Osaka Station (???, Osaka-eki) is a major railway station in the Umeda district of Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West).
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Osaka Metro has three stations: Midosuji Line Umeda Station, Tanimachi Line Higashi-Umeda Station, and Yotsubashi Line Nishi-Umeda Station, and each location is slightly different. Midosuji Line Umeda Station is the closest to JR Osaka Station and probably the most convenient station.
Namba Station is made up of six different stations: the Nankai line's Namba Station, the Kintetsu-Hanshin line's Osaka-Namba Station, the Osaka Metro Midosuji line, Sennichimae Line, and Yotsubashi line's Namba Stations, and the JR line's Namba Station.
Umeda is a more modern area and has better links to cities outside of Osaka, such as Kyoto, Kobe, Wakayama, and Kanazawa. Namba, on the other hand, is a long-established area in Osaka with more history, and it also has the advantage of colorful nightlife, and access to both traditional and modern entertainment.
Kita tops the list as the best place to stay in Osaka. It ticks all the boxes. Kita is Osaka's most important transport hub and four train lines converge here (the JR Line and three private lines: Hankyu, Keihan and Hanshin).
You can use Icoca/Pasmo/Suica for all trains, subways and buses in Osaka. You can also use Icoca/Pasmo/Suica at many shops, especially convenience stores. You can use Icoca/Pasmo/Suica in other parts of Japan as well. Buy Icoca cards from vending machines at JR stations in Osaka.
The JAPAN RAIL PASS is not valid for any seats, reserved or non-reserved, on “NOZOMI” and “MIZUHO” trains on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen lines. (The pass holders must take “HIKARI,” “SAKURA,” “KODAMA,” or “TSUBAME” trains.)
The Hikari and Kodama trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen lines are covered by the Japan Rail Pass, and they can take you from Tokyo to Osaka in about 3 to 4 hours. In Tokyo, you can catch the Shinkansen either at Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station, and then arrive to Shin-Osaka Station in Osaka.
The JR Pass does not allow you to ride on subways or trams within cities. However, most big cities have a few JR lines that you can use to go around, like the Osaka Loop or Kanjo line and the Tokyo Yamanote line, for example.
With a large number of commuters, it can be extremely busy on train lines during weekdays. It gets so busy during 7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. in particular; if you are not careful, you may find yourself swept away in the sea of people (literally)! The morning rush hour generally lasts until about 9:00 a.m.
The Shinkansen service which runs from Shin-Osaka Station to Kyoto Station is the fastest way and it's covered by the JR Pass. The bullet train time is only 15 minutes. If you don't have a JR Pass, the Shinkansen price for this journey is 1,420 yen.
At JR Nara Station trains bound for Namba and Osaka depart from platforms 1, 2, and 3. Trains bound for Kizu Station and Kamo Station on the northern part of the Yamatoji Line depart from platforms 3, 4, and 5. Both the Yamatoji Line and the Yamatoji Rapid Service are fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
The city of Osaka boasts two major train stations that newcomers often mix up. If you are planning to travel by train from Osaka, you will need either Osaka Station or Shin-Osaka Station to start your journey.
Osaka is huge but it's very easy to get around using the city's excellent public transport system. Five of the city's main hubs are conveniently located on the Midosuji subway line, that runs north/south right through the heart of the city.