A retro stroll through the business district. Visit famous architecture!
The Yodoyabashi, Kitahama, and Semba area has always been the heart of the commercial city of Osaka. Amidst the hustle and bustle of businessmen, if you stop by, you'll find beautiful buildings quietly marking the passage of time. These were cutting-edge buildings constructed in the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa periods with the financial backing of famous Osaka merchants. With their stately and decorative exteriors, atrium lobbies, stained glass, and more, let's stroll through this town, which remains innovative and distinctive to this day, and is entirely an art museum.
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START
Osaka Metro Kitahama Station
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3 minutes by carKoraibashi Nomura Building
First, head south from Kitahama Station for a few minutes. The dynamic building that stands tall on the corner of Sakaisuji is the Koraibashi Nomura Building, an oriental Art Deco building. It was designed in 1927 by Yasui Takeo, who also designed the Osaka Club. The steel-framed and reinforced concrete building was rare at the time, and the freestanding pillar beside the entrance is uniquely decorated with a white crescent moon and bamboo motif, while the floor of the entrance features a design of the 12 zodiac signs and black and white stripes.
3 minutes by car -
Former Konishi Family Residence
Doshomachi, located south of the Nomura Building, has flourished as a pharmaceutical town since the Edo period. This area, also known as Kita-Senba, was lined with wooden shops, but the air raids during World War II completely changed the townscape, and now it is lined with modern buildings belonging to major pharmaceutical companies and other businesses. Amidst this, the former Konishi family residence, standing facing Sakaisuji, exudes the atmosphere of the old Semba. The former store and residence of Konishi Gisuke Shoten (now Konishi Co., Ltd.), a drug dealer founded in 1874 (Meiji 7), was constructed in 1903 (Meiji 36). In April 2001, it was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. It is said to have elaborately designed rooms, a tea room, and a hearth that could cook for 50 people, which was used to provide meals for the family and employees. It is a place to reminisce about the good old Semba. (However, the interior is not open to the public.)
View the spot3 minutes by car -
Ikoma Building
Its stately exterior leisurely overlooks the passing pedestrians and cars. Completed in 1930, Ikoma Building was built by Ikoma Watch Co., Ltd. at a huge cost of 150,000 yen (at the time). Designed by Soheizo, it is a masterpiece of Art Deco architecture. The vertical bay window stretching from the fifth floor to the third floor at the front and the round window on the second floor are designed to resemble a clock's pendulum. The building is filled with stylish design details, such as granite eagle sculptures above the entrance and on the windows, an Italian marble staircase inside the entrance, and stained glass from the early Showa period, all of which convey the spirit of the management at the time. Currently used as a rental office, it was designated a "Registered Tangible Cultural Property" by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 1997. In 2004, it was designated a "Designated Landscape Formation" by Osaka City.
View the spot5minutes on foot -
Cotton Industry Hall
Located a little south of the Ikoma Building, this elegant building stands amid a city packed with textile-related companies. Built in 1931, during the booming years of Osaka's textile industry, it was designed by Setsu Watanabe. Opening the imposing front door reveals a gorgeous interior. The entrance hall, which has welcomed the League of Nations Manchurian Incident Investigation Team led by Lord Lytton and other VIPs from around the world for international conferences, boasts a chandelier and Italian Renaissance design. The building's elegant and tranquil atmosphere includes a lounge with a vaulted ceiling, a VIP room with graceful curves in the ceiling and furniture, and a conference room with marble floors inlaid with ammonite fossils. While this facility is exclusively for members of the Japan Cotton Industry Club (approximately 800 members), which was established in 1928, individual tours are available once a month (from 2:30 PM on the fourth Saturday) with advance reservations. Experience the breath of time.
View the spotApproximately 5 minutes on foot -
Semba Building
In 1925, the Semba Building attracted attention as a unique building that combined offices and residences. It boasted an open-ceiling courtyard in the center, and, in keeping with the Semba location, a ramp was built from the entrance to allow trucks and horse-drawn carts to enter and exit, making it both a highly functional and well-designed building. The rooms on each floor, each with an entrance facing the courtyard, house many offices and studios. The English garden on the rooftop is an urban oasis, with 250 varieties of trees and flowers in full bloom. (Please inquire about opening times.)
View the spotA short walk -
Naniwa Church
Sankyubashi-suji, stretching north and south between Midosuji and Sakaisuji, is a slightly different street from the more well-known main streets. Its moderate width, roadside trees, famous architecture, and new cafes make it a pleasant place to walk. The Shewada Koraibashi flagship store faces the street, and next to it to the south is Naniwa Church. It was designed by the American architect William M. Vories, who came to Japan in 1905. Vories, who also designed the Daimaru Shinsaibashi store, made Omihachiman, Shiga Prefecture, his final home, where he devoted himself to Christian missionary work, medical care, school education, and other social contribution activities. The Gothic-style steeple windows and beautiful stained glass create a beautiful space that refreshes the soul.
View the spot7minutes Walk -
Osaka Gas Building
The Gas Building, towering on the west side of Midosuji, was designed by Yasui Takeo, just like the Nomura Building. It was completed in 1933. This modernist building, with its beautiful contrast between the black granite lower floors and the milky white tilework, and the striking curves of its corners, blends in with the city while still boasting an overwhelming presence. As the headquarters of a gas company, the first floor is equipped with exhibition and demonstration spaces and a hall, but the most popular attraction is the Gas Building Restaurant on the eighth floor. It opened as a pioneering Western restaurant when the building opened. It was renovated in 2000, but the retro atmosphere of its time of construction remains intact, with the bar counter remaining the same. Enjoy a meal and feel like a sophisticated businessman of the past, while savoring the taste buds and basking in the afterglow of your city tour.
- GOAL!
Additional Information
- Tasting spot
- Gas Building Shokudo: Enjoy beef curry at a restaurant with a spectacular view.
- souvenir
- Try the Uguisu Mochi, a specialty of confectionery shop Kikuya.










