Selecting A Base: Osaka or Kyoto?

Above, a typical Dotonbori eatery sign in Osaka. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

You're planning to explore the Kansai region of Japan. Which city, Kyoto or Osaka, to use as a base?

I've visited Osaka and Kyoto twice. The first time was with the 2004 G-TOUR and the second time was on my own two years ago.

As the first time was with a guided tour, my visits to each city were limited. In 2015, we did manage to visit many of the cultural places of Kyoto and, in Osaka, the Dotonbori. G-TOUR stayed in Kyoto and we stayed in Osaka in 2015.

Above, inside the JR Kyoto Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I could not advise anyone which city to use as a base for exploring Kansai, but City-Cost.com has an article that looks at both cities.

They begin with:

An oft asked question in the ether of online Japan travel discussion goes something along the lines of, "Which city should I use as a base, Osaka or Kyoto?".  One supposes the glib retort might be something to the effect, "Well, which city do you want to explore the most?".  Fair enough but often the people answering these types of questions do so wrapped in the pashmina of Japan experience and have lost sight of what it once was to not have a clue about the country.  The question of Kyoto or Osaka as a base for Kansai exploration and travel is a legitimate one, despite the reactionary temptation to just plump for Kyoto.  So let's try to answer it by looking at the practicalities of each city. 

The article will be a big help to those who are considering which city to use as a base.

To read more, go here.