The Osaka City Central Public Hall was completed in 1918 with donations from Einosuke Iwamoto (the “One-man resident of Osaka”), based on the original idea by Shinichiro Okada, and design by Tatsuno Kingo and Yasushi Kataoka. Ever since, for over a century it has been deeply entrenched in the development of the art and culture of Osaka, with performances and events such as operas and concerts by world-class artists, in addition to lectures and seminars by leading figures from various fields, such as Einstein, Helen Keller, etc.
Preservation and restoration work began for this building in 1999, and was completed in 2002. In the same year (2002), it was designated by the national government as an important cultural property, the first public assembly hall to be designated as such in west Japan.
This steel and brick building is 3 stories high above ground with 1 underground floor. The design itself is based on the Neo-Renaissance style. The exhibition room on the 1st floor basement has a display of the history and items related to this public hall and open to the public free of charge.