Tokyo vs Osaka: which should you visit?

Not opinion — measurement. Month-by-month weather under disclosed thresholds, the currency picture at a dated central-bank rate, verified venue depth, and the live events calendar. Every number on this page carries its source.

Tokyo

Osaka

The verdict, computed

Choose Tokyo for:

Weather: Tokyo leads in May–Aug and Dec–Feb.
Sightseeing depth: 625 catalogued attractions vs 178.
Food scene: 33,965 catalogued food & drink venues vs 11,660.

Choose Osaka for:

Weather: Osaka leads in Mar–Apr and Sep–Nov.

When each city wins

Measured weather favors Tokyo in May–Aug and Dec–Feb and Osaka in Mar–Apr and Sep–Nov.

City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Tokyo	Tokyo in Jan: a shoulder month — 9° highs, 4 rain days.	Tokyo in Feb: a shoulder month — 11° highs, 6 rain days.	Tokyo in Mar: a shoulder month — 15° highs, 12 rain days.	Tokyo in Apr: a shoulder month — 20° highs, 12 rain days.	Tokyo in May: a shoulder month — 23° highs, 15 rain days.	Tokyo in Jun: a shoulder month — 27° highs, 14 rain days.	Tokyo in Jul: a shoulder month — 32° highs, 14 rain days.	Tokyo in Aug: a shoulder month — 33° highs, 13 rain days.	Tokyo in Sep: measurably difficult — 29° highs, 14 rain days.	Tokyo in Oct: a shoulder month — 22° highs, 12 rain days.	Tokyo in Nov: good — 17° highs, 7 rain days.	Tokyo in Dec: a shoulder month — 12° highs, 6 rain days.
Month winner	Jan: Tokyo wins — Both mixed; Tokyo has 4 rain days to Osaka's 5.	Feb: Tokyo wins — Both mixed; Tokyo has 6 rain days to Osaka's 7.	Mar: Osaka wins — Osaka is good to Tokyo's mixed.	Apr: Osaka wins — Both mixed; Osaka has 10 rain days to Tokyo's 12.	May: Tokyo wins — Tokyo is mixed to Osaka's difficult.	Jun: Tokyo wins — Tokyo is mixed to Osaka's difficult.	Jul: Tokyo wins — Tokyo is mixed to Osaka's difficult.	Aug: Tokyo wins — Tokyo is mixed to Osaka's difficult.	Sep: Osaka wins — Osaka is mixed to Tokyo's difficult.	Oct: Osaka wins — Both mixed; Osaka has 10 rain days to Tokyo's 12.	Nov: Osaka wins — Both good with 7 rain days; Osaka's 18° highs sit closer to the 23.5 °C comfort midpoint.	Dec: Tokyo wins — Both mixed with 6 rain days; Tokyo's 12° highs sit closer to the 23.5 °C comfort midpoint.
Osaka	Osaka in Jan: a shoulder month — 9° highs, 5 rain days.	Osaka in Feb: a shoulder month — 10° highs, 7 rain days.	Osaka in Mar: good — 15° highs, 11 rain days.	Osaka in Apr: a shoulder month — 20° highs, 10 rain days.	Osaka in May: measurably difficult — 23° highs, 13 rain days.	Osaka in Jun: measurably difficult — 27° highs, 14 rain days.	Osaka in Jul: measurably difficult — 32° highs, 15 rain days.	Osaka in Aug: measurably difficult — 33° highs, 15 rain days.	Osaka in Sep: a shoulder month — 30° highs, 14 rain days.	Osaka in Oct: a shoulder month — 24° highs, 10 rain days.	Osaka in Nov: good — 18° highs, 7 rain days.	Osaka in Dec: a shoulder month — 12° highs, 6 rain days.

Weather: Open-Meteo multi-year normals; bands per the disclosed best-months thresholds. Winner per month = better band, then fewer rain days, then highs nearer 23.5 °C.

Your money, measured

One currency: the Japanese yen

Tokyo and Osaka share the same currency (the Japanese yen), so exchange-rate moves can't favor one over the other.

The shared currency's year

The Japanese yen has weakened 6.3% against the US dollar over the past year — your money goes further in both cities right now.

Japanese yen

Currency value against the US dollar, indexed to 100 one year ago — above 100 means the currency strengthened (your dollars buy less). Source: European Central Bank reference rates, as of 2026-08-03.

Price levels (country-wide indicator)

Price levels in Japan run about 66% of US levels (World Bank PPP, 2025) — a dollar stretches roughly 1.5× further than at home.

Editorial daily-cost estimates

City	Budget	Mid-range	Luxury
Tokyo	$55	$130	$350
Osaka	$50	$130	$350

Editorial estimates in USD per person per day, quoted from our editor-signed Tokyo budget guide and Osaka budget guide — not a measurement. Model a full trip in the cost comparison tool.

Depth of things to do

Attractions & sights: Attractions & sights: Tokyo 625, Osaka 178 in our verified catalog.
Food & drink venues: Food & drink venues: Tokyo 33,965, Osaka 11,660 in our verified catalog.
Museums: Museums: Tokyo 178, Osaka 50 in our verified catalog.
Parks & gardens: Parks & gardens: Tokyo 258, Osaka 29 in our verified catalog.

Tokyo's catalog is led by Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower.

Osaka's catalog is led by Yanmar Stadium Nagai, Universal Studios Japan, Suita Stadium.

Counts from the TTDI verified venue catalog (every venue carries an external identity source). Catalog density partly reflects source coverage per city.

Things to do in Tokyo → Things to do in Osaka →

What's actually on

Our events feed has no coverage for either city yet.

From the live events feed we sync daily — listings exist only where measured coverage does.

Side by side

Distance apart: 393 km
Time zones: Same clock
City population: 13,960,000 vs 2,753,000
Local language: Japanese vs Japanese
Currency: Both use the Japanese yen

Or visit both

393 km apart, and plenty of trips pair them. One search covers the connection:

See Tokyo ⇄ Osaka trains on Omio →

Answered from the data

Which is better to visit right now, in August?

Tokyo, on measured weather: Tokyo is mixed to Osaka's difficult.

Which is cheaper, Tokyo or Osaka?

World Bank PPP (country-level, not city prices) puts Tokyo's country at ~66% of US price levels and Osaka's at ~66% — an edge to Tokyo before you factor in season and neighborhood.

When should I pick Tokyo over Osaka?

May–Aug and Dec–Feb — measured weather favors Tokyo then.

When should I pick Osaka over Tokyo?

Mar–Apr and Sep–Nov — measured weather favors Osaka then.

Which has more to do?

In our verified catalog, Tokyo lists 625 attractions and 33,965 food & drink venues; Osaka lists 178 and 11,660.