Osaka

Absolutely: if you love eating, energy and warm-hearted people, Osaka might well be your favourite city in Japan. It's the country's kitchen: takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu and street food unmatched anywhere else. The neon of Dōtonbori, the castle, the retro neighbourhood Shinsekai and nightlife that's looser and more convivial than elsewhere make it a perfect counterweight to reserved Kyoto. Two to three days is plenty, and it's so central to the Kansai region that it's an ideal base for day trips to Kyoto, Nara and Kobe.

Tokyo is bigger, slicker and more formal; Osaka is more compact, cheaper, louder and more exuberant. Osakans are renowned as Japan's warmest, most talkative and funniest people; it's no coincidence that this is the city of comedy (manzai). Where Tokyo impresses you, Osaka embraces you from the start. Food matters even more here (kuidaore: 'eat until you collapse'), and everything's closer together. Many travellers do both: Tokyo for scale and modernity, Osaka for atmosphere and food.

Two favourites. Namba/Shinsaibashi (the south side, 'Minami') puts you right in the middle of eating and nightlife, within walking distance of Dōtonbori and Kuromon Market: ideal if you're here mainly to taste and wander. Umeda/Kita (the north side) is the business and upscale part of town around Osaka Station, with big hotels, department stores and the best train connections, including to the airport and day trips. Want buzz? Choose Minami; want convenience and calm? Choose Kita. Both are just a few metro stops apart.

By Japanese standards, yes: Osaka is the most affordable of the big cities. You eat brilliantly for a couple of euros on the street and at markets, takoyaki and a bowl of ramen are a pittance, and accommodation is noticeably cheaper than in Tokyo or Kyoto. Budget roughly €70-150 per person per day, including a nice stay and plenty of eating. With an ICOCA card or the Osaka Amazing Pass (free attractions plus unlimited metro) you keep costs even lower. The real risk to your wallet is simple: keep eating.

In the centre, at tourist spots, on stations and in many restaurants you get by fine with English: menus often have photos or an English version, and machines switch language. Outside these areas it's more limited, but Osakans are unusually helpful and always manage something with gestures, hands and a smile. A translation app on your phone is worth its weight in gold for menus. As a bonus, learn one word: 'ōkini', thank you in the Osaka dialect. You'll make friends here with that.

Spring (late March, April) and autumn (November) are ideal: pleasant weather and, in spring, cherry blossom in the castle park. May and October are a beautiful, mild alternative. Avoid July and August if you can't handle heat: it's humid and above 33°C, with a wet rainy season in June. That said, late July brings the spectacular Tenjin Matsuri, one of Japan's biggest festivals, with boats and fireworks on the river. Winter is mild and quietest and cheapest.

Most international flights land at Kansai (KIX); the Haruka express train or Nankai train gets you to the city in about 60 minutes. The smaller Itami (ITM) handles domestic flights and is about 30 minutes away by monorail or bus. In the city itself you travel by metro and on foot: buy an ICOCA card straight away (or load it to your phone) and tap in and out. Osaka is compact, so you can simply walk between many neighbourhoods, including Dōtonbori, Namba and Shinsekai. From Tokyo the shinkansen is unbeatable: about 2.5 hours centre to centre.