Attractions
Osaka Sea Tourism Hall/Tenpusan Ferris Wheel
The Osaka Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the world, famous for its huge whale sharks. There are over 15 large tanks representing specific areas around the Pacific Ocean, so kids can enjoy a trip around the Pacific Rim.
The Treasure Mountain Ferris Wheel is the Bay Area's most attractive facility, one of the largest, tallest and most technologically advanced Ferris wheels in the world. It takes 15 minutes to make a turn, and from the top you can overlook the city of Osaka, as well as see Kobe's Mt. Laukasan from the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge that crosses the ocean. At nightfall, the lights on the Ferris wheel forecast the weather for the next day. Red means clear, green means cloudy and blue means rain.
Age: 0/2 years old
Access: 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Osaka Port Station on the Chuo Line. (It is also recommended to arrive by boat.)
Legoland Discovery Center
As introduced in the last issue of Kansai Family Tips, next to the Maritime Excursion Hall and Ferris Wheel, some 1 million Legos were used to recreate sightseeing spots and streetscapes around Osaka, such as Tsukiji, Dotonbori, and Hanshin Koshien Stadium.
The Discovery Center has a lot of play areas, large rides, a slide discovery center, LEGO racing car assembly, a play house, a children's slide area, and a light lunch and LEGO vending area, which is especially suitable for little LEGO fans.
Age: 2 years old
Access: Take the Chuo Line to C11 Osaka Port, and take Exit 1 for about a 5- to 7-minute walk.
Tennoji Zoo
The area is over 100,000 square meters. The zoo is on the west side of Tennoja Park and occupies at least half of the park area. The park is home to some 230 species and more than 900 animals, including koalas, raccoons, elephants and Japan's only several-dimensional bird. The exit plaza is just past Abeno, and the location is convenient.
Age: 0 years old
Access: About a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Zoo-mae subway station.
Osaka Children's Plaza
The Children's Plaza has 3 floors and is arguably the best children's playground in Osaka! Inside, there are a variety of rides and interactive experiences, including a "Children's House" with a suspension bridge, a passageway and an indoor slide, a computer workshop, a library, a kitchen, a vocational experience, a ball game experience center, a computer plaza and more. There's also a play area designed specifically for little ones, so kids of all ages can have fun here, and it's worth a full day's play.
Age: 0 years old
Access: Located at JR Osaka Loop Tenman Station, a 5-minute walk west.
Tsuboyama Park
This is a free park with a plaza, fountains, rivers, rock climbing, slides, seesaws and other children's play areas. It is suitable for children who come to Osaka to play in the children's playground.
Age: 0 years old
Access: Located behind Osaka Children's Park.
Osaka Kid
A great indoor children's playground and a mecca for Mama's weekend baby walks in Japan. There are three locations in Osaka. We recommend going to this one, Maiten, in Osaka Maiba. It's the most conveniently located and has the best facilities, as well as a rock climbing area, balance ball area, and tinker play area. This is something you won't find anywhere else. The facilities in the arena are perfect for preschoolers, who can play from age 0!
There is also an area inside where babies up to 18 months can play. Attendants will sometimes take the kids along for the ride, allowing parents to steal a moment to take photos.
Tickets are basically by the hour, and get more expensive the longer you play. If you come early, you can sell one-day vouchers (limited daily). If you buy a one-day voucher, you can come out to eat at noon. In the afternoon, let your child go in and continue to play.
Age: 0 years old
Access: Located at 3F Osaka Daily Omae Daily Station.
Osaka Science Museum
Located on Nakajima Island, next to the Osaka National Museum of International Art. Under the theme of "Universe and Energy", the museum introduces children to the universe and energy in an easy-to-understand way that is "visible, touchable and fun to explore". The Science Museum consists of five exhibition halls with different themes. You can visit from top to bottom and learn science knowledge from children through various interactive ways. It can be played all day long and will not be boring at all.
Age: 5 years old
Access: 10-minute walk from Exit 3 of Flying Monkey Bridge Station on the Yotsubashi Line.
Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
The Past Lives Museum recreates the past lives of Osaka residents, restoring the architecture and prototypes of people's lives at the time. At the museum, children can change into a traditional Japanese bathrobe (for a very cheap fee), have a kimono experience, visit the streets and take pictures like in ancient times, and experience the Japanese way of life in the past. Osaka's old streets, festival models and household items are also on display.
Age: 1.5 years old
Transportation: Take the Hankyu Line, Subway Tanmachi Line, or Fujin Line, and get off at Tosenbashi Kanekin Rokume Station. You can walk directly from Exit 3.
Osaka Castle Park
Osaka's ultra-famous landmark park is located in the center of Osaka and covers a total area of 105.6 hectares. In addition to historical buildings such as the Tenshukaku Pavilion in Osaka, there is also the Nishimura Garden with about 600 cherry blossoms. The park also hosts annual flower shows in spring and fall, as well as nighttime cherry blossom viewing at Nishimaru Garden.
Of course you can enjoy the autumn leaves! There is also a large recreation area where kids can run and jump. Near Osaka Castle, there are lots of people standing in rows for kids to take pictures, and you can feed pigeons or have a picnic here, perfect for walking babies.
Age: 0 years old
Access: Take the JR Osaka Loop Line and get off at Osaka Koen Station, about a 15-minute walk.
Universal Studios Japan
Age: 0 years old
Access: Take the JR Sakurajima Line and get off at Universal Studios () Station.
Osaka Prefectural Big Bang Children's House
The Children's Pavilion is themed around dinosaurs and space and has the appearance of a giant spaceship! On the fourth floor of the Children's Museum is a ride called "Spaceship Workshop". Each level of the museum is packed with fun for kids, with a 53-meter high play tower, 17 climbers, a children's museum, and a toy section with rare versions of old toys.
Age: 3 years old
Transportation: Located at Izumigaoka Station, a 200-meter walk.
Koshien KidZania Children's Career Experience Park
KidZania is an amusement park where children can experience various careers. Children work under the guidance of an instructor and get paid for their work in exchange for gifts.
Since children are hardworking and love to work, those who want to work here go to the official website to book their participation first so that they don't find out that they won't be able to enter the park and play.
KidZania is located in the lalaport mall in Koshien, which is also one of the must-visit malls for Japanese moms and sells mainly children's products.
Age: 3 years old
Access: Get off at Koshien Station on Hanshin Electric Railway and enter lalaport mall.
Toy Park Toy Amusement Park
This is an indoor children's playground with a variety of track toys, play house toys and more.
Age: 2 years old
Access: 4-minute walk from Fukushima Station on the JR Osaka Loop Line.
Kodomonia
Kumbo Park is a sloping park as far as the eye can see. It's actually a complex of shopping malls, parks and cityscapes, and Kodomonia is an indoor children's playground frequented by Japanese children on weekends, with free activities every day.
There are tunnels and mountains made of various materials, as well as an exclusive play area for babies aged 0-3. There is also a merchandise area inside! You can find toys and children's clothing from home and abroad here~
Age: 0 years old
Access: About 10 minutes walk from the East Exit of Osaka Namba Station, located on the 5th floor of Namba Park (NAMBAPARKSNamboPark).
Tips:
NAMBAPARKSMall offers a free "Mom and Dad's Guide to the Mall" at the information desk on the first floor, where you'll find diaper counters in the mall's various breastfeeding rooms and a variety of parent-friendly restaurants and stores. Be sure to bring it with you when you shop here.
Worldspa Expo Spa World
This is a large indoor spa with multiple levels of baths (European and Japanese), one of which is designed for children up to 12 years old and ranges from a water slide to a large water slide.
There is also an indoor children's play area on the 3rd floor for babies. There is also a restaurant and a hotel. The restaurant has a play area for preschoolers. It's also close to the Tsutenkaku viewpoint, which is perfect for children visiting in winter.
Age: 3 years old
Access: Get off at Osaka Subway Zoo-mae Station or JR Shinsinomiya Station.
Manbo Memorial Park
This is the former site of the 1970 Japan World Expo. There are various unique rides for children and a wide lake area where you can step on a swan yacht. If you go to the left, there is a nature and culture park where you can bathe in nature; there is even a large Japanese garden to visit. You can enjoy cherry blossoms in spring and red leaves in November, perfect for baby walks.
EXPOCITY is not only a place to buybuy, but also a place where you can enjoy a wide range of children's attractions! There's NIFREL, the Living Museum, the Earth Museum, the ANIPO Animal Theme Park, the Pokmon Park, and the ShauntheLamb Theme Park! You can definitely spend the whole day here!
Age: 0 years old
Access: After taking the Osaka Monorail to Manbo Memorial Park Station, you can see the transparent Ferris wheel at the exit. To the right of the Ferris wheel is EXPOCITY, a large shopping complex, and to the left, across the bridge, is Manbaku Memorial Park.
In addition to the above super fun family playgrounds, we recommend 3 themed cafes and a cosplay studio that are super special!
Theme cafe + cosplay studio
Moomin Hippo Cafe
The famous cartoon character moomin hippo! This kawaii themed cafe is located on the 6th floor across from Q'sMall in the Abe Nodanuma MIO shopping center (JR Tennoji Station). The location is easy to find. Inside, you'll find not only moomin designs for drinks and desserts, but also a variety of themed items that can be purchased via buybuy.
Happy Owl Cafe
Located on the 2nd floor of the 1921 building in Shinsaibashi, this is the largest owl cafe in Japan. The store has 22 owls of 17 species to meet you! The woodland-themed space has a special owl contact area where you can take close photos with the owls. Kids will love it!
Nenemu Picture Book Cafe
Located at Admiralty Exit 3 on the Yuldangjinjin Line, this is a very popular picture book cafe that has a waiting list all year round! The menu is hand-drawn.
The store is full of picture books and interesting groceries. Both the meals and the coffee are perfectly combined with the contents of the picture books, which is super cool! Kids will absolutely love it~
Cosplay photo booth
A great traditional Japanese kimono photo booth. You can also dress up as a samurai, ninja, geisha or witch. Ranked #2 in Tripadvisor activity and reasonably priced. It's best to make a reservation before you go (official website link here). The staff here is very professional and patient.
Finally, it's buying time! How could there not be a parent-child picture? Mother and baby stores! Here, I recommend four of the best buys!
Mother and baby stores
Akachan
- akachan, an awesome mother and baby store you must visit in Japan that will definitely make your heart go soft! Akachan is the largest mother and baby company in Japan, with everything from maternity mommy products to baby clothes, toys, stationery, tableware and much more! There are 10 stores in Osaka.
Here are two recommended stores:
Q'sMall in Albino:It's easy to get to. Just cross the street out of Tenno Temple Zoo. Located on the 2nd floor of Q'sMall, it's perfect for scheduling a visit on the same day as Tennoja.
Osaka Town Store:This is the largest akachan in Osaka, **** five floors. How hot it is! It's near Motomachi subway station. Don't miss it if you want to visit Shinsaibashi!
Nishimatsuwu
Suege Park Store: Nishimatsuwu is also a well-known Japanese mom-and-pop chain. There are 14 stores in Osaka***, the larger of which is the Soemae Park store. His baby clothes take the low to mid-range route and are super cheap. Overall mother and baby products are relatively cost-effective.
Toys R Us and Babies R Us
Well-known world chain of mother and baby stores, recommended to live Zhijiang Park store, because here the two stores are connected and independent. You can see the subway Zhujiang Park store at exit 4, and the two stores can be shopped together.
SEACLE
Directly accessible from Airport City Station on the JR Kansai Airport Line, SEACLE is a family-themed mall near Airport Ole next to Kansai Airport, and is recommended for families who have Airport Outlet on their itinerary. There are two floors. The first floor mainly sells daily necessities, as well as an arcade and a Super Ferris wheel. The second floor mainly sells clothing and restaurants, as well as a children's play area.
Tips
If you're looking to buy big-ticket items such as strollers, safety seats, diapers, etc., it's also highly recommended that you do your homework and head to the official website or one of Jaya's aforementioned chain stores, and then send your order for pickup at your hotel. Most hotels in Japan offer collection services, so you don't have to carry it yourself, and many mother and baby items are more appropriate online.
But a word of caution: you must place your order a few days in advance to avoid receiving something that has already left the hotel. In addition, many hotels also provide international mail service. In case it is inconvenient to buy too much, it is also a good choice to send back home directly from the hotel.