Sights in Osaka
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Dōtombori
Dōtombori is Osaka's liveliest nightlife area. It's centred around Dōtombori-gawa and Dōtombori Arcade, 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 Bladerunneresque nightscape.
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Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan is Osaka’s answer to Tokyo Disneyland. Although it wasn’t open while we were researching this guide, word has it that the park is a faithful reproduction of the American park, complete with all manner of movie-themed rides, stores and shops. 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 20 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 worth a visit, especially for those who have children in tow. The aquarium is centred on the world’s largest aquarium tank, which is home to the star attractions – two enormous whale sharks as well as a variety of smaller sharks, rays and other fish. To get there, take the Chūō subway line to the last stop (Osaka-kō), and from here it’s about a five-minute walk to the aquarium. Get there for opening time if you want to beat the crowds – on weekends and public holidays long queues are the norm.
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Osaka-jō
Osaka’s most popular attraction, Osaka-jō is a 1931 concrete reconstruction of the original castle, which was completed in 1583 as a display of power on the part of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Refurbished at great cost in 1997, today’s castle has a decidedly modern look. The interior of the castle houses a museum of Toyotomi Hideyoshi memorabilia, as well as displays relating the history of the castle.
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Umeda Sky Building
Just northwest of Osaka Station, the Umeda Sky Building is Osaka’s most dramatic piece of architecture. The twin-tower complex looks like a space-age version of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe. It has two observation galleries: an open-air one on the roof and an indoor one 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 sufferers of vertigo). Tickets for the observation decks can be purchased on the 3rd floor of the east tower. In the basement of the towers, you’ll find Takimi-kōji Alley, a re-creation of a Showa-era market street crammed with restaurants and izakaya (Japanese pubs/eat…
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Shitennō-Ji
Founded in 593, Shitennō-ji has the distinction of being one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan. None of the present buildings, however, are originals: most are concrete reproductions, with the exception of the big stone torii. The torii (shrine gate) dates back to 1294, making it the oldest of its kind in Japan. The temple is most easily reached from Shitennōji-mae Station on the Tanimachi subway line. Take the southern exit, cross to the left side of the road and take the small road that goes off at an angle away from the subway station. The entrance to the temple is on the left.
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Sumiyoshi Taisha
Osaka’s most important shrine, Sumiyoshi Taisha 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 of WWII, Sumiyoshi Taisha actually has a couple of buildings that date to 1810. The shrine was founded in the early 3rd century and the buildings that can be seen today are faithful replicas of the originals. The shrine is next to both Sumiyoshi Taisha and Sumiyoshi-torii-mae Stations on the Nankai tram line. Catch the tram from Tennō-ji Station.
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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 1300 exhibits, the Museum of Oriental Ceramics has one of the world’s finest collections of Chinese and Korean ceramics. To get to the museum, go to Yodoyabashi Station on either the Midō-suji line or the Keihan line. 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 the museum is on the left.
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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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E
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
The open-air museum has 11 traditional Japanese country houses, which were brought from all over Japan and painstakingly reconstructed. Inside each you'll find period-era furniture, homewares and tools. Most impressive is the giant gasshō-zukuri (thatch-roofed) farmhouse from Gifu-ken. The surrounding park is beautiful, with lots of maple trees and bamboo.
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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) the National Museum of Ethnology is arguably Osaka's best, and it's worth the trip from downtown Osaka or Kyoto, especially if there's a good special exhibit on (check the Kansai Time Out for upcoming exhibits).
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Osaka Museum of History
Just southwest of Osaka-jō, the new Osaka Museum of History is housed in a fantastic new building adjoining the Osaka NHK Broadcast Center. The display floors of the museum occupy the 7th to the 10th floors of the new, sail-shaped building.
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