Sights in Osaka
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Dōtombori
Dōtombori is Osaka's liveliest nightlife area. It's centred on Dōtombori-gawa and Dōtombori Arcade (道頓堀), a strip of restaurants and theatres where a peculiar type of Darwinism is the rule for both people and shops: survival of the flashiest. In the evening, head to Ebisu-bashi bridge to sample the glittering nightscape, which brings to mind a scene from the science-fiction movie Blade Runner. Nearby, the banks of the Dōtombori-gawa have recently been turned into attractive pedestrian walkways and this is the best vantage point for the neon madness above.
Only a short walk south of Dōtombori Arcade you'll find Hōzen-ji (法善寺), a tiny temple hidden down a narrow…
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Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan is Osaka's answer to Tokyo Disneyland. Closely based on its two sister parks in the USA, the park features a wide variety of rides, shows, restaurants and other attractions; hours vary seasonally.
To get there, take the JR Loop line to Nishi-kujō Station, switch to one of the distinctively painted Universal Studio shuttle trains and get off at Universal City Station. From Osaka Station the trip costs ¥170 and takes about 15 minutes. There are also some direct trains from Osaka Station (ask at the tourist office for times; the price is the same).
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Osaka Aquarium
Osaka Aquarium is easily one of the best aquariums in the world and it's well worth a visit, particularly if you've got kids or if you love sharks. The aquarium is built around a vast central tank, which houses the star attractions: one whale shark and one manta. But these are only the beginning: you'll also find a huge variety of other sharks, including leopard sharks, zebra sharks and hammerhead sharks. There are also countless other species of rays and fish.
A walkway winds its way around the main tank and past displays of life found on eight different ocean levels. The giant spider crabs in the Japan Ocean Deeps section look like alien invaders from another planet.…
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Osaka-jō
This castle was built as a display of power by Toyotomi Hideyoshi after he achieved his goal of unifying Japan. One hundred thousand workers toiled for three years to construct an 'impregnable' granite castle, finishing the job in 1583. However, it was destroyed just 32 years later, in 1615, by the armies of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Within 10 years the castle had been rebuilt by the Tokugawa forces, but it was to suffer a further calamity when another generation of the Tokugawa clan razed it rather than let it fall to the forces of the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
The present structure is a 1931 concrete reconstruction of the original, which was refurbished in 1997. The interior of…
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Umeda Sky Building
Just northwest of Osaka Station, the Umeda Sky building is Osaka's most dramatic piece of modern architecture. The twin-tower complex looks like a space-age version of Paris' Arc de Triomphe. The view from the top is impressive, particularly after sunset, when the lights of the Osaka–Kōbe conurbation spread out like a magic carpet in all directions.
There are two observation galleries: one outdoors on the roof and one indoors on the floor below. Getting to the top is half the fun, as you take a glassed-in escalator for the final five storeys (definitely not for vertigo sufferers). Tickets for the observation decks include the escalator ride and can be purchased on the…
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Shitennō-ji
Founded in 593, Shitennō-ji has the distinction of being one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan, although none of the present buildings are originals. Unfortunately, most are the usual concrete reproductions, with the exception of the big stone torii (shrine gate) that dates back to 1294, making it the oldest of its kind in Japan. Apart from the torii, there is little of real historical significance, and the absence of greenery in the raked-gravel grounds makes for a rather desolate atmosphere. The adjoining museum is of limited interest.
Take the southern exit from the station, cross to the left side of the road and take the small road that goes off at an angle away…
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Sumiyoshi Taisha
This shrine is dedicated to Shintō deities associated with the sea and sea travel, in commemoration of a safe passage to Korea by a 3rd-century empress. Having survived the bombing in WWII, Sumiyoshi Taisha actually has a couple of buildings that date back to 1810. The shrine was founded in the early 3rd century and the buildings that can be seen today are faithful replicas of the ancient originals. They offer visitors a rare opportunity to see a Shintō shrine that predates the influence of Chinese Buddhist architectural styles.
The shrine is next to both Sumiyoshi-taisha Station on the Nankai main line and Sumiyoshi-tori-mae Station on the Hankai line (the tram line…
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Hōzen-ji & Fudō-myōō statue
Only a short walk south of Dōtombori Arcade you'll find Hōzen-ji, a tiny temple hidden down a narrow alley. The temple is built around a moss-covered Fudō-myōō statue. This statue is a favourite of people employed in mizu shobai (water trade) who pause before work to throw some water on the moss-covered statue. Nearby, you'll find Hōzen-ji Yokochō, a tiny alley filled with traditional restaurants and bars.
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Tsūten-kaku
For something completely different, take a walk through this retro entertainment district just west of Tennō-ji-kōen. At the heart of it all you'll find crusty old Tsūten-kaku tower, a 103m-high structure that dates back to 1912 (the present tower was rebuilt in 1969). When the tower first went up it symbolised everything new and exciting about this once-happening neighbourhood (shin-sekai is Japanese for 'New World').
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Museum of Oriental Ceramics
With more than 2700 pieces in its permanent exhibits, this museum has one of the finest collections of Chinese and Korean ceramics anywhere in the world. At any one time, approximately 300 of the gorgeous pieces from the permanent collection are on display, and there are often special exhibits (which cost extra). Last entry 4.30pm.
To get to the museum, go to Yodoyabashi Station on either the Midō-suji line or the Keihan line (different stations). Walk north to the river and cross to Nakano-shima. Turn right, pass the city hall on your left, bear left with the road, and look for the squat brown brick building.
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Osaka Human Rights Museum
The Osaka Human Rights Museum which goes by two names, is dedicated to the suffering of Japan's Burakumin people and other oppressed groups, including Koreans, the handicapped, the Ainu and women. The most fascinating exhibits deal with the Burakumin, outcasts in Japan's four-tiered caste system that was officially outlawed in 1879 under the Emancipation Edict issued by the Meiji government.
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Osaka City Hall
Sandwiched between Dōjima-gawa and Tosabori-gawa, this island ( M0638) is a pleasant oasis of trees and riverside walkways in the midst of Osaka's unrelenting grey. It's also home to Osaka City Hall, the Museum of Oriental Ceramics and Nakano-shima-kōen. The latter park, on the eastern end of the island, is a good place for an afternoon stroll or picnic lunch.
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Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses
In Ryokuchi-kōen, this fine open-air museum features 11 traditional Japanese country houses and other structures brought here from all over Japan. All have been painstakingly reconstructed and filled with period-era tools and other displays. Most impressive is the giant gasshō-zukuri (thatch-roofed) farmhouse from Gifu-ken.
The parklike setting, with plenty of trees and bamboo, gives the museum a pleasantly rustic air – and the whole place comes alive with fiery red maple leaves during the November foliage season. For anyone even remotely interested in traditional Japanese architecture, we highly recommend this excellent attraction. An English-language pamphlet is…
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Giant Ferris Wheel
Before hitting the main attractions, you might want to get some perspective on it all by taking a whirl on the Giant Ferris Wheel . Said to be the largest Ferris wheel in the world, the 112m-high wheel offers unbeatable views of Osaka, Osaka Bay and Kōbe. Give it a whirl at night to enjoy the vast carpet of lights formed by the Osaka/Kōbe conurbation.
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Organic Building
Before setting off to see the sights of Shinsaibashi and Dōtombori, we recommend a quick stop at the Organic Building, a whimsical building covered with giant flower pots (hence the name). It's three blocks north and two blocks west of exit 3 of Shinsaibashi subway station on the Midōsuji line.
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Amerika-Mura Triangle Park
In the middle of it all is Amerika-Mura Triangle Park, an all-concrete park with benches where you can sit and watch the parade of fashion victims. Amerika-Mura is one or two blocks west of Midō-suji, bounded on the north by Suomachi-suji and on the south by Dōtombori-gawa.
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Spa World
Next door to Festival Gate is the superspa known as Spa World. Billed as the world's largest spa, it consists of two floors of baths, one Asian themed and one European themed, and a rooftop waterworld with pools and waterslides, along with restaurants and relaxation areas.
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National Museum of Ethnology
Located in Osaka Banpaku-kōen (World Expo Park), this museum is arguably Osaka's best. It's well worth the trip from downtown Osaka or Kyoto, especially if there's a good special exhibit on (check Kansai Scene or the tourist information offices for upcoming exhibits).
The museum provides a whirlwind tour through the cultural artefacts of many of the world's cultures. Exhibits range from Bollywood movie posters to Thai túk-túk (motorised transport), with Ainu textiles, Bhutanese mandalas and Japanese festival floats in between. There is little English signage, but most of the materials are self-explanatory. You can borrow a sheet of English explanations from the…
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Osaka Museum of History
Just southwest of Osaka-jō, the Osaka Museum of History is housed in a fantastic new sail-shaped building adjoining the Osaka NHK Broadcast Center. The display floors of the museum occupy the 7th to the 10th floors.
The displays are broken into four sections by floor; you start at the top and work your way down, passing in time from the past to the present. The displays are very well done and there are plenty of English explanations; taped tours are available.
The museum is a two-minute walk northeast of Tanimachi-yonchōme Station.
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Shin-Sekai
For something completely different, take a walk through this retro entertainment district just west of Tennō-ji-kōen. At the heart of it all you'll find crusty old Tsūten-kaku, a 103m-high structure that dates back to 1912 (the present tower was rebuilt in 1969). When the tower first went up, it symbolised everything new and exciting about this once-happening neighbourhood (shin-sekai is Japanese for 'new world'). Now, Shin-Sekai is a world that time forgot, home to ancient pachinko parlours, rundown theatres, dirt-cheap restaurants and all manner of raffish and suspicious characters.
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Osaka Museum of Housing & Living
Two subway stops from Umeda is the Osaka Museum of Housing & Living, which contains a life-sized reproduction of an entire 1830s Edo-period Osaka neighbourhood. You can enter and inspect shophouses, meeting halls, drug stores and even an old-style sentō (public bath). The rooms and houses are dimly lit in order to re-create the ambience of pre-electric Osaka. The museum also contains a room filled with dioramas of post-Meiji Osaka neighbourhoods, including an interesting community of buses that were converted into homes following WWII.
To get there, from the station's exit 3, go through the glass doors to the left of the escalator and take the elevator to the 8th floor.…
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Modern Transportation Museum
If you've got kids in tow or just love those trains, then you'll want to check out the small but interesting Modern Transportation Museum, on the west side of town and easily accessed by the JR Osaka Loop line. The displays focus mostly on trains, but there are also some great models of ships and aircraft, several decent interactive displays, as well as life-sized shinkansen that you can climb inside to check out what things look like from the engineer's seat. Outside, there are several real steam and electric engines and passenger cars that you can climb inside (one is a working restaurant car). Finally, don't miss the great model-train layout at the far end of the…
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Dōguya-suji Arcade
If you desperately need a tako-yaki (octopus ball) fryer, a red lantern to hang outside your shop or plastic food models to lure the customers in, this shopping arcade is the place to go. You'll also find endless knives, pots, pans and just about anything else that's even remotely related to the preparation and consumption of food.
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Amerika-Mura
Amerika-Mura (America Village, also known as Ame-Mura) is a compact enclave of trendy shops and restaurants, with a few discreet love hotels thrown in for good measure. The best reason to come is to check out the hordes of colourful Japanese teens living out the myth of America. These days, the look is hip-hop for guys and and tiny shorts for the girls. The peculiar name, by the way, comes from the presence of several shops that sprang up here after the war and sold various bits of Americana, like Zippo lighters and American T-shirts.
In the middle of it all is Amerika-Mura Triangle Park (アメリカ村三角公園), an all-concrete park with benches where you can sit and watch the parade…
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