Umeda: From Ohatsu Tenjin to the Ferris Wheel and the Sunset at the Floating Garden

Starting from Higashi-Umeda Station, visit Tsuyu-no-Tenjin-sha Shrine, affectionately known as Ohatsu Tenjin, then take to the Umeda sky on the HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel. Head toward Umeda Sky Building by crossing Umekita Plaza at Grand Front Osaka, finishing this course with the evening view from the Kuchu Teien Observatory.

History and Local Charm

Even in Umeda, with its rows of skyscrapers, a long history remains alive. Tsuyu-no-Tenjin-sha Shrine is an ancient shrine with a 1,300-year history, deeply revered as the guardian shrine of Umeda and Sonezaki. In Genroku 16 (1703), a lovers' double suicide occurred in the shrine's "Tenjin Forest." Chikamatsu Monzaemon dramatized this event in "The Love Suicides at Sonezaki," which became a great sensation and led the shrine to be widely known by the name "Ohatsu Tenjin."

On the other hand, in the Heisei era, Umeda continuously developed new faces. Opened in 1998, HEP FIVE features a bright red giant Ferris wheel atop its building, serving as one of Umeda's landmarks. In 2013, Grand Front Osaka held its grand opening in the advance development zone of "Umekita," centered on the former Umeda Freight Station. To its west stands Umeda Sky Building, completed in 1993 as the world's first connected skyscraper. From an ancient shrine nestled in an alley, to a Ferris wheel on a building, to an observatory 173 meters above ground—the pleasure of this course lies in how your vantage point rises as you walk.

Major Highlights

• ​Tsuyu-no-Tenjin-sha Shrine​​: The setting of "The Love Suicides at Sonezaki," this site has been registered as a "Lover's Sanctuary," featuring bronze statues of Ohatsu and Tokubei on the grounds. The "Nade-Ushi" (rubbing sacred ox), stroked on the body part corresponding to one's own ailment, is now also visited by many students praying for academic improvement.
• ​HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel​​: A bright red Ferris wheel measuring 75 meters in diameter. The boarding area is on the building's 7th floor, and the gondolas pass through the rooftop, rising up to 106 meters above ground. One revolution takes about 15 minutes; on clear days, you can see Osaka Castle, Mt. Ikoma, and as far as the Akashi Strait.
• ​Grand Front Osaka​​: A town complex with four towers rising north of JR Osaka Station. Umekita Plaza, spreading in front of Osaka Station's North Exit, features waterscapes and greenery inspired by the "water capital" of Osaka, as well as an artificial fog installation supervised by "fog artist" Nakaya Fujiko.
• ​Umeda Sky Building​​: Kuchu Teien Observatory sits atop the structure, which connects two skyscrapers at the 39th and 40th floors. To travel from the 35th to the 39th floor, ride a see-through escalator stretching about 40 meters between the two towers. The sunset view from the rooftop has been selected among "Japan's Top 100 Sunsets." On limited days only twice a year, in February and October, you can watch the sun set directly behind the center of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.

Recommended Route and Required Time

The estimated time required is about 3 hours. Plan your start time by calculating backward from sunset so that you can see the evening view from the Kuchu Teien Observatory at the end.

About a 5-minute walk from Higashi-Umeda Station on the subway Tanimachi Line, heading south along Ohatsu Tenjin-dori Shopping Street brings you to Tsuyu-no-Tenjin-sha Shrine. After visiting the statues of Ohatsu and Tokubei and the Nade-Ushi, head north about 550 meters to the HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel. Board from the 7th floor and take a roughly 15-minute walk in the sky to overlook the high-rise district you are about to explore.

After getting off the Ferris wheel, head west about 490 meters to Grand Front Osaka. View the waterscape of Umekita Plaza, pass through "Sozo no Michi," a pedestrian mall running through the South and North Buildings, and browse the shops as you proceed inward. From there, walk about 410 meters west-northwest to reach Umeda Sky Building. Take the aerial escalator up to the 39th floor, and from the rooftop Sky Walk, watch the sun set toward Awaji Island, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, and Mt. Rokko across the western sky. After dark, you can also enjoy the "Lumi Sky Walk," an illuminated promenade on the rooftop corridor. On your way back, visiting the retro restaurant street "Takimi-koji" in the building's basement is a great option; JR Osaka Station is about a 7-minute walk away.

Summary of the Experience

From the setting of love depicted in Chikamatsu's masterpiece to a bright red Ferris wheel, a plaza of water and greenery, and an observatory floating in the sky. This is a half-day journey tracing Umeda's past and present while gradually ascending to higher vantage points. Savor the time as the sun sets beyond Osaka Bay and the city lights turn on, surrounded by the breeze 173 meters above the ground.