The Osaka Bay Area is a collection of young city districts on man-made waterfront islands and peninsulas, built to accommodate Osaka's sprawling growth. The districts host a variety of tourist attractions, such as museums, theme parks, observatories and shopping centers. Osaka's domestic and international port facilities are also found in the area.
Tempozan Harbor Village:
The Chuo Subway Line conveniently connects Tempozan Harbor Village with central Osaka in under 20 minutes. The district offers pleasant shopping and entertainment facilities. It is centered around Tempozan Marketplace, a medium sized mall around which the Ferris wheel and aquarium are located.
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Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan)
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Hours: 10:00 to 20:00 (entry until 19:00)
Admission: 2000 yen
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Kaiyukan's feature attraction is a massive tank that holds 5,400 tons of water and a whale shark. It is one of the world's largest tanks. In total, the aquarium displays a wide variety of marine life spread over 15 different tanks with over 11,000 tons of water.
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Tempozan Ferris Wheel
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Hours: 10:00 to 22:00 (entry until 21:30)
Admission: 700 yen
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The Tempozan Ferris Wheel is the city's largest. It offers far-reaching, panoramic views of the bay area and the city's skyscrapers beyond from a height of 112.5 meters. It is located just next to the Tempozan Marketplace and Osaka Aquarium.
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Naniwa Food Theme Park
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Hours: 11:00 to 20:00
Admission:Free
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Naniwa Kuishinbo is a food theme park, located inside the Tempozan Marketplace shopping mall. Its stalls showcase Osaka's variety of native dishes and specialties, such as takoyaki and okonomiyaki, all set in a fun, old-style atmosphere.
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Mount Tempozan
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Mount Tempozan has the distinction of being Japan's smallest mountain. Its summit is 4.53 meters above sea level, and is located only a few steps from the Ferris wheel. The area has been developed into a small park with benches, walkways and green space.
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Sakishima Island and Cosmo Square:
Many of Sakishima Island's facilities are designed to accommodate business conferences and trade fairs. However, there also a few interesting attractions for regular tourists, such as the observation deck of the Sakishima Building and the shopping mall in the Asia Pacific Trade Center. Concert goers might also find themselves visiting a live music show at Zepp Osaka.
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Sakishima Building (formerly known as World Trade Center)
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Observatory: 13:00 to 22:00 (from 11:00 on weekends)
Observatory Admission: 800 yen
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Sakishima Island's tallest building offers a spectacular observation deck on its 55th floor at 256 meters above ground. Restaurants and shops are found on the lower and top floors, while offices and conference rooms occupy the many floors in between.
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Asia Pacific Trade Center
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Mall Hours: 10:00 to 19:00
Admission: Free
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The Asia Pacific Trade Center is attached to a large mall with popular shopping and dining facilities. The site was designed to host business gatherings and host events, and has large conference facilities for this purpose.
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Nanko Bird Sanctuary
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Hours: 9:00 to 17:00
Closed: Wednesdays
Admission: Free
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The Bird Sanctuary was built on the northwestern corner of Sakishima Island to provide migratory birds with a stop-over location in the huge urbanized area of Osaka. The sanctuary has a building from which to watch and learn about birds.
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Sakurajima Island:
Sakurajima Island's main attraction is Universal Studios Japan, a popular theme park that opened its doors in 2001.
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Universal Studios Japan
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Hours: Varies by season
Admission: 6200 yen (one day pass)
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Universal Studios Japan (USJ) features rides and shows based on some of the film studio's most popular films, including Spiderman, Jurassic Park, Terminator 2, Jaws and Shrek. The park has many themed restaurants and cafes, as well as shops offering unique souvenirs.
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