Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SIGHTS
OSAKA-JŌ
(
大阪城
; 6941-3044; 1-1 Osaka-jō, Chūō-ku; admission grounds free, castle keep ¥600; 9am-5pm, 9am-7pm
Aug; JR Osaka Loop line to Osaka-jō-kōen)
Osaka's most popular attraction is a 1931 concrete re-
construction of the original castle, which was completed in 1583 as a display of power on
the part of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Refurbished at great cost in 1997, today's castle has a de-
cidedly modern look. The interior of the castle houses a museum of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
memorabilia, as well as displays relating the history of the castle.
| CASTLE
Ōte-mon
, the gate that serves as the main entrance to the park, is a 10-minute walk
northeast of Tanimachi-yonchōme Station on the Chūō and Tanimachi subway lines. You
can also take the Osaka loop line; get off at Osaka-jō-kōen Station and enter through the
back of the castle.
OSAKA MUSEUM OF HISTORY
(
大阪歴史博物館
; Osaka Rekishi Hakubutsukan; 6946-5728; 4-1-32 Ōtemae, Chūō-ku; admission ¥600;
9.30am-5pm Sat-Mon & Wed-Thu, 9.30am-8pm Fri; Tanimachi subway line to Tanimachi-yonchōme)
Just south-
west of Osaka-jō, the excellent Osaka Museum of History is housed in a fantastic new
building adjoining the Osaka NHK Broadcast Center. It occupies the 7th to 10th floors of
the new sail-shaped building.
| MUSEUM
The displays are broken into four sections by floor; you start at the top and work your
way down, passing through time from the past to the present. The displays are very well
done and there are plenty of English explanations; taped tours are available.
The museum is a two-minute walk northeast of Tanimachi-yonchōme Station.
DŌTOMBORI
( Midō-suji subway line to Shinsaibashi or Namba stations)
Dōtombori is Osaka's liveliest nightlife
strip of restaurants and theatres where a peculiar type of Darwinism is the rule for both
people and shops: survival of the flashiest. In the evening, head to
Ebisu-bashi
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
bridge to sample the glittering nightscape, which brings to mind a scene from
the science-fiction movie
Blade Runner
. Nearby, the banks of the Dōtombori-gawa have
recently been turned into attractive pedestrian walkways and this is the best vantage point
for the neon madness above.
| NEIGHBOURHOOD
Only a short walk south of Dōtombori Arcade you'll find
Hōzen-ji
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
, a tiny temple hidden down a narrow alley. The temple is built around a moss-covered
