Osaka
This César Pelli–designed tower, which opened in March 2014, is Japan's tallest building (300m, 60 storeys). The observatory on the 16th floor is free,…
Must-see attractions in Osaka
Osaka
After unifying Japan in the late 16th century, General Toyotomi Hideyoshi built this castle (1583) as a display of power, using, it's said, the labour of…
Osaka
Highly photogenic Dōtombori is the city's liveliest night spot and the centre of the southern part of town. Its name comes from the 400-year-old canal,…
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Osaka
West of Midō-suji, Amerika-Mura is a compact enclave of hip, youth-focused and offbeat shops, plus cafes, bars, tattoo and piercing parlours, nightclubs,…
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Osaka
This ambitious museum showcases the world's cultures, presenting them as the continuous (and tangled) strings that they are. There are plenty of…
Osaka
Kaiyūkan is among Japan's best aquariums. An 800m-plus walkway winds past displays of sea life from around the Pacific 'ring of fire': Antarctic penguins,…
Osaka
A century ago, Shin-Sekai ('new world') was home to an amusement park that defined cutting edge. Now this entertainment district mixes down-at-heel with…
Osaka
Dedicated to Shintō deities of the sea and sea travel, this graceful shrine was founded in the early 3rd century and is considered the headquarters for…
Osaka
The 70m-tall Tower of the Sun was created by Japanese artist Okamoto Tarō for Osaka's Expo '70. While the curious three-faced creature (there's one face…
Osaka
Osaka's landmark Sky Building (1993) resembles a 40-storey, space-age Arc de Triomphe. Twin towers are connected at the top by a 'floating garden' (really…
Osaka
This tiny temple hidden down a narrow alley houses a statue of Fudō Myō-ō (a deity of esoteric Buddhism), covered in thick moss. It's a favourite of…
Osaka
An Osaka landmark for over a century, this 600m-long market is in equal parts a functioning market and a tourist attraction. Vendors selling fresh fish,…
Osaka
In the middle of Ame-Mura is Triangle Park, an all-concrete 'park' with benches for sitting and watching the fashion parade. Come night, it's a popular…
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Momofuku Andō Instant Ramen Museum
Osaka
From its humble invention in 1958 by Andō Momofuku (1910–2007; later chair of Nissin Foods), instant rāmen has become a global business and one of Japan's…
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Osaka
Hiding in plain sight amid the skyscrapers of Umeda, this 1300-year-old shrine owes its fame to one of Japan's best-known tragic plays (based on true…
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Osaka
This museum has one of the world's finest collections of Chinese and Korean ceramics, with smaller galleries of Japanese ceramics and Chinese snuff…
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Osaka
Japan's tallest Ferris wheel (123m), and the fifth tallest in the world, opened in 2016 and offers sweeping views over Expo Park and the Tower of the Sun…
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Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses
Osaka
Easier than a trip to the countryside is a visit to this collection of traditional Japanese country houses, transported here and painstakingly…
Osaka
Shitennō-ji is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan, said to be founded (in 593) by priest-prince Shotoku-taishi (who first spread Buddhism in…
Osaka
Built above the ruins of Naniwa Palace (c 650), visible through the ground floor, this museum tells Osaka's story from the era of this early palace to the…
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Osaka
Originally built for Expo '70, this underground construction by architect Cesar Pelli now houses Japan's fourth national museum. The building – like a…
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Osaka
When Tsūten-kaku was first built in 1912, it was, at 63m high, the second tallest structure in Asia and the pride of Osaka. Damaged by fire in 1943, it…
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Osaka
Ever-smiling (and a bit creepy looking) Billiken sits, toes out, like a golden Kewpie doll on a pedestal reading 'The God of Things as they Ought to Be'…
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Osaka
Nicknamed 'Ebessan', this famous shrine is said to have been founded by Japan's most revered historical figure, the priest-prince Shotoku-taishi, c AD 600…
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Osaka
Japan's largest covered shopping arcade, which began as a wet market during the Edo period (1604–1868), stretches 2.6km over six blocks. The majority of…
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Osaka Museum of Housing & Living
Osaka
Two subway stops from Umeda, this museum contains a life-sized reproduction of an 1830s Osaka neighbourhood with shophouses, drug stores, an old-style…
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Osaka
Japan's first human rights museum began in 1985 as an archive of documents relating to the burakumin – the lowest caste under the old feudal system …
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Osaka
Founded in the 10th century, this shrine is where Osaka students come to pray for success: it's dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, also known as Tenjin-san,…
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Osaka
This strolling garden in the northeast corner of Shitennō-ji illustrates a Buddhist parable of overcoming earthly hell to arrive at paradise, symbolised…
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Osaka
This narrow two-storey museum is worth a visit for anyone with an interest in ukiyo-e (woodblock prints). It mainly displays prints of famous kabuki…
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Osaka
Among the biggest in the world, this 112m-high Ferris wheel offers unbeatable views of Osaka Bay and the seemingly endless Osaka/Kōbe conurbation. Give it…
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Osaka
This state-of-the art museum inside Abeno Harukas hosts temporary shows that vary wildly, including, so far, Renaissance painting and tantric Buddhist…
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Osaka
You can't miss the giant animated crab that marks the entrance to Kani Dōraku Honten, which is, of course, a crab restaurant. The shop sells tasty crab…
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Osaka
Home of the most famous statue of Kuidaore Tarō – the drum-banging clown who represents the city's culture of kuidaore ('eat 'til you drop').
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Osaka
Osaka's first public park, created in 1891 at the eastern end of Naka-no-shima, is a good place for an afternoon stroll or picnic lunch.
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Osaka
This classic shopping arcade wends along the path of an old moat (from an earlier, larger incarnation of Osaka-jō), long since filled in. The arcade…
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Osaka
Built in 1911, this dramatic, red-brick neo-Renaissance building is an important cultural property.
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