Umami Town: Feasting, Osaka Style

On this full-day food tour in Osaka – Japan’s “umami town” – we’ll chase down the eats and flavors that make this city such a culinary capital. From street stalls to markets and backstreet restaurants, we’ll join the locals in their daily obsessive quest to find that perfect, flavor-rich bite.

• Culinary Deep Dive into Umami
• Iconic Osakan Street Foods
• Local Insight & Backstreet Exploration
• Visit shops that sell traditional Japanese knives

Tokyo may have the glitz and Kyoto that old-world charm, but Osaka – the port city that’s Japan’s third largest – has something indescribable and, when it comes to food, utterly irresistible. It’s no wonder, then, that in this town the locals are not just obsessed with food but also with umami, that fifth flavor that’s not only hard to describe but also, yes, impossible to resist. A day spent eating in Osaka is, in many ways, a day spent chasing down the beguiling flavors of umami, which is exactly what we’ll be doing on this flavor-packed crawl through the city.

At first glance, Osaka may come off as funky, loud, and fun, a place not surprisingly famed for its lively street food scene. But this undersells the depth of the city’s culinary culture. Take the example of Osaka’s best known street snack, takoyaki. What may look like a simple fried octopus ball drizzled with sauce is actually an umami bomb that’s the result of generations of culinary craftsmanship answering to the high demands of Osakans’ exacting tastes. More than that, takoyaki’s ingredients – toppings like dried bonito flakes, a Worcestershire-based sauce, and Japanese-style mayonnaise – tell the story of a place linked to the sea and to influences from far beyond. As we join the locals in their daily umami chase, we’ll also unravel the strands of this story, learning about the history of the city’s merchants and sampling some of the products – from miso to fish cakes – that are essential to Osaka’s culinary tale. Along the way we’ll also indulge in the city’s famous “street foods,” including takoyaki and a surprisingly sophisticated potato croquette, while in the high energy Osaka markets we’ll sit down for grilled oysters and sashimi made from another umami-rich local favorite, fugu (pufferfish). To complete the picture, we’ll stop into shops selling crafts both old (traditional Japanese knives) and new (plastic food replicas for window displays), and whose work is an integral part of Osakan culinary culture. Looking behind the flashing lights and carnivalesque atmosphere, we’ll find backstreet masters and local Osakans communing over a shared love and understanding of delicious food and what it takes to make it. By the end of our day together, we’ll have a better understanding of not only what makes this town so umami crazed but also why it’s defined by another term that locals have wholeheartedly embraced as distinctly Osakan: Kuiadore, or “eat until you drop.”

• Shitennō-ji, 1-chōme-11-18 Shitennōji, Tennoji Ward, Osaka, 543-0051, Japan
• Sumiyoshi Taisha
• Hozen-ji Temple, 1-chōme-2-16 Namba, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0076, Japan
• Kuromon Market, 2 Chome-21 Nipponbashi, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0073, Japan
• Shinsekai, 2 Chome-5 Ebisuhigashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0002, Japan
• Tempozan Ferris Wheel, 1-chōme-1-10 Kaigandōri, Minato Ward, Osaka, 552-0022, Japan
• Osaka Castle, 1-1 Ōsakajō, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 540-0002, Japan
• Umeda Sky Building, 1-chōme-1-88 Ōyodonaka, Kita Ward, Osaka, 531-6023, Japan
• ABENO HARUKAS, 1-chōme-1-43 Abenosuji, Abeno Ward, Osaka, 545-6016, Japan
• Dotonbori, Dotonbori, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0071, Japan

Liability Waiver

By completing the reservation you acknowledge the following:

If you have food allergies, you are ultimately responsible to ensure your own health and safety. If you share information about your allergies, we can provide you with some guidance about the food purveyors on your tour, but we are not responsible for any allergic reactions that you may have. We are not responsible for any damages or losses incurred as result of acts by entities beyond our control, including but not limited to restaurants, shops, market stalls, eateries and food carts. We are not responsible for acts beyond our control, including but not limited to acts of God, act of nature, acts of war, or other unrest caused by state or non-state actors. If you are disruptive, we have the right to ask you to leave the tour without refunding you or providing you with a credit for your tour. You are aware of and responsible for all damages or losses that may arise during the course of the tour resulting from:

Risks associated with food, water or other drinks, including alcoholic beverages; physical accidents during the tour or at any of the locations visited; transportation failures; forces of nature; criminal activity; damage, loss or misplaced property; or accident or illness without means of rapid evacuation or availability of medical supplies or services. You agree that any claims that may arise will first go to arbitration and only if not resolved in that manner shall be heard in court. In both cases, grievances shall be heard in the jurisdiction of Washington, DC. You further agree to be responsible for your own welfare and property and accept any and all risks of delay, unanticipated events, inconvenience, illness, injury, emotional trauma or death. You further acknowledge that participation in Culinary Backstreets tours is based upon execution of this Liability Waiver. By completing the reservation process you release and discharge forever Culinary Backstreets, its employees, owners, affiliates, officers, directors, successors, agents, and assigns, from and against any liability arising from participating in this tour. You further agree that this release shall be legally binding upon you personally, all members of your family, all minors traveling with you, your heirs, successors, assigns, and legal representatives, to the maximum extent of the law.

I am aware that while on or traveling to or from my activity with Culinary Backstreets, I might be exposed to COVID-19 from other people, animals or objects. I assume all risk of any such contacts, including sickness, incapacity or death and agree to hold harmless Culinary Backstreets from any such developments. In addition, I recognize that the World Health Organization, U.S. Department of State as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may have warnings concerning same and am choosing to travel and assume all risk myself.