Osaka
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This Observatory In Osaka Offers Breathtaking Views Of The City
There’s a plethora of things to see, eat, and do while in Osaka. One of the most popular attractions in the city is the Kuchu Teien Observatory in Osaka.
Kuchu Teien Observatory In Osaka
Located in the Umeda Sky Building, this observatory in Osaka provides a 360-degree view of Osaka from various floors in a 40-story high building.
Tickets cost 1,500 yen, ($9.50 USD). To enter Kuchu Teien you first enter on the 3rd floor where an elevator will take you all the way to the 35th floor.
From here you take an escalator from the 35th floor to 39th floor. If you’re not a fan of heights you probably don’t want to look to your left or right while on this escalator ride. Both sides of the escalator are enclosed in glass. As you go up you can see the city, it’s kind of like you’re floating in the air. It’s definitely a bit of an experience.
All the floors here are circular and provide 360-degree views of the city. The 39th floor is the first floor you can walk around in the observatory in Osaka. It contains a Gallery Shop, a Chinese Restaurant, and a Sky Lounge as well.
The 40th floor provides the same views as the 39th and has an additional Cafe where you can grab some food and a drink and take a seat to soak in the views of the city.
There’s also a couple of small exhibits on this floor that shows the history of the Umeda Sky Building and how it was constructed.
Once you spend some time on the 40th floor it’s time to head up to the rooftop. This is where the Skywalk is located. This is a circular walkway around the rooftop that provides the same types of views as the 39th and 40th floors but obviously without the windows!
I’m glad I went at night and was able to see the city fully lit up. The views are quite spectacular!
The rooftop also provides a great view of the middle of the building and how high up you really are. The design of this portion of the building is definitely quite interesting. Especially when you see the escalators which look like they’re floating in the air.
Is The Kuchu Teien Observatory In Osaka Worth Visiting?
If you’re a fan of observatory’s and views of city landscapes then you’ll definitely want to check out Kuchu Teien Observatory In Osaka. It’s a fun attraction (the escalator ride and feeling of floating about 35 floors up in the air is quite an experience) and the way the building is designed in itself is something worth gawking at. For about $10 USD this won’t break the bank either so it’s something that’s pretty fair in price. If heights aren’t your thing you may not enjoy this. The “floating” escalators may not jive well with you, nor the Skywalk. I’m not a fan of heights myself but found these elements of the attractions to be fine though.
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Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan: One Of The Best Aquariums In Japan
Located within the Minato ward near the Osaka bay area, Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is a major attraction within Japan’s third largest city.
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Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
Home to over 30,000 sea creatures and 620 species, this is a massive aquarium. With over 15 large tanks there’s a lot to see and take in at the facility. Each tank represents a different region of the Pacific Rim, traversing through the Pacific Ocean. You’ll see all manner of aquatic sea life here ranging from otters, sea lions, penguins, dolphins, whale sharks, rays, and jellyfish, just to name a few.
What’s great about the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is the way these tanks are presented to you. You first enter and walk through the overhead aquarium tunnel. Then you make your way up to the 8th floor and spiral down floor by floor. Some of the tanks can be observed from multiple floors so you can see the animals at different depths. It’s a really cool experience.
The Pacific Ocean tank
The highlight of all of these impressive tanks is the “Pacific Ocean”.
The tank is 9 meters deep, 34 meters long and contains 5,400 tons of water. This is a truly massive tank wihch can be viewed from multiple levels. There’s a TON of species swimming around within the tank. The main attractions being the massive whale sharks, the largest fish species in the world. There’s also some seating locations in some areas around the tank. It’s quite mesmerizing to watch if you’re able to find a seat and just chill and watch for a time.
The Overall Experience
If you enjoy aquariums than Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan will be a must visit while in Osaka. It’s a world class level aquarium and is certainly worth the entrance fee (2700 yen, $17.33 USD). As you can imagine, this is a very popular attraction and you can expect big crowds here.
I went in the evening, about 3 hours before closing (it closes at 8 pm) which seemed to help with the crowds. There wasn’t any line to purchase a ticket at that time and the exhibits, while crowded, weren’t too bad. You can easily spend over 3 hours here so you will want to give yourself ample time to enjoy all the tanks and not feel like you have to speed run through it all.
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Stunning Osaka Castle Is One Of The Most Popular Places To Visit In Osaka
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Osaka Castle History
Osaka Castle has over a 450 year history dating back to 1583 when the feudal lord Hideyoshi Toyotomi built the first iteration of the castle. The castle has been destroyed numerous times mainly due to war and fire but has been re-built afterwards each and every time during its exisitence. The last re-build occurred in 1931 when the castle tower was re-built. Although damaged during World War II, the main structure remained intact and was recognized as a historic site by the Japanese government in the 1950s.
Today’s Osaka Castle
Today, Osaka Castle is one of the most popular tourist attractions in not only Osaka, but all of Japan. When you get to the castle park and walk around, you have a great view of the castle towering over the premises, you can understand why it’s a tourist favorite. I was lucky to go on a clear, beautiful day, and the tower sitting on high was really a magnificent sight.
The area within the castle grounds contains citadels, gates, turrets, massive stone walls, and huge moats. It’s a great area to walk around to appreciate all of the impressive architecture. The stone walls are comprised of an estimated 500,000 – 1 million stones. The moat walls stand over 65 ft and are 295 ft wide. They’re certainly an impressive sight as you walk amongst them.
There’s two separate moats which encircle the castle and the castle park. Both are huge and provide a nice walk if you have the time and really want to take in views of the entire premises and see the castle from all angles.
The inside of the castle is completely modern and is a museum that provides the history of both Hideyoshi Toyotomi and the castle. The very top of the museum provides a great view of the castle grounds and of the surrounding Osaka area. You do have to pay a small entrance fee in order to enter the museum. The museum is interesting, especially if you’re a museum fan or history buff, but it would have been great if they had tried to re-construct how the castle may have once looked at the height of its powers. Wishful thinking.
While the castle itself is the highlight, the surrounding Osaka Castle Park is very large as well. It’s about 2 square km with lots of green space. It’s really a green oasis within Osaka. It really is a nice area to just take a stroll through. You can easily bring some snacks and drinks and just hangout in this area for a nice little break from all the sight-seeing.
The park gets very popular during cherry blossom season due to its abundance of cherry blossom trees in the area, which I imagine would be quite stunning. The fall colors within the Osaka Castle Park would be sight to behold as well.
Is Osaka Castle Worth Visiting?
If you’re visiting Osaka, the Osaka Castle is most likely one of the bigger attractions you’re looking to visit. If it’s not, it should be. It really is one of the bigger attractions in all of Japan and one of its most famous castles. Once you get there and start walking around the Osaka Castle Park, cross over the moat bridge into the inner Osaka Castle grounds, you’ll understand why the castle is such a popular destination.
In a sense, you feel like you’ve been transported back in time once you’re walking around the enormous stone walls and stand up on them and look out over the moat. It’s really a spectacle that needs to be experienced if you’re in Osaka!
