Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
Aquarium in Osaka, Japan.
Give the ring tank time from the upper walkways before descending. The whale sharks move on a steady loop, so no single viewing point matters more than another.
Morning · 2 hr 30 minDay 1
An aquarium morning, two museum afternoons
National Museum of Art, Osaka
Museum in Japan.
The galleries sit underground and the entrance is the silver pipe-like pavilion in the park, easy to walk past.
Afternoon · 2 hr
Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka
Art museum in Osaka, Japan.
The rooms are few and quiet. Take the collection slowly and look at the tea bowls up close.
Afternoon · 2 hrKaiyukan is at its most spacious in the morning. The two museums sit on the same island, Nakanoshima, within easy walking distance of each other.
Day 2
Shrine, gallery and the tower at dusk
Sumiyoshi Taisha
Shinto shrine in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
Cross the arched Sorihashi bridge, then wander the grounds at your own pace. It is a short ride from the city centre, so the morning stays calm.
Morning · 45 min
Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts
Municipal museum in Osaka City.
Afternoon · 2 hr
Tsūtenkaku
Observation tower.
Aim for late afternoon. The viewing deck works by daylight and the tower stays lit into the evening.
Afternoon · 45 minGo up Tsūtenkaku late in the afternoon so the view arrives twice: first in daylight, then as the city lights come on below.
Day 3
Zoo, temple and castle park
Tennōji Zoo
Zoo.
The zoo, Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts and Shitennō-ji are within a short walk of each other around Tennōji Park.
Morning · 2 hr 30 min
Shitennō-ji Temple
Built in 593 A.D., this famous Buddhist temple features a five-story pagoda, statues and turtle ponds.
Forty-five minutes is enough for the neat inner circuit; the five-story pagoda and the turtle ponds are the focus.
Afternoon · 45 min
Osaka Castle Park
Park.
The keep is the backdrop. The pleasure is the moat walk, lined with cherry trees in April.
Afternoon · 1 hr 15 minTennōji Zoo, the fine arts museum and Shitennō-ji all sit in or beside Tennōji Park, so the morning and early afternoon stay on foot before the short ride north to Osaka Castle Park.
Good to know
How much time does Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan need?
About two and a half hours. Starting at opening gives you the main ring tank before it crowds.
Are the National Museum of Art and Museum of Oriental Ceramics close together?
Yes. Both sit on Nakanoshima, a short walk apart across the river island, so they pair easily in one afternoon.
When should I visit Tsūtenkaku?
Late afternoon into dusk, so one visit gives you the daylight view and the tower lit up for the evening.
Which Osaka sights are near Tennōji?
Tennōji Zoo, Shitennō-ji, Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts and Tsūtenkaku all sit close together around Tennōji Park.
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