Airport information Kansai International (KIX) tel 0724/55-2500; Itami tel 06/6856-6781.

Banks and exchange There are plenty of banks around the Umeda, Shinsaibashi and Namba areas of central Osaka. Major department stores also have foreign exchange desks, as does the Central Post Office, beside JR Osaka Station.

Bookshops Kinokuniya, behind the main entrance to Hankyu Umeda Station, is open daily 10am-9pm, except the third Wednesday of the month. Athens, in the Shinsaibashi shopping arcade, has a particularly good selection of art books, while the four-storey branch of Tower Records in America-Mura has a wide range of foreign and domestic music and lifestyle magazines at highly competitive prices.

Car rental Several major car rental firms can be found at both Shin-Osaka and Osaka stations (both open daily 8am-8pm) including Eki Rent-a-car (Shin-Osaka tel 06/6303-0181, Osaka tel 06/6341-3388). Also try Nippon Rent-a-car (Osaka Reservation Center tel 06/6344-0919) and PanaLife (tel 06/6949-1822).

Consulates Australia, 29F, Twin 21 MID Tower, 2-1-61 Shiromi, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6941-9271); Canada, 12F Daisan Shoho Building, 2-2-3 Nishi-Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6212-4910); China, 3-9-2 Utsubohommachi, Nishi-ku (tel 06/6445-9481); France, Crystal Tower 10F, 1-2-27 Shiromi, Chuo-ku (tel 06/4790-1500); Germany, 35F Umeda Sky Building Tower East, 1-1-81 Oyodonaka, Kita-ku (tel 06/6440-5070); India, 10F Semba IS Building, 1-9-26 Kyutaro, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6261-7299); Indonesia, 6F Daiwa Bank Building, 4-4-21 Minami-Semba, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6252-9823); Italy, 31F Twin 21 MID Tower, 2-1-61 Shiromi, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6949-1619); Netherlands, 6F Twin 21 MID Tower, 2-1-61 Shiromi, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6944-7272); New Zealand, 28F Twin 21 MID Tower, 2-1-61 Shiromi, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6942-9016); Philippines, 101/103 Advan Building, 2-3-7 Uchiawajimachi, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6910-7811); Russia, 1-2-2 Nishimidorigaoka, Toyonaka-shi (tel 06/6848-3452); Singapore, 14F Osaka Kokusai Building, 2-3-13 Azuchimachi, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6261-5131); South Korea, 2-3-4 Nishi-Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6213-1401); Thailand, 4F Konoike East Building, 3-6-9 Kita-Kyuhojimachi, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6243-5563); UK, 19F Seiko Osaka Building, 3-5-1 Bakuromachi, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6281-1616); USA, 2-11-5 Nishitemma, Kita-ku (tel 06/6315-5900); Vietnam 10F Estate Bakuro-cho, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6263-1600).

Credit cards American Express tel 0120-02-0120; Mastercard tel 0031-11-3886.

Emergencies The main police station is at 3-1-16 Otemae, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6943-1234; Mon-Fri 9.15am-5.30pm). In an absolute emergency, contact the Foreign Advisory Service on tel 06/773-6533.

Home visits Osaka runs a programme which allows you to meet local people in their homes for a few hours so you can learn a bit more about Japanese life. If you want to participate you need to take your passport to either of the tourist information desks at Osaka or Shin-Osaka stations and allow a couple of days for visiting arrangements to be made.

Hospitals and medical advice Yodogawa Christian Hospital, 2-9-26 Awaji, Higashi-Yodogawa-ku (tel 06/6322-2250), or the more central Sumitomo Hospital, 5-2-2 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku (tel 06/6443-1261). For medical advice and the closest hospital, call the International Medical Information Centre (Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat 9am-5pm; tel 06/6213-2393). Outside these times contact one of the tourist information counters .

Immigration Osaka's immigration bureau is a 3min walk from exit 3 of Temmabashi station on the Keihan line at 2-1-17 Tanimachi, Chuo-ku (tel 06/6941-0771).

Internet access There are four branches of Kinko's around the city, offering various photocopying and desktop publishing services 24hr a day in addition to Internet access (A?200/10min). The Umeda branch (tel 06/6343-3980) is 5min from the Sakurabashi Exit of JR Osaka, opposite the Herbis Plaza. Other branches can be found in Minami-Morimachi (tel 06/4709-7015), Shinsaibashi (tel 06/6245-1887) and on Sakaisuji-Honmachi (tel 06/6264-1922). Also try Bean's B:t CafA© , 6-2-29 Uehonmachi, Tennoji-ku ( www.interfarm.co.jp ; daily 8.30am-9pm), which offers special rates for foreigners. The closest subway station is Tanimachi 9-chome, and it's also close to Uehonmachi on the Kintetsu line.

Lost property The lost and found department for Osaka's buses and subways is at 1-17 Motomachi (tel 06/6633-9151).

Post office The Central Post Office is immediately west of JR Osaka Station.

Shopping Den-Den Town, the electronic goods area of Osaka 5min walk east of Namba, has over 300 discount outlets, those with tax-free signs selling export models. The shops here are closed on Wednesday. Nearby, beside Nipponbashi Station, is the Kuromon-Ichiba, a large food market (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm) that's worth a browse. North of Namba, Amerika-mura and Europe-mura are the main areas to shop for trendy clothes and knick-knacks, while Umeda has several classy department stores and shopping plazas, good for souvenir hunting.

Sports Osaka's fifteen-day sumo tournament is held mid-March at Osaka Furitsu Taiikukan, a 10min walk from exit 5 of Namba Station. Seats for the bouts, which begin at 10am and run through to 6pm, sell out quickly, and you'll need to arrive early to snag one of the standing-room tickets (A?1500), which go on sale each day at 9am. The Kintetsu Buffaloes play at the huge Osaka Dome during the professional baseball season, but the highlights of the city's sporting summer is the All-Japan High School Baseball Championship, held at Koshien Stadium, a 5min walk from Koshien Station on the Hanshin line. For ticket availability, check first with tourist information.

Taxis Osaka Taxi Companies Association (tel 06/6768-1281).

Travel agencies For international tickets, try one of the following English-speaking discount agents: Academy Travel (tel 06/6303-3538); A'cross Travellers Bureau (tel 06/6345-0150); GS Travel (tel 06/6281-1230). Legend Travel (tel 06/6281-8600); No 1 Travel (tel 06/6363-4489); STA (tel 06/6262-7066); Travel Kingdom (tel 06/6309-2199). For domestic journeys, try Academy Travel, or JTB Plaza Higashi-Umeda, at 2-11-5 Sonezaki, Kita-ku (tel 06/6361-7831).