Osaka Attractions
- Overview
- Attractions
- Events
- Facts
- Kids
Neighborhoods
Osaka is divided into various wards, or ku:
Around
Osaka Station: Kita-ku is the area around Osaka and Umeda stations and
includes many of the city's top hotels, the city's tallest buildings, many
restaurants, and several shopping complexes, mostly underground.
Around
Osaka Castle: Osaka
Castle, which lies to the east, is the historic center of the city. It is in
Chuo-ku, the Central Ward, which stretches through the city center.
Minami/Namba:
Four subway stops south of Umeda Station is Namba (also
referred to as Minami, or South Osaka), with a cluster of stations serving
subways, JR trains, and Kintetsu and Nankai lines, all of which are connected to
one another via underground passageways. Here you will find more hotels,
Osaka's liveliest eating and entertainment district centered on a narrow street
called Dotombori (also written Dotonbori), and major shopping areas such as the
enclosed pedestrian streets Shinsaibashi-Suji and America-Mura with imports from
America. Farther south is Den Den Town, Osaka's electronics district; and
Dogayasuji, famous for restaurant supplies. Connecting Kita-ku with Namba is
Osaka's main street, Midosuji Dori, a wide boulevard lined with gingko trees and
name-brand shops.
Area
Around Tennoji Park: At
the south end of the JR Loop Line is Tennoji-ku, which was once a thriving
temple town with Shitennoji Temple at its center. In addition to a park with a
zoo, it is the site of Spa World, Japan's most luxurious public bathhouse.
Osaka Bay & Port:
West of the city around Osaka Bay is Universal Studios Japan
and Universal CityWalk shopping and dining complex; Tempozan Harbour Village
with its aquarium, shopping complex, and Suntory Museum; and domestic and
international ferry terminals.
Attractions
Floating Garden Observatory (Kuchu Teien Tenbodai)
1-1-88
Oyodo-naka
Umeda Sky
Building, Kita-ku, Near Osaka Station
06/6440-3901
Open Daily
10am-10:30pm
Take JR
Osaka or Umeda (Central North exit of JR Osaka Station, 9 min.)
This
observatory 557 feet in the air looks like a space ship floating between the two
towers of the Umeda Sky Building. Take the super-fast glass elevator from the
East Tower building's third floor; then take a glass-enclosed escalator that
also bridges the two towers to the 39th floor. From the 39th floor
you have an unparalleled view of all of Osaka, making it a popular nightspot for
couples.
Museum of
Oriental Ceramics (Toyotoji Bijutsukan)
1-1-26
Nakanoshima
Kita-ku,
Near Osaka Station
06/6454-8600
Transportation Station: Yodoyabashi or Kitahama (5 min.)
Open
Tues-Sun 9:30-5
This
modern facility is about a 15-minute walk south of Osaka Station on Nakanoshima
Island in the Dojima River. Its 2,700-piece collection of Chinese, Korean, and
Japanese ceramics ranks as one of the finest in the world. Built specifically
for the collection, the museum dis[plays the collection in darkened rooms that
utilize natural light and computerized natural-light simulation. Korean celadon,
Chinese ceramics from the Song and Ming dynasties and Arita ware from the Edo
Period, are among the pieces on display.
Osaka Castle (Osaka-jo)
Hours
Daily 9am-5pm
Address
1-1 Osakajo
Chuo-ku,
Around Osaka Castle
Transportation: Osakajo-Koen on the JR Loop Line or Morinomiya (15 min.); or
Temmabashi or Osaka Business Park (10 min.)
06/6941-3044
First
built in the 1580s on the order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Osaka Castle was the
largest castle in Japan. The present Osaka Castle dates from 1931 and was
extensively renovated in 1997. Built of ferroconcrete, it's not as massive as
the original but is still one of Japan's most famous castles and is impressive
with its massive stone walls, black and gold-leaf trim, and copper roof. The
donjon (keep) museum describes the life and times of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the
history of the castle. There are displays of samurai armor and gear, a
full-scale reproduction of Toyotomi's Gold Tea Room, and a model of Osaka Castle
during the Toyotomi Era.
Built in
Stone, Osaka Castle is famous for its stone fortifications, made with more than
500,000 granite stones. Five of these stones weigh more than 100 tons with the
largest, nicknamed the Octopus Stone.
Osaka
International Peace Center
2-1
Osakajo
Chuo-ku,
Around Osaka Castle
06/6947-7208
Station:
Morinomiya (3 min.) or Osakajo-Koen (8 min.)
Hours
Tues-Sun 9:30am-5pm
Closed on
days following national holidays and last day of each month
Located on
the southern edge of Osaka Castle Park, this museum strives for global peace by
educating present and future generations about the horrors of war, related by
those who survived it. Unlike other museums in Japan dedicated to peace,
including those in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this one does not shy away from
Japan's role in the Asian conflict, including its war campaign in China, the
abduction of Koreans to work in dangerous areas, and massacres committed by
Japanese in Singapore, Malaysia, and elsewhere.
Its main
focus is on wartime death and destruction, with personal testimonies of air raid
survivors (15,000 people died during World War II air raids on Osaka), displays
centering on the suicide attacks by kamikaze pilots at the end of the war,
graphic photographs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bombs were
dropped, and a section devoted to the horrors of the Auschwitz concentration
camp
Shitennoji
Temple
Shitennoji
1-11-18
Tennoji-ku, Around Tennoji
06/6771-0066
Station:
Shitennoji-mae Yuhigaoka (exit 4, 5 min.); or JR Tennoji (north exit, 10 min.)
Temple
grounds open 24 hr.; garden daily 10-4.
Founded
1,400 years ago as the first officially established temple in Japan, Shitennoji
Temple is the spiritual heart of Osaka. It was constructed in 593 by Prince
Shotoku, who is credited with introducing Buddhism to Japan. Through the
centuries, the buildings have been faithfully reconstructed exactly as they were
in the 6th century, with the Main Gate, the five-story Buddhist Pagoda, the Main
Golden Hall, and the Lecture Hall all on a north-south axis. Prince Shotoku,
remains a revered, popular figure. There is also a turtle sanctuary and a newly
restored Japanese landscape garden, first laid out during the Tokugawa regime.
It has meandering streams, and a waterfall.
Spa
World
Daily
10am-9am
3-2-24
Ebisu-higashi
Naniwa-ku.
Next to festivalgate, Around Tennoji
06/6631-0001
Station:
Shin-Imamiya or Dobutsuenmae (2 min.). Next to festival gate
This
enormous bath house can accommodate up to 5,000 people and draws upon hot
springs brought up from 2,970 feet below the earth's surface. On its roof, is a
covered swimming complex that includes a pool, a slide, a wave pool, a sunning
terrace, and a wading pool (rental swim suits available). The rest of the large
complex is divided into themed, geographical bathing zones, which are rotated
between the sexes and include luxurious locker rooms. At the Asian Zone, for
example, Middle Eastern music and tiled mosaics set the tone for the Turkish
bath, while China is represented by a medicinal bath. Massage is also available.
Suntory Museum
1-5-10
Kaigan-dori
Minato-ku,
Osaka Bay Area
06/6577-0001
Station:
Osakako (5 min.)
Museum
Tues-Sun 10:30am-7:30pm; IMAX Tues-Sun 11am-7pm (last show)
The
Suntory Museum, which you can tour in about 30 minutes, is that fantastically
modern-looking structure you see near the aquarium, designed by well-known
architect Tadao Ando. It stages changing exhibitions in airy rooms against a
dramatic background of the sea beyond its glass walls. Past exhibits have
included posters by Toulouse-Lautrec, paintings by German expressionists, and
glass by Emile Gallé; call or check the Meet Osaka quarterly for current
information. There's also a 3-D IMAX theater with scenes so real you'll swear
those fish on the screen are about to swim into your lap, a good museum shop,
the Sky Lounge (perfect for taking a break), and a restaurant.
