Having experienced Tokyo and Osaka from the outsider's perspective, I
am wondering why so much praise -- and attention -- is heaped upon
Tokyo by travel guide books, travel media, etc, while virtually no
attention is paid to Osaka?

I don't mean to diss Tokyo. It is the undisputed financial and
political and cultural (at least modern cultural and pop cultural)
center for Japan. But Osaka seems to resonate with a  vibe that's
lacking from Tokyo. It is not a beautiful city, but neither is Tokyo.

With its endless shopping districts and countless restaurants and
bars, not to mention its more concentrated nature, does Osaka provide
a bigger bang for the buck than Tokyo?

Would more first-time visitors to Japan, who usually indulge in a
couple of weeks in Tokyo, be better served by staying in Kansai/Osaka?
I've met folks who were soured on their first trip to Japan because
they just didn't "get" Tokyo, in the same way that some folks don't
"get" a spread-out city like Los Angeles. But Osaka seems to have a
better interface for Japan rookies. And I suspect the food is a bit
better.

I could be completely off-base. Just thought I'd throw this one out
for discussion.