20 Great Tourist Attractions to visit in Osaka Today
Osaka is known to be the second largest metropolitan area in Japan after Tokyo. It is the capital of the Osaka Prefecture. Osaka, formerly called Naniwa, was once Japan’s capital city.
Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan and it has around 24 wards. Currently it’s home to approximately 19.1 million people in the urban area and 2.5 in the city. Osaka is considered as Japan’s economic hub as it has a bigger economy and it’s equally home to multinational cooperation such as Panasonic, Sharp and Osaka Securities Exchange.
Today, Osaka has equally become a great tourist attraction to many tourists with its great cultural and lifestyle. Osaka is home to many activities such as shopping and food, Entertainment and performing art, festivals, Museums and Galleries, Medias and even sports.
Here are some selected 25 Great Tourist Attractions to visit in Osaka today.
14 Top attractions to visit in Osaka
Visiting the Osaka Aquarium
Attraction to visit in Osaka where both adults and children can learn more about aquatic life.
Found in the Tempozan Harbor Village of Osaka’s bay area, Osaka Aquarium is one of Japan’s most spectacular aquariums. It has various forms of inhabiting Pacific rim. Aquatic life is displayed in 15 tanks and each tank represents a specific region in the Pacific rim. The central tank represents the Pacific Ocean. Generally visitors start their tour in the aquarium on the 8th floor. In march 2013, new exhibition space was added to the aquarium.
Minami, attractions to visit in Osaka
Minami is one of the two major cities in Osaka and it’s located around the Namba Station. This city is famous for its great entertainment district, dining and shopping choices. If you are going to visit Minami don’t forget to contemplate the sumptuous Dotonbori in the night, Den Den Town where you will find electronics and numerous manga and anime retailers and cosplay. You may return with at least one anime collection.
Osaka Castle
One of the must-see attractions to visit in Osaka
This is an attraction you ought to visit during your stay in Osaka. This castle was rebuilt by Tokugawa Hidetada in the 1620s after it’s destruction by Oda Nobunaga. It has an informative museum which talks about the castle’s history. The Osaka castle is surrounded by gates, turrets, impressive stone walls, citadels and moats. Osaka Castle covers about two square kilometers and it has a shrine dedicated to Toyotomi Kideyoshi. Another great attraction to visit in this Osaka castle is the cherry Blossom which usually takes place in early April.
Attractions to Visit in Osaka, Shinsekai
Attractions to visit in Osaka famous for its landmark, the Tsutenkaku Tower
Shinsekai district equally shelters many attractions to visit in Osaka such as the Tsutenkaku Tower, the Kushikatsu, a dish composed of various skewered, battered and fried foods. Many kushikatsu are open 24 hours/24.
Another amazing tourist attraction to visit in shinsekai is the Spa World, a great bath complex with large pools with European and Asian themed floors.
Many attractions waiting for you to visit in Osaka, Kita(Umeda)
Kita is located around the station complex that comprises Osaka and Umeda Station. Kita is a great place to do your shopping, dining, entertainment and lodging. Besides offering all these entertainments, Kita is equally Osaka’s busiest transportation hub.
Osaka Station city
Osaka station is the main station in Osaka’s Umeda District. This Station underwent renovation works and is today one of Japan’s most attractive railway stations. Newly renovated buildings on the north and south of this station provide tourists and travelers with a great array of dining, shopping and entertainment. Toki no Hiroba meaning “Time and Space Plaza” connects the north and south buildings.
Umeda Sky Building Attraction in Osaka
This is another great attraction that attracts hundreds of tourists each year in Osaka. It is also well known as the “New Umeda City”. Umeda Sky Building is a 173 meter high building, consisting of two towers, connected to each other by “Floating Garden Observatory” on floor 39. There is even a restaurant floor. The observatory offers a great view through its windows.
Attractions to visit in the Osaka Bay Area
This a collection of city districts on a man-made waterfront island. The Osaka bay area is home to touristic attractions you need to visit in Osaka such as Shopping centers, theme parks, museums and observatories. Beside these, the Osaka domestic and international ports are equally found in the bay area.
Universal Studio Attractions
One of the best attractions to visit in Osaka is the Universal Studio Japan. It’s actually the first themed park to be built in Asia under the Universal Studio Brand. It opened in the Osaka Bay area in March 2001. Universal Studio occupies around 39 hectares, it’s one of the most visited amusement parks in Japan after Tokyo Disney. Universal Studio has around ten sections namely:
- Super Nintendo world
- The wizarding world of Harry Potter
- Hollywood
- New York
- San Francisco
- Waterworld
- Amity Village
- Jurassic Park
- Minion Park and
- Universal Wonderland
Visitors can enjoy amusement rides and simulators based on famous movies such as Terminator. In addition to this, the park offers visitors or tourists the opportunity to take pictures with mascot characters like Hello kitty or Snoopy.
Tenji Matsuri Festival attraction in Osaka
The Tenji Matsuri festival is one of the Top Japan’s festivals and one of the attractions you need to visit in Osaka. It usually takes place every 24 and 25 of July each year. Main celebrations generally take place on the second day of the festival including land and river possession.
Sumiyoshi Taisha
This is one of Japan’s oldest shrines. It displays unique architecture and is the most visited shrine attraction in the country.
Museum of History
This museum is another one of the great attractions to visit in Osaka, the building offers attractive views of the Osaka castle from it’s tp floors. On the lower floor of the museum you can find restaurants, shops and a spacious lobby while the museum’s collection is on the upper parts.
Shitennoji Temple
One of oldest Attractions in Osaka worth to pay a visit
Shitennoji Temple is the first and one of Japan’s oldest temples built by the state. Admission to the inner precinct, garden and treasure house need a fee while access to the outer temple ground is free. The treasure house displays artworks such as painting, scriptures, and other valuable properties of the temples.
Abeno Harukas
One of the Attractions to visit in Osaka and recognize as the tallest skyscraper
Abeno Harukas is Japan’s tallest skyscraper. It’s 300 meter tall and houses a department store, an art museum or gallery, a hotel and observation deck.
11 other tourist attractions to visit in Osaka
Beside the destinations above, other popular tourist attractions to visit in Osaka are:
- Bunraku Theater
- Minoo Park
- National Art Museum
- Kuromon Market
- Osaka Expo 70 Park
- Tenma
- Science Museum
- Tennoji
- Grand Front Osaka
- Asahi Suita Brewery and finally but not the least Mozu Tombs are also good attractions worth to visit in Osaka.
Aside from these attractions to visit in Osaka, you may also like to visit amazing attractive sites in Tokyo or Great traditional temples in Kyoto or the Naoshima Island along with its art galleries and museums
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