest in "Japanese food" and "Japanese ingredients." The number one thing foreign tourists look forward to before visiting Japan is "eating Japanese food"*1, and "Japanese cuisine"*2 is also ranked number one among foreigners' favorite foreign cuisines.
Known as "the kitchen of the world," Osaka is a city of "kuidaore" (gluttony), and is overflowing with the appeal of a wide variety of food, from flour-based dishes like takoyaki and okonomiyaki, to seasonal Japanese cuisine served at traditional Japanese restaurants, as well as cuisine from around the world. Osaka is becoming increasingly recognized as a global food capital, and food is also an important tourist resource for Osaka.

Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau will further develop its "gastronomy tourism" initiative, which utilizes the potential of Osaka and the Kansai region, fostered by its ingredients, food culture, and history, and work to promote Osaka as a "city of food" to the world. In collaboration with various gastronomy networks around the world, "Delicious Journeys 2019," held in partnership with Relais & Châteaux, marks the first important step in this endeavor.
*1 "Survey on Consumption Trends of Foreign Visitors to Japan" 2018, Japan Tourism Agency *2 "Overseas Consumer Survey on Japanese Food" 2014, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)