Places To See In Osaka, Japan

Osaka Castle: Osaka's best known sight, although it's a concrete reconstruction that pales in comparison with, say, Himeji. Still, it's pretty enough from the outside, especially in the cherry blossom season when Osakans flock to the castle park to picnic and make merry. Open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily, adult admission ¥600 (Children up to middle school free). Closed at the end and beginning of the year.

The park can be accessed on a number of lines, but the castle is closest to Osaka-jo Koen station on the JR Osaka Loop Line. Naniwa Palace Site Park can also be found south to Osaka Castle Park. Admission fee is only required to enter the actual castle, and entry to the castle park and surrounds is free.

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Osaka Museum of History: Open 9:30AM-5PM (on Fri 9:30AM-8PM) Closed Tue but on Wed instead if Tue is a Holiday (5min walk from subway Tanimachi 4-chome Station but also accessible via Osaka Castle or from JR Osaka-jo Station) An ideal place to learn all-abouts of Osaka's history. Enjoyable view over Osaka Castle and the OBP skyscrapers. Admission: ¥600

Osaka Science Museum: (walk from subway Higobashi Station or Yodoya-bashi Station, 500m and 900m to the west respectively) Closed on Mon and days after Holidays if not weekend. Big interactive activity center on several floors. Great for kids. Planetarium and cinema (with science films) downstairs. ¥600/300.
Umeda Sky Building 1-1-20 Oyodonaka, Kita-ku (10 min on foot from JR Osaka or Hankyu Umeda), Built in an attempt to upgrade Osaka's somewhat downbeat Kita district, the project wasn't quite the hoped-for commercial success but this bizarrely shaped 40-story, 173-meter building is still a city landmark.

Take the escalator through midair to the rooftop observatory for an open-air view of Osaka, which is particularly impressive on a clear night. Observatory admission ¥700, open 10 AM to 10:30 PM daily (entry until 10 PM, varies by season). The basement features a recreation of a Meiji-era street, with a few small restaurants and bars in appropriate style.

Sumiyoshi Taisha  is one of Japan's oldest Shinto shrines, with a history stretching back 1800 years. Its traditional architecture is unusual amongst Japan's shrines, and its park-like surroundings with the sacred bridge arching over a tranquil pond make it a restful break from the busy environment of Osaka. Best of all, it's free! Access is from the Nankai line station of the same name; local trains run from Namba station in central Osaka.

Shitennoji, 1-1-18 Shitennoji Tennoji-ku (5 min walk from Shitennoji-mae-Yuhiga-oka Station on subway, or 15 min by walk to north from Tennoji Station), originally built by Emperor Suiko in 593 AD. Although the current buildings are mostly post WWII reconstructions, the temple is a rare sample which conveys the continental style (notably the positioning of the individual buildings inside the complex) of 6th - 7th century to our date.
Japan Mint 1-1-79, Temma Kita-ku (15 min by walk from subway Temmabashi Station),.

It's not widely known even by people from elsewhere in the country that Japan Mint is actually headquartered in Osaka. For Osakans, Sakura-no-torinuke (, cherry blossom tunnel road) is a synonym for this facility, attracting a large number of visitors (close to 1 million in just 7 days) during a limited, planned week of mid-Apr. A must-see if you are fond of nature and happen to drop into Osaka in season. Admission free. Check for official announcement beforehand.

Tsutenkaku  While the original tower was built early 20th century, the current "newer" version is designed by the same Prof. Naito, who also designed Tokyo Tower. This landmark built in the middle of Shinsekai (???) area is a symbol of reconstruction of the City of Osaka post WWII.