Things to do in Yao

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

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.

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

Tsutenkaku

Tsutenkaku is located in the northern part of Shinsekai, Osaka, with a total height of 103 m. Although it is not as charming and dreamy as Tokyo Tower, both were designed by architect Tachu Naito. In the Conan movie "The last wizard of the century," the "sky pavilion" referred to by the phantom thief Kid in the riddle is Tsutenkaku. Standing at the foot of Tsutenkaku and looking up, you'll notice an 8-sided weather forecast light at the top of the tower. Though inconspicuous during the day, it transforms into magical colors at night to indicate tomorrow's weather. White represents sunny weather, orange means cloudy, blue indicates rain, and pink signifies snow, which is quite interesting. If you see half white and half orange, it means the weather will change from sunny to cloudy. Tsutenkaku has 5 floors, and the large observation deck at the top offers a beautiful view of Osaka. There are 2 entrances next to the base of the tower, one is the observation deck entrance and the other is the underground shopping street entrance. The ticket office of Tsutenkaku is located underground, so you need to go down to the B1 floor to buy tickets. There are also many specialty shops here. Muscle man museum on the second floor After purchasing tickets, take the elevator to the second floor and pass through a corridor to reach the exhibition level of Tsutenkaku. The second floor features a muscle man museum (Kinnikuman museum) with various interesting exhibits related to muscle man, and no additional ticket is required. You can also see a retro model of the Hankai tram on the second floor. Observation deck on the fifth floor On the 2nd floor, you need to transfer to the elevator that goes directly to the 5th-floor observation deck. When you reach the observation deck on the top 5th floor, you can overlook the entire cityscape of Osaka, such as the Osaka Castle tower in the distance and the nearby zoo. There are also 8 adorable statues of the Seven Lucky Gods, with the most popular being the pointy-headed Billiken. It is said that rubbing the soles of Billiken's feet brings good luck, especially for academics and love, which is why one foot has been rubbed to a shine. You can spend 300 yen to buy a Goshuincho (stamp book) of the Eight Lucky Gods and then stamp the commemorative seals representing each god in the booklet. Observation deck on the fourth floor Go down to the fourth floor, where there is also an observation deck. At night, this space displays dreamy cosmic patterns. Reference room on the third floor The 3rd floor houses an archive where you can see many miniature models and videos showcasing the appearance of the New World 100 years ago. This floor also features two Glico models, and it's great fun to take photos by crawling into the box.

No. 11 of Best Things to Do in Kansai Region

Shinsekai

Shinsekai is a famous old district in Osaka. Including Tsutenkaku and many historic shops, it is an iconic scene that embodies the spirit of Osaka. This area is filled with a strong "shitamachi" (downtown) atmosphere, and the image of the street's blowfish lanterns set against the backdrop of Tsutenkaku has appeared in many films and television shows. The northern part of Tsutenkaku The northern part of Shinsekai was modeled after Paris, while the southern part was modeled after Coney Island in New York. Tsutenkaku, one of Osaka's landmarks, is located in the northern part of Shinsekai. Although this tower, which reaches toward the sky, may look a bit simple and worn, it holds a place of nostalgia for many Osaka residents. Dining and shopping street—Janjan Yokocho Shinsekai has many nostalgic alleys, and Janjan Yokocho in the southeast is one of them. It is said to be named after the "jan-jan" sound of the Taisho koto played by geishas in the area back in the day. Its official name is now Nanyodori Shopping Street. During the reconstruction of Osaka after World War II, Janjan Yokocho was a popular dining and shopping street for locals. It still retains its original appearance today, with izakayas, Japanese barbecue restaurants, variety stores, and shogi parlors filled with older men lining both sides, making it very lively. Osaka specialty—Kushikatsu When you come to Shinsekai, another thing you cannot miss is kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers), one of Osaka's most famous snacks. This delicacy comes in a wide variety of options, including chicken, beef, pumpkin, asparagus, banana, and even ice cream desserts. There are kushikatsu shops almost everywhere in Shinsekai, and they are bustling with customers after nightfall.

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

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.

No. 7 of Activities in Japan

Local Markets in Osaka

2026 Asia 100 - Night Attractions

Dotonbori

Located at the southern end of Shinsaibashi, Dotonbori is a well-known and bustling business district, famous for its neighboring theaters, commercial and entertainment venues, and as the birthplace of Osaka cuisine. Japanese people often say "eat in Osaka", which shows that there are many restaurants here. There are huge billboards on both sides of the river with exaggerated and attractive shapes. Among them, the big crab signboard of Glico's signboard and Kani Dōraku's crab are the places where tourists take photos of the most. At night when the neon lights are flashing, you can also take a sightseeing boat and enjoy the night view of the city.