Advice on Things to do in Osaka ?

Hey guys, i'm leaving for japan in a little over a week and I'd like some advice!
I've already been to japan once and I've been to many temples and castles and many tourist-y things. This time I'm going to many new places such as Osaka, Nikko and Yokohama!!
If you know any cool things to do in those places (especially osaka since i'll be spending a lot of time there) please let me know! I'm looking for the kind of stuff you generally wouldn't find in travel guides :)
Also let me know about cool stuff to do around Okayama since i'll spend some time near there as well
Thanks in advance for the help :)

If only there was a travel section on this site...

Next time please plan what you want to do before deciding on your cities. If you have many days in Osaka you may want to go to Universal Studios Japan. That would help to take your time.

Osaka is a metropolitan city. It does not have much in terms of tourist attractions. There are much fun stuff to do as a local though. Red light districts. Snacking. Nature walks. Coach to Arima onsen. Going to Shirahama onsen. Going to cafes. Going to museums. If these does not interest you, you might want to relocate your hotel to some place else like Okayama??

Okayama does not have much activities, besides those listed on this site. Most hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path type of activities are limited as Japan is becoming more well known. Courtesy of the friendly Japan-Guide Forum people.

Thanks for the answer !! Last time i went to japan i spent one night in osaka and thought it was amazing and beautiful and I wanted to go into every single shop and restaurant I passed by but I was exhausted and was only there to catch my flight back home. That's the main reason I booked a whole week there, and I was already planning to go to universal :) I was just wondering if anyone here could tell me some cool places to visit that I wouldnt be able to find in regular "tourist attraction" books (maybe cool bars, restaurants or interesting shops even)

Thanks for the attention and if anyone knows anything cool like that please let me know !!!

Joshua,
you must be the type of tourist that do one town a day, if you think that there aren't many touristy things to do in Osaka!
I have been there at least 8 times and have only seen a small part of what there is...

http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/

Everyone is different, and advice on this forum (and others) needs to take that into account to be of use to the initial poster. One of the nicer things on this forum is that the questions are more considered than "I'm going to Japan, what do I see".

For this thread, the question is what is less touristy in Osaka. I don't find Osaka very touristy, especially after big cities like Tokyo or Nagoya, or the richness of Kyoto. Most of the places I've been have something interesting that can occupy several days if you scratch the surface.

So, non-touristy things sound like:
- Go and watch the Tigers v Dragons (baseball)
- See if Kyotei boat race is on - it's fun to watch on tv, but I haven't got to a race yet.
- get a box at the sumo in Nagoya (it's about an hour on the train)
- take a ferry ride to Naoshima (for the island art ) or Takamatsu
- go and learn some crafts/skills.
- go grocery shopping and cook yourself a meal with what you buy.

Without knowing what you're interested in, it is a little hard

As said, a lot depends on your interests and what you hope to see (if something new or different). Every city has something of course, but if you've already been all over Tokyo, going all over Osaka is rather redundant. There are some great areas of course, some of the very best is Dotonbori and night - really quite a place and the food is great:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COJ_MeXbeow
The Umeda Sky Bldg and Abeno Harukas Bldg also give stunning views over the city (and are quite distinct and different).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb1wuyAGgyQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AyUZmGbW8g
Shittenoji and Minoo Park are nice as well.
But it is highly unlikely you can honestly say you're don with Kyoto - it would take weeks and weeks to go through everything there. Himeji is also grand, Uji has some good sights, and Nara is one of the best in Japan. Some never even make it over to Nara Park, and missing the Todaiji is a tragedy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiGqHkHIPWs
Fewer still even make it over to the lovely Isuien and Yoshikien Gardens - uncrowded and very serene.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk-7IoLELio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFWGuQ5Z0oI
Heading north of Kyoto is also a joy - Kurama, Hieizan, Sanzenin, Miyama, Amanohashidate - and on and on. There is no shortage of things to see and enjoy.

@Firas: Fair enough. I brought in my personal prejudice against Osaka. Though, I did mention some stuff available in Osaka.

I mostly avoid it because it 1. reminds me too much of my home city. and 2. I am more interested in other cultures of Japan. Some of these cultures can be found in Osaka, but that only means that it is not unique.

It was not fair of you to mention that I stay one night per city. I do do that. For example, Miyazaki and Himeji. I really enjoyed Miyazaki and I can say that it deserves more than just a night. Himeji did not impress me as much. Truth be told, I mostly use it as a transit point. Perhaps you could share things to do in Himeji?

But to say that I do one night for every city is unfair.