Kitahama is a riverside district located within the buzzing Chuo Ward of Osaka. It blends a slick financial district with natural attractions, museums and waterside dining. Running along the shores of the Tosabori River, Kitahama is an enjoyable alternative to the neon-lit shopping and nightlife zones of downtown Osaka.
Bridges cross to Nakanoshima, a 1.9-mile (3-kilometer) long sandbank set between the Dojima and Tosabori rivers. Stroll between brightly hued roses and manicured lawns in Nakanoshima Rose Garden, which is one of the city’s oldest public parks. The park is a popular spot for dog-walking, photo shoots and yoga. Drink and dine at a beer garden and watch as the Nakanoshima-koen Kensaki Fountain shoots water into the river.
Stay on the sandbank and visit the Museum of Oriental Ceramics. Exhibitions showcase over 2,000 years of ceramic art and pottery from China, Korea, Japan and other parts of Asia. Close by, the Osaka City Central Public Hall is a spectacular example of elegant neo-renaissance architecture. Learn about the building’s history via museum artifacts, attend concerts and admire its illumination during the wintertime Osaka Festival of Lights.
Another attraction worth visiting on Nakanoshima is The National Museum of Art. Set entirely underground, it showcases works by artists such as Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miró and Yasuo Kuniyoshi.
Journey into outer space via dozens of child-friendly and interactive exhibits at the Osaka Science Museum. Don’t miss live science experiments and the space-themed movies in the planetarium.
Historical landmarks sit nestled amid the area’s park and office buildings. Tekijuku is an old wooden school building that dates backs to the Edo period. Observe spiritual devotion to the Shinto god of medicine at Sukunahikona Shrine.
Kitahama is quieter on weekends, when it is all-but devoid of the weekday office workers. Travel here by taking the metro to any of the Kitahama, Naniwabashi and Yodoyabashi stations. The energetic dining and entertainment zones of Fukushima and Minami are quick train rides away.
