The Story of Osaka

Sumiyoshi Taisha is recognizable by the Sorihashi Bridge, a steeply arched red structure that spans a quiet pond and serves as a formal entrance to the shrine grounds. Founded in two hundred eleven, this is one of Japan’s oldest and most…

Abeno Harukas is a three hundred meter tall skyscraper in the Abeno ward of Osaka that defines the southern skyline with its massive, stepped glass profile. Completed in March two thousand fourteen, the sixty-story tower was designed as a…

Shitennō-ji is recognized as the first state-established Buddhist temple in Japan, commissioned in five hundred ninety-three by Prince Shōtoku. You can identify the complex by its strict, south-to-north architectural axis, which aligns a…

Tsutenkaku is an iron observation tower rising over the Shinsekai district, recognizable by its eight-sided frame and the illuminated clock faces near its summit. The name translates to a tower reaching heaven, a title bestowed by the…

The Glico Running Man appears above the Ebisubashi Bridge as a glowing figure captured mid-stride on a blue track. This illuminated display first appeared in nineteen thirty-five, created by the Ezaki Glico company to promote their caramel…

Osaka Castle features high, sheer stone walls that rise from deep, wide moats to support a five-story main tower. The structure consists of white walls decorated with gold trim. Toyotomi Hideyoshi began construction in fifteen…

The Osaka City Central Public Hall is defined by its striking red brick exterior accented with white granite, a Neo-Renaissance landmark on the Nakanoshima sandbank. Completed in nineteen eighteen, the building features an arched roof and…

The Umeda Sky Building is identifiable by its twin forty-story glass towers, which are bridged at the very top by a circular, open-air structure known as the Floating Garden Observatory. Completed in nineteen ninety-three and designed by…