3 Best Sights in The Kansai Region, Japan

This eye-catching red, gray, and blue building is Japan's best aquarium outside of Okinawa and one of the world's largest. More than 11,000 tons of water hold a multitude of sea creatures, including whale sharks, king penguins, giant spider crabs, jellyfish, and sea otters. You can stroll through 15 different environments, including the rivers and streams of Japanese and Ecuadoran forests, the icy waters around Antarctica, the dark depths of the Sea of Japan, and the volcanically active Pacific Ring of Fire. The surrounding Tempozan Harbor Village also contains a contemporary culture museum, a giant ferris wheel, cruises around Osaka Bay on a reproduction of the Santa María, and various shops and restaurants. There are often street performances outside on weekends. To get here, take the Chuo subway line to Osaka-ko Station; the aquarium is a five-minute walk northwest from the station.

Informative as it is enjoyable, the Osaka Museum of History immerses you in the city's history from pre-feudal times to the early 20th century. Full of life-size displays and hands-on activities, the museum does an excellent job of offering attractions for both children and adults. There are two paths through the exhibits, a Highlight Course (to get a hint of Osaka's past in less than an hour) and the Complete Course (for a fuller experience). The museum makes an excellent stop on the way to Osaka Castle.

The 140-acre Universal Studios Japan combines the most popular rides and shows from Universal's Hollywood and Florida movie-studio theme parks with special attractions designed specifically for Japan. Popular attractions include those based on Harry Potter, Spider-Man, and the most recently opened Super Nintendo World. The Japan-only Snoopy attraction appeals to the local infatuation with all things cute, as do the daily Hello Kitty parades. Restaurants and food outlets abound throughout the park, and the road from JR Universal City Station is lined with the likes of Hard Rock Cafe and Bubba Gump Shrimp, local fast-food chain MOS Burger, and Ganko Sushi. Due to high demand on weekends and during holiday periods, tickets should be bought online in advance. Express passes (to skip the lines for some attractions) can be purchased for an additional fee.