Things to do in Suita

2026 Global 100 - Best Things to Do

Universal Studios Japan

Here you'll find not only heart-pounding attractions themed around Hollywood blockbuster movies, but also live shows featuring popular cartoon characters—fun for everyone from kids to adults! This is home to the world's first Nintendo theme park, where you can immerse yourself in the world of Super Mario! Here we have holiday-exclusive parades and float tours! Everyone here is the star—join the passionate parade, ignite your excitement together, and feel full of energy! Located in OsakaUniversal Studios Japan("Universal Studios Japan") is one of the Universal Studios theme parks. It opened in 2001 and is a classic and wonderful world of fun in the hearts of many visitors. Its design is similar to Universal Studios Orlando in the United States, and it features popular areas such as "Jurassic Park," "Hollywood," and "Waterworld." With more than 60 fun attractions, you can keep playing and exploring all day long. Universal Studios JapanThere are also much-loved themed IP areas such as "Super Nintendo World (Mario/Super Mario)", "Minions", and "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter". Whether you're having fun interacting with the Minions, racing through the Mario Kart adventure, or weaving through the magical world of Hogwarts, these are all wonderfully unforgettable experiences. △The Nintendo area is a collaboration between Nintendo andUniversal Studios JapanThe world's first Nintendo theme park, jointly built, features the globally popular Super Mario as its main character. It offers a 1:1 ultra-realistic recreation of Bowser's Castle, Princess Peach's Castle, and the Mushroom Kingdom from the game, allowing you to immerse yourself in the world of Super Mario! △"Despicable Me Minion Mayhem" and "Freeze Ray Sliders" pull you into the Minions' gigantic chaos and whip up a heatwave! A huge swarm of Minions is running wild and turning everything upside down in every street, alley, and corner! In the joyful and boisterous Minion Park, every visitor can't help but join in the mischievous mayhem! △Welcome to the magnificent area—The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, which faithfully recreates the world of the Harry Potter™ stories with overwhelming scale and meticulous attention to every detail. The towering Hogwarts™ castle stands tall, and in front of it lies the vast Hogsmeade™ where wizards live, along with many ride attractions and various shops. Here, you can step into "that world" from the films, as if everything is happening right before your eyes.

2026 Global 50 - Spring Outings

Osaka Castle Park

Located in central Osaka, Osaka Castle Park is a historical park centered around the ruins of Osaka Castle. The park's most striking structure is the Osaka Castle Main Tower, and from its top floor you can take in a panoramic view of the Osaka Plain and the surrounding cityscape. The park is also a well-known flower-viewing spot in Osaka. Nishinomaru Garden is famous for its cherry blossoms and offers evening cherry blossom viewing in spring; the plum grove is planted with many varieties of plum trees that often bloom first in early spring; the northern area also has a peach grove and the densely wooded Forest of Remembrance. Flowers bloom in turn throughout the four seasons, so visitors at different times can enjoy different scenery. The park also has performance venues such as the Osaka Castle Hall and the Music Hall, as well as sports facilities including a softball field, a rugby and soccer field, an archery range, and the Shudokan. Residents often come here to exercise and relax on ordinary days, and visitors can also feel the everyday life of this historical park. The walkway beside the moat's stone wall offers a wide open view, making it a great spot to capture the castle keep and flowers in the same frame. Around the main keep, many stone walls built of massive boulders remain, and the stone walls on both sides of the moat rise steeply, majestic and imposing, making them important remains of the Osaka Castle defensive system from the Tokugawa period.

2026 Global 100 - Night Attractions

Umeda Sky Building

•Unfind with the sky •A building connected by the Kuchu Teien Observatory •Take in the Osaka cityscape with a bird's-eye view from the 360-degree open air rooftop The Umeda Sky Building is located in the Umeda district of north Osaka. A rather uniquely designed building, it consists of two towers that are connected at with a rooftop observatory deck, from which visitors can view the dazzling streets below. The building has become a landmark in Osaka, with visitors coming to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. △ Space filled with excitement on the way to the sky  △ A 360-degree open air rooftop observation floor for changing views at any time △ Stand at the 173-meter-high Sky Garden Observation Deck and enjoy the dynamic night view of Osaka City

No. 6 of Best Things to Do in Kansai Region

Osaka Castle Museum

The Osaka Castle Museum is the core structure of Osaka Castle. In 1583, Toyotomi Hideyoshi began construction of the castle here, earning it the nickname "Hideyoshi's castle." The current museum, seen today, is a reinforced concrete reconstruction completed in 1931 based on the design from the Toyotomi era. Its interior has been converted into a museum showcasing the history of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Osaka Castle. Standing atop a tall stone foundation, the building features white walls adorned with green roof tiles. Its upturned eaves are decorated with gold-leaf tigers and golden shachihoko (mythical creatures with tiger heads and fish bodies), making it an instantly recognizable landmark of Osaka. Visiting the tower and viewing exhibitions are the main activities here: the small theater on the first floor loops several short films about Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Osaka Castle, with Chinese subtitles; the second floor introduces basic knowledge about Osaka Castle and Japanese castles, where visitors can try on restored Sengoku-period helmets and jinbaori for photos, with optional women's kosode available, and also see full-scale replicas of the golden shachihoko and crouching tiger roof ornaments; the third and fourth floors display historical materials about Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the Sengoku period, which are rotated approximately every two months, with the third floor also featuring a restored model of the golden tea room and Osaka Castle models from both the Toyotomi and Tokugawa periods—note that photography is prohibited on these two floors; the fifth floor recreates the fierce battle scenes from the "Summer Siege of Osaka" folding screens using miniature figurines and projections; the seventh floor's "Mechanized Taikoki" uses dynamic miniature dioramas to depict Hideyoshi's life from humble origins to unifying the nation; the eighth floor is an observation deck approximately 50 m above ground, offering panoramic views of Osaka Castle Park and the cityscape. The elevator inside the building only goes up to the fifth floor directly, and the remaining floors require stairs, so visitors with elderly or young children should plan accordingly. The surrounding scenery offers seasonal highlights: cherry blossoms bloom in clusters along the moat and in the park during spring, while fall foliage contrasts with stone walls and white walls, making it another photogenic season beyond the castle tower.

2026 Global 100 - Night Attractions

Abeno Harukas 300 Observatory

Located on the 58th to 60th floors of the Abeno Harukas Building in Osaka, Abeno Harukas 300 Observatory is a 360-degree observation platform standing 300 m above ground. Take the high-speed elevator from the 16th floor directly to the top, where starlight projections flow along the elevator walls as it ascends, adding a sense of ceremony to the journey to the summit. The "Sky Corridor" on the 60th floor is the centerpiece of the observation deck, encircled entirely by floor-to-ceiling glass that offers a 360-degree view over the whole of Osaka. On clear days, the view stretches to distant mountains and the Kansai Plain; by day you can watch the city's texture unfold, and at night the lights merge into a sea of illumination—each face has its own appeal. The 58th floor houses the semi-outdoor Sky Garden 300, where tables and chairs are set on a wooden terrace with coffee and desserts available, letting you rest and take in the scenery in the open air; the 59th floor is a souvenir shop selling merchandise from the Abeno Bear series. What is rather unusual is that the walls of the observation deck's restrooms are also fitted with floor-to-ceiling windows, which many visitors jokingly call the "sky-view toilet," making it an unexpected photo spot. The observation deck also features an outdoor skywalk, where visitors can experience the thrill of walking high above the building's exterior. There is also a helipad tour experience, suitable for visitors seeking high-altitude views. The building's name "Harukas" comes from the ancient Japanese word "harukasu," meaning "clear and bright," which perfectly echoes the feeling of looking down from the observation deck with its expansive, open view. Abeno Harukas is a 300m-tall super high-rise complex located near JR Kintetsu Osaka Abenobashi Station Directly connected to Tennoji Station on the Osaka subway. There are various shops, the Abeno Harukas 300 Observatory, art museums, and hotels here, so you can enjoy the area all day long. A variety of exquisite cuisines are also available, including lunch and desserts, which you can enjoy while taking in the magnificent views of Osaka.

Umeda

Located in the north of Osaka, Umeda is one of the city's major commercial and business districts. With Osaka Station at its center, the area gradually developed into shopping region with department stores and restaurants surrounded by skyscrapers. Attractions such as the Umeda Sky Building and various five star hotels are also in the vicinity.

Selected for Best Things to Do in Japan

Osaka Castle

Located in the center of Osaka, Osaka Castle is a major landmark of Osaka. It is also listed as one of the three famous castles in Japan's history together with Nagoya Castle and Kumamoto Castle. The Osaka Castle is divided into inner, middle, and outer castles (i.e., Honmaru, Ninomaru, Sannomaru). The magnificent city gate, the steep walls and the wide moats inside and outside are very spectacular. The pavilion also overlooks the streetscape around Osaka Castle. In the parks of the castle, plum blossoms and cherry blossoms bloom in their respective seasons, and they are famous places to enjoy plum and cherry blossoms in Osaka.

2026 Global 100 - Family-friendly Attractions

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is a large aquarium themed around the Pacific Ocean, with a visitor route designed as a journey of "diving from land to the seabed": upon entering, you first pass through the tunnel-shaped tank "Water Gate" and watch tropical fish swim overhead; then take a long escalator directly to the top floor, starting from the sunlit "Japan Forest" tank, searching for stream creatures amid the sound of waterfalls and the greenery of streams; then descend floor by floor along a spiral ramp, circling the central "Pacific Ocean" giant tank and passing in sequence through exhibition areas such as the Tasman Sea, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Japan Trench. The same tank reappears repeatedly as you move between floors, offering different views from above, at eye level, and from below, so that walking the whole route feels like diving a full circle around the Pacific Ocean. The aquarium is home to over 600 species and tens of thousands of marine creatures. The core "Pacific Ocean" tank is approx. 9 m deep and holds over 5,000 tons of water, where the iconic whale shark swims leisurely, accompanied by large manta rays flapping their "wings" and schools of silver fish circling in the current; in the "Tasman Sea" tank, bottlenose dolphins swim with agile, dynamic grace; the "Arctic Circle" exhibition area uses two levels to recreate the ice surface and the seawater beneath it, with ringed seals darting near the ice edge; in the dimly lit "Sea Moon Galaxy," jellyfish glow and fade slowly like suspended star clusters, making it a popular photo spot in the aquarium. It is recommended to set aside at least half a day for your visit. Crowds tend to gather around the central large tank, so as you walk down the ramp, pay attention to the small and medium-sized tanks on both sides. Exhibits such as the penguins and sea lions are scattered along the route, and it is easy to miss them if you rush through.

No. 4 of Activities in Japan

Hot Springs in Osaka

2026 Global 50 - Hot Springs Attractions

Solaniwa Onsen Osaka Bay Tower

We offer a variety of baths and saunas, including an open-air hot spring bath with flowing source water, a garden-view bath overlooking the vast garden, carbonated springs, and rotating baths, as well as body scrubbing. A place to heal your daily fatigue and recharge your energy for tomorrow, Solaniwa Onsen Osaka Bay Tower. Step back in time to the Azuchi-Momoyama period! This unique space blends traditional Japanese charm with modern elegance, offering an unprecedented experience. Enjoy natural open-air hot springs, foot baths, stone saunas, relaxation areas, Japanese cuisine, wagashi sweets, and a rooftop Japanese garden—all while wearing yukata robes to immerse yourself in the ambiance of ancient times for a truly special moment. Hot spring Soraniwa Onsen boasts garden-view baths overlooking a vast Japanese garden, along with nine types of baths including open-air baths fed by natural hot springs (hypotonic, weakly alkaline, and high-temperature) drawn from 1,000 meters underground. These baths are expected to help with neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain, bruises, sprains, hemorrhoids, cold sensitivity, fatigue recovery, and overall health improvement. Private open-air bath We offer 10 completely private rooms with open-air hot spring baths fed by flowing source water and small gardens. There are 2 special rooms recommended for 4-6 guests, 7 private rooms for up to 4 guests, and 1 private room with a tent sauna. Enjoy the natural hot spring "beauty skin water" with flowing source water in your private space. Ganbanyoku (stone spa) The seven types of stone baths at Nekkaze Yokocho warm your body from the core with far-infrared rays, promoting health, beauty, and relaxation through deep sweating effects. Meal Enjoy a variety of food, from seasonal delicacies to photogenic sweets! Enjoy a colorful menu featuring festival-style food stalls, dining spots that delight both the eyes and the palate, and tea houses proud of their Instagram-worthy sweets. Access About 10 minutes by train from Osaka Station (Umeda Station)! JR/Osaka Metro Bentencho Station is right there. , Route from JR Bentencho Stationhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/GoFE3G4CNT4?rel=0&autoplay=1&mute=1 Route from Osaka Metro Bentencho Stationhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/3VB--bjnJfI?rel=0&autoplay=1&mute=1