KansaiNow.com Osaka Tourist Stuff Page

Osaka Tourist Stuff

Osaka Castle / Kyobashi Area

Tennoji Area- Tsutenkaku Tower, Festival Gate, Tennoji Zoo

The Osaka Aquarium
Also sometimes called Tempozan or Kaiyukan. It costs 2,000 yen but it is really a pretty good aquarium. There is one huge tank with a bunch of fish, including a white shark inside. 35,000 animals and 580 different species live in the aquarium. The new thing is an Aqua GateE which is kind of a tube that you walk through with fish surrounding you. It's usually pretty crowded on the weekends. Going once was fun, but going twice would be too much. Nearby there is also a big Ferris Wheel, which has a nice view of the port area. The aquarium is open from 10am - 8pm. Last admission is at 7pm. Their schedule is complicated so call 06-6576-5501 before you go to make sure they're going to be open on the day you want to visit. Directions: Take the subway to Osaka Ko (port) Station, and walk to ward the Ferris Wheel. You'll see signs for the aquarium.

Dotonbori Bridge
New York has Times Square. London has Piccidilly Circus. Osaka has Dotonbori. The bridge is located one block east of Midosujihalfways between Namba and Shinsaibashi.

Ame Mura -
"Ame Mura" means roughly "American Village". This neighborhood was once a nice little quite place with a school and some shops. Well, the school was torn down and BIGSTEP was built in its place. And the place is filled with kids buying funky clothes and stuff. This place is easy to find.

The National Bunraku Theater
This is a really traditional puppet theater. Japanese music, 2 foot high puppets, and a storyteller. Even if you understand Japanese, you probably can not understand all the words, because they use the old old old words to tell the story. But it's interesting to watch. The theater is located in Osaka, east of Namba. Call 06-6212-2531.

The ATC Center
I've been there a couple of times, and I'll tell you right away, I don't think it is very interesting. The subway ride is 480 yen from Umeda. Once you get there, there really isn't a lot to do. Yes, the building is new and looks nice and you can take a romantic stroll along the pier, and maybe see a boat or some guys fishing, butbasically that's it. Sure, there is a tall tower and you can look out at Osaka, and there are shops, but except for being besides the ocean, it is just about the same as being in Umeda or Namba. If you still want to go, take the subway to the Trade Center-mae station and follow the signs.

The Science Museum Osaka
The Science Museum of Osaka has 3 exhibition floors, a Science Theater with a large dome screen. Open 9.30 - 4 pm. Take the JR loopline to Fukushima station or the Yotsubashi Line to the Higobashi station. For more info phone 06-6444-5656. The Planetarium has 4 shows a day, 600 yen each. There's an Omnimax theater show 3 times a day, again 600 yen.

Expo '70 Stuff
Back in 1970 they had a big expo here in Osaka, and now there is a Commemoration Park left behind. There is a Japanese Garden, a Park of Nature and Culture, and some kind of giant white-bird-face-weather-monitoring-device-looking-thing. Also nearby are The National Museum of Art Osaka (06-6876-2481), the EXPO '70 Commemorative Stadium (06-6877-3331), the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Osaka (06-6877-1971), the International Institute for Children's Literature Osaka (06-6876-8800), and The National Museum of Ethnology (06-6877-0560).

Expoland
It's an amusement park, baby!! Got a big 'ol Ferris Wheel, and some cork-screwing roller coaster. Spend the day, bring the kids. (06-6877-0560). EXPOLAND was opened as the Amusement Zone at the International Exposition in 1970 and has won popularity for more than 30 years as an Amusement Park. Although the international Exposition has long fisished, EXPOLAND still offers guests more than 40 kinds of ride attractions plus 25 restaurants & shops in one huge land.

General Admission Fee (Rides cost extra)
- Adults (age 13 or over) 1,100 yen
- Children (age 4-12) 600 yen
Spring period fee(between March 17 and June11, 2000)
- Adults (age 13 or over) 1,300 yen
- Children (age 4-12) 700 yen
Elderly Discount Fee
Persons over 60 years of age 600 yen (700 yen)
#Applicable only when an officially issued certificate is shown at entry.
#Prices inside ( ) applise during the spring period (between March17 and June11, 2000).

Special Discount Fee
- Adults (age 13 or over) 100 yen
- Children (age 4-12) 50 yen
#Applicable only when an officially issued handicapped pass or maternity medical pass is shown at entry.

Parking Fee
- Motorcycle 200 yen Car 1,000 yen
- Minibus 1,500 yen Bus 2,200 yen

Park Hours: 9:45a.m. to 5:30p.m. (March 20 to October 31)
Exceptions: On January 2, the park opens at 10:00a.m.
Between NovemberÅ 1 and March 19, the park closes at 5:00p.m.
Night hours
April 29,30 and May 3,4,5 (Golden Week) open until 9:00p.m.
July 20 to 30 (Summer holiday period) open until 9:00p.m.
August 1 to 31 (Summer holiday period) open until 9.30p.m.
September 1 to 15 (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays)
open until 9:00p.m.
December18 to 25(Christmas period) date may change open until 8:00p.m.
#Please enter the park one hour before the closing time. In rainy weather, the park may close earier than stated.
#December 31, 5:00p.m. to January 1, 2:00a.m. (NewYear's Eve countdown)
Periods without holidays
January 2-5
March 20-May 31
July 20-August 31
October 1-November 30
#The park is closed every Wednesday (if a public holiday, the park is closed the next day.) except during the periods mentioned above.The park is also closed between January 17 to end of February, and from December 29 to 31.

By Monorail - Take the Osaka Monorail to Banpaku Kinen Koen Station .
By Bus - Buses leave for Expoland from JR Ibaraki, Hankyu Railway Ibaraki-shi and Kita Osaka kyuko Railway Senri Chuo stations.
By Car - From the Meishin, Chugoku or Kinki Expressways, just five minutes from the Suita Interchange.

The Osaka Mint
You know a mint, like where they make money. This one opened in 1871. There is a museum and in the spring, thereare a bunch of cherry trees which bloom all pretty-like. Take the Tanimachi line or Keihan line to Tenmabashi station. Or take the Tanimachi or Sakaisuji lines to Minamimorimachi station. Mint Museum 06-6351-5361.

Tsurumi Ryokuchi Koen (park)
This is a great place for a date. Lots of place to walk and explore and get lost in the woods and make out. Oh, yes and there are lots of flowers and it's a really pretty park, and it's free. Crowded with families during the summer weekends. Take the Nagahori Tsurumi Ryokuchi Subway line (the light green one) to Tsurumi Ryokuchi station, then follow the maps.

Copyright © 1998 - 2000 by Mark McCracken, All Rights Reserved