I live in Japan... Ask me anything..

I live in Osaka. Here's a Koi Fish farm near my old apartment. You can fish for the rejects if you want. 

Japan is on my bucket list of places I want to visit. Your mix of tradition and modern technology astonishes me. The Japanese grit was proven when dealing with the aftermath of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami disaster in 2011. 

What in your opinion is unique to Osaka - as compared to other Japanese cities - making it an interesting travel destination?

Thank you for your question Jarek. I think that there's a bit of confusion. I'm not Japanese. I'm an American living in Japan. I've been here for about a decade. 

Personally, I think that the mix of tradition and modernness has a lot more to do with Japanese stubbornness than preserving tradition. 

As for Osaka,

Generally speaking, income levels and housing costs are a lot lower compared to its eastern counterpart. As a result, the city doesn't get as much cosmetic love as it deserves. A lot of the back alleys and tucked away corners of the city have a real dingy, grimy feeling to them. If you've ever seen a movie about the Yakuza mafia, it's usually set in Osaka... People in general also tend to be a lot more lowbrow here as well. It can be quite a surreal experience to be sitting in a bar with a bunch of locals set against the backdrop of what seems like a Japanese mafia movie. I like to say that Osaka has a nice rustic charm. 

Also, the food in Osaka is top notch. Fried octopus dough balls are delicious.