Is Osaka a good place to visit on a first trip to Japan
 

I am planning my first trip to Japan, and will be flying into Osaka (Itami) and flying out of Tokyo. We plan on visiting several areas like Kyoto and Hiroshima. My question is should we spend the first night in Osaka, or is there a close and convenient option that would be a better choice. Like Nara.

Give Osaka at least two nights. It is a fantastic place to make your adjustment to Japan. The shopping is about the best in all of Japan at the Namba walk and Dotombori areas of Namba and you can get used to the subway/train transport systems without the confusion that is Tokyo, well almost,lol. You can do day trips to Hiroshima, Nara, Himeji and the likes easily from Osaka and the hotels are cheaper there too.

Kyoto is probably the most expensive place in Japan so make your time there count. Staying on the mid week days will sometimes get you a rate half of the Thurs-Sunday night money grab nights.

Aloha!

I'd also consider day trips from Osaka to Kyoto if you find it hard to find accommodation in your nominated price range- in which case I would look to stay around the JR Osaka station, so you can make a quick getaway and make the most of your day. From JR station to JR station by local train is about 30 minutes, and some of the private trains and subways go straight into the centre of the city.

I would go straight to Kyoto and stay there. It is only 1 hr 15 min on the limited express train.

Go to Kyoto. Stay in Kyoto.

Osaka is a big, busy, commercial city but as a tourist destination it isn't worth much more than a day trip and if you have a JR pass, Osaka station is about 20-25 minutes from Kyoto (15 minutes on a shinkansen and 5-10 minutes from Shin-Osaka to Osaka station depending on transfer time).

if you like to shop then by all means stay in osaka, try the swissotel in namba, a very CEntrally located hotel beside the Rapit train station, so no fuss on going to the hotel on your own,yen 1,390 one way.........round trip purchase advanced i think is 500 yen. from there you can plan your trips.......to nara or kyoto via sunrise tours, local tour with hotel pick up or you can just go via your own if your on a budget........beside the swissotel is takashimaya dept store, and walking distance to dotonburi , shinshabashi, namba park, everything is there....rooms are also spacious knowing japan .....if you would like to go universal studios or osaka castle that you can do on your own , just get the printed instructions from hotel concierge and follow step by step...........easy

round trip is 500 yen cheaper i meant......