2020-04-01_Business_Traveller_UserUpload.Net

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DESTINATIONS

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gothroughsubstantialchanges,including

thecurrentcreationofaneight-hectaregreen

space.Anothermajorprojectnearbyis the

reconstructionofHanshinDepartment

StoreandShin-HankyuBuilding,setfor

completionin2022.Itwillbea 38-storey

multi-usecomplexwithzonesfordepartment

stores,officesandconferencefacilities.

HOTELOPENINGS

Intermsofplacestostay,theAsahiShimbun

newspaperreportsthatfromtheendof 2018

throughto2021,Osakawillseea 32per

centincreaseinhotelrooms,inlinewiththe

Japanesegovernment’saimtoattract 60 million

foreignvisitorstothecountryannuallyby2030.

Onenewproperty,whichopenedlatelastyear,is

a 193-roomCourtyardbyMarriottinHonmachi.

Anotheris thefour-star,150-roomRoyalClassicin

theheartofNamba,whichincorporatesanoldkabuki

theatreinitsfaçade.Thismonthseestheopeningof

E-Zone,a sportsvideogame-themedhotel,with 94 beds

and 70 high-specgamingmachinesspreadacrossnine

floors– perhapsnottheobviouschoicefora businesstrip,

butcertainlydifferent.

AspokespersonfortheOsakaConventionandVisitor

BureausaysOsakawillbegettinganextradoseofluxury

fromthesamecompanythatrunsthefive-starPalace

Osakais a

foodie’sparadise.

There’sgreat

streetfood,but

alsofinedining

FROMLEFT:Naniwa

KappoKigawi’s

exteriorand

chefsat work;

Kuromonmarket

Chris King, who runs Food Tours Japan, says: “If you

want a really local experience and feel like exploring,

go to the Ura-Namba neighbourhood [near Namba].

It has the most atmospheric streets brimming with

tachinomiya [standing bars] – a real local vibe.”

With a couple of hours to kill, King also suggests

a trip to the Kuromon market (9am-6pm daily). A

five-minute walk from Namba, there are roughly 200

fishmongers, grocers and small restaurants where you

can grab a casual bite to eat – such as a bowl of rice

topped with fresh raw tuna, salmon and other seafood

(�1,500/£11.50), or with grilled wagyu beef (�2,000 /£15).

businesstraveller.com APRIL 2020