Kita, which means “north” in Japanese, is one of Osaka’s two downtown hubs (the other is the Minami, or “south” district). With the south side being famous for food culture, the north side, in contrast, offers a more modern experience. It is Osaka’s busiest transportation hub and a bustling business district. Kita also offers an abundance of shopping, dining, lodging and entertainment, including several department stores and an expansive network of underground shopping malls.
Group Attractions
Osaka Station City
Osaka Station City is the transportation, shopping, entertainment and business complex that surrounds and includes JR Osaka Station. The station's lavish new design is represented by a giant glass roof high above the train platforms. This aesthetically stunning building is certainly a photogenic spot. From the station, you can access the Grand Front Osaka and Lucua 1100, which are large shopping centres featuring a wide variety of shops, restaurants, offices, residential space, small parks and hotels. Lucua 1100
Activities: Shopping, Photo stop Fee: None Time required: Minimum 1 hour
Umeda Sky Building
About 10 minutes’ walk northwest of Osaka Station is Shin Umeda City, a building complex centring around the Umeda Sky Building, a 173-meter tall building consists of two towers that are connected by the "Floating Garden Observatory" on the 39th floor. The observatory offers great views of the city through its windows and from its open-air deck. In the basement, there is a restaurant floor that replicates a town of the early Showa Period, while offices occupy most other floors. The skyscraper next to the Umeda Sky Building houses the Westin Osaka hotel.
Activities: Photo stop Fee: JPY 1500 (Floating Garden Observatory) Time required: 30 minutes-1 hour
Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai
To the east of Osaka Station lies a record-breaking 2.6km shotengai (shopping street), Tenjinbashisuji is home to approximately 600 different stores. Anything from clothes to textiles to cutlery to ramen can be found in this incredibly deep run of shops, making this an incredibly popular place for locals. Whilst many establishments are open during the day, the area comes to life in the evenings.
Activities: Shopping Fee: None Time required: Minimum 1 hour
HEP (HANKYU ENTERTAINMENT PARK) FIVE
Another reasonably trendy place for young people to hang out and the shop is HEP Five, a department store with a massive selection of retail stores and cheap restaurant options. It is known to be particularly popular with female high schoolers and university students. Bursting from the roof of the building is a giant red Ferris wheel. This 106-meter-high wheel offers an incredible view of Osaka and the neighbouring Kobe, especially in the evening.
Activities: Shopping Fee: JPY 500 Time required: Minimum 1 hour
Whity Umeda
A vast underground shopping mall with more than 190 shops located under the massive terminal where the JR, Hanshin, Hankyu, and Osaka Subway lines meet. Whity is a word coined from white and city to represent the reborn white mall. This underground shopping mall, which had been known by its nickname of "Umechika" since it opened in 1963. Whity is purportedly one of the largest underground malls in Japan and features a wide variety of restaurants, lady's and men's clothing, jewellery, daily goods, cosmetics, pharmacy and shoes.
Activities: Shopping Fee: None Time required: Minimum 1 hour
Nearby Areas
A Japanese hipster paradise, Nakazakicho is home to a range of boutique stores and cafes, many of which are run inside old buildings that have been preserved to maintain their original, authentic aesthetic, while some have been altered to reflect a more artistic design. Just a short walk from the Chayamachi exit of Umeda Station, this series of small streets and alleys is perfect for the urban explorer wishing to see something a little out of the ordinary.
Located just south of JR Osaka station, Kitashinchi is the most famous nightclub and entertainment district of contemporary Osaka. It’s just like Tokyo’s Ginza: filled with thousands of high-class bars, clubs and small restaurants. Narrow streets are brightly lit with flashing neon signs and billboards. n the Edo Period it was known as the “Northern Red Light District,” and was frequented by government officials and members of the aristocracy striking deals in the genteel company of geisha.