6 Spots to Visit This Winter
& Saving Cash with the Osaka E-pass［PR］

And just like that, it’s wintertime in Osaka.
How do you like to spend your time in the cold season?
I know plenty of people don’t like to go out in the cold, but Osaka has beautiful illuminations (light displays) all over the prefecture and plenty of indoor places where you can avoid the cold. 

Here are 6 of Osaka’s best winter spots. Don’t let the cold keep you from enjoying your time in Osaka!

■Champagne Gold Illumination at Grand Front Osaka

Let’s start with the light displays. This is the Champagne Gold Illumination that’s on at Grand Front Osaka, in the Osaka Station/Umeda area.

This light display is made up of over 330,000 LED lights in a gorgeous champagne gold color scheme that brightens the Grand Front Osaka area. Umekita Plaza is just north of JR Osaka Station and nice for walking around, especially when it is lit at night.

And just look at Ted Hyber. This big teddy bear sculpture is just chilling in the water in his Harry Potter robes. I hope that scarf is keeping him warm!

It’s so pretty, a lot of people get their cameras out, especially with this shot of Umeda Sky Building in the background.

■Osaka History in Lights at the Osaka-jo Castle Illuminage

This one can’t go without mentioning!

After 2 years, the Osaka-jo Castle Illuminage is back! Walk through the bright neon labyrinth and you’ll find yourself in a display focussed on Osaka history. Motifs include Osaka history from the Edo period (1603–1867) through modern times. It’s actually quite impressive how many displays there are!

From prominent historical figures like Toyotomi Hideyoshi, to the Osaka Castle’s Main Tower, to the original Tsutenkaku, and Tennoji Zoo, there are so many amazing displays.

Ultraman!
The 27th episode “The Monster Prince, Pt. 2” which was broadcast in 1967 and includes a famous fight scene at Osaka Castle. Here’s the neon recreation of the battle between Ultraman and Gomora.

■Climate Controlled Cruise—Osaka Suijo Bus, Aqua-Liner

The light displays are wonderful, but for those of you who don’t want to be outside at night in the cold, there are plenty of other activities. Here come 4 great things you can do while staying comfortable indoors!
First up, the Aqua-Liner cruise.

The boat departs on the north side of Osaka Castle and will take you upstream on the О̄ River. This city is known as Japan’s Aquametropolis because of all the rivers and it’s fun to see some of the famous places and historic spots from the water.

Being in a boat provides you with a totally new perspective to see the city. And the reason I love the Aqua-Liner is because it is enclosed. No matter what the weather, cold, hot, rain, or shine, the temperature is controlled and it’s absolutely cozy.

The ceiling is glass so it is bright inside the boat.
The cruise takes about 40 minutes and is a great way to see the city.

The boarding location is at the Osaka Castle Pier, a quick 3-minute walk from Osakajokoen Station on the JR Osaka Loop Line. And there are nice cafes inside JO-TERRACE OSAKA, which you’ll see on your way to the dock. Stop in for a coffee before or after your ride.

■Osaka Vibes in Shinsekai

Tsutenkaku stands tall in one of Osaka’s most iconic neighborhoods.

I’m sure a lot of people are familiar with this scenery. This is one of Osaka’s most beloved neighborhoods—Shinsekai—known for delicious kushikatsu (fried skewers) and that famous Tsutenkaku Tower. It was originally designed to look like the Eiffel Tower, so some people call it Osaka’s Eiffel Tower, although the resemblance has faded with this second incarnation. Take the elevator up to the 5th floor to view the surrounding neighborhood from the 87.5 meter observation deck.

The view is pretty good! And you can get a close look at Japan’s tallest building—Abeno Harukas—which is so close by.
The resident deity Billiken statue is supposed to bring good luck if you rub the soles of his feet.

Actually, now because of Covid, you’re supposed to social-distance touch his feet. But you still get the same good luck!

The observation deck has more to offer too! There is a section with artwork from the Osaka artist duo Yudetamago, creators of the hit manga Kinnikuman. Plus there’s a diorama showcasing the Shisekai neighborhood with the original version of Tsutenkaku Tower. There’s also a modern Japanese-style garden, Tsutenkaku Teien, on the 3rd floor if you’d like a breath of fresh air.

And there’s something else to see and do at Tsutenkaku!

Take a trip down the outside of the tower on the 22 meters tall TOWER SLIDER. Travel the 60 meter slide in 10 seconds!
When you consider all the things you can do at this one observation deck, it starts to look pretty impressive, doesn’t it?

■Experience life in the past at the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living

This model city will take you back in time to the late Edo period (1603–1867), an exciting time in the history of Japan.

These recreated streets are named Osaka-machi 3-chome, and are modeled after the shops and houses of the 1830s. The imaginary town was designed to be historically accurate with attention to detail from the museum curator and expert supervision.

Everything about it feels so real. You can stroll about freely and take whatever phots you want. This is the closest you can get to time-traveling to the Edo period (1603–1867). There are also floors dedicated to life in Osaka during the Meiji era (1868–1912), Taisho era (1912–1926), and Showa period (1926–1989) as well. Plus there are models of buildings and scenes from the Contemporary Period in Osaka. They’re so detailed, you’ll be impressed to see how Osaka looked in recent history.

The funny thing is that even though most visitors to the museum didn’t actually live in Osaka during this time period, most people say they experienced some sort of nostalgia when looking at the exhibits.
The museum is located right above Tenjinbashisuji 6-chome Station on the Osaka Metro. It’s all indoors, so it’s a great place to visit when the weather is bad. You can get into the museum without needing an umbrella on a rainy day and you won’t need to face the cold either.

■Family friendly Fun! Legoland® Discovery Center Osaka

Finally, I’d recommend a visit to Legoland® Discovery Center Osaka in the Osaka Bay Area. If you’ve been to the Bay Area before, you’re probably familiar with Tempozan Market place. Remember that giant giraffe made of Lego® bricks?

Legoland® Discovery Center Osaka is popular with kids and adults because its got lots of attractions indoors. There is a lot to play with and a lot of creativity packed into one place. The soft blocks and Duplo® Farm® play zones are great for young kids.

And you can learn about how Lego® bricks are produced in the factory.

There’s also a Lego® Studio 4D cinema with a huge screen. Try to scream too loud with excitement!

The huge slide in the Lego® City play zone is great for kids and you can learn how to build your own masterpiece at the Master Builder Academy. If you like Lego®, you’ll love this collection of play zones and attractions. 
Don’t miss the model of Osaka made of over 1 million bricks!

■Save Money with the Osaka E-pass!

What did you think about the 6 spots I introduced above?
In case you’re ready to visit Osaka, here are some deals to keep in mind. The Osaka E-pass will get you into over 20 establishments for free and it’s an E-ticket. It utilizes cashless payment options and it’s easy to use. Just show your QR code at the entrance and the admission process is so smooth.

▼Info on how to use the pass in this article

I tried the pass and visited lots of popular places in Osaka! Read more here.（https://maido-bob.osaka/2021/11/17/osaka-e-pass-popular/）

The places I mentioned above, Osaka Suijo Bus Aqua-Liner, Tsutenkaku Tower, Osaka Museum of Housing and Living, Legoland® Discovery Center Osaka are all included in the pass. If you went to all these places and paid out of pocket, admission would total ¥5,900. But with the E-pass, you can get in for only ¥2,000. Isn’t that a great deal!
Get your pass now on one of the following websites:

• DeepExperience（https://www.deep-exp.com/ja/osaka）
• Klook（https://www.klook.com/ja/）
• KKday（https://www.kkday.com/ja）

And with that, I’ll leave you to enjoy your wintertime in Osaka. Have a great time out there!

▼Related Articles:
A day with the Osaka e-Pass!
Save time and money on your trip［PR］