Osaka Museum of History

In short

A city history museum of Osaka that introduces the story of the city of Osaka. It opened next to Naniwa Palace Site Park on November 3, 2001. In the Asuka period, the palace known as Naniwa-no-Nagara-no-Toyosaki Palace stood on the grounds where the museum is now located. The permanent exhibition route takes visitors up to the 10th floor by elevator and then down through the 7th floor, tracing the history of Osaka through the ancient, medieval/early modern, and modern/contemporary eras.

• ​Daigokuden Hall of Naniwa Palace on the 10th Floor​​: Located 57 meters above the ground on the 10th floor, the Daigokuden Hall of Naniwa Palace from the Nara period is reconstructed to full scale, lined with vermilion pillars measuring 70 centimeters in diameter, with court officials standing in formation
• ​Senba Townscape on the 9th Floor​​: The mid-18th-century Senba district is reproduced at a 1/20 scale, complete with reconstructions of the money changer Chigusaya and the merchant academy Kaitokudo
• ​8th and 7th Floors​​: On the 8th floor, visitors can experience archaeology at a recreated excavation site. The 7th floor features life-sized models that recreate street corners of Shinsaibashi-suji and Dotonbori, among others, from the Taisho to early Showa eras

History and Highlights

The ​Osaka Museum of History​ is a city history museum that introduces the story of the city of Osaka. Located next to Naniwa Palace Site Park, it opened on November 3, 2001. Built jointly by Osaka City and NHK as part of Osaka City's initiative to integrate the Naniwa Palace Site and Osaka Castle Park, it forms a combined facility with the new NHK Osaka Broadcasting Station building.

Around 1,350 years ago during the Asuka period, the palace known as Naniwa-no-Nagara-no-Toyosaki Palace stood on the grounds where the museum is now located. Excavations conducted prior to construction uncovered groups of storehouses dating from around the 5th century and from the early Naniwa Palace period. Many of the remains—including those of storehouses, walls, and water management facilities built using giant stones—were backfilled and preserved, while some can be viewed just as they were when unearthed.

The permanent exhibition route takes visitors up to the 10th floor by elevator and then down through the 7th floor, tracing the history of Osaka through the ancient, medieval/early modern, and modern/contemporary eras.

Viewing and Experience Highlights

• ​Daigokuden Hall of Naniwa Palace on the 10th Floor​​: Located 57 meters above the ground on the 10th floor, the Daigokuden Hall of Naniwa Palace from the Nara period is reconstructed to full scale, lined with vermilion pillars measuring 70 centimeters in diameter and figures of court officials standing in formation. From the 10th floor, visitors can also enjoy views of the historic Naniwa Palace Site and Osaka Castle.
• ​Senba Townscape on the 9th Floor​​: The 9th floor covers the medieval and early modern periods. It reproduces the mid-18th-century Senba district—then the center of commerce—at a 1/20 scale, complete with reconstructions of the money changer Chigusaya and the merchant academy Kaitokudo.
• ​8th and 7th Floors​​: On the 8th floor, visitors can experience archaeology at a recreated excavation site. The 7th floor covers modern and contemporary times, featuring life-sized models that recreate street corners of Shinsaibashi-suji and Dotonbori from the Taisho to early Showa eras.

Tips for Exploring

The museum is right by Exit 9 of Tanimachi 4-chome Station on the Osaka Metro Chuo Line. The archaeological remains preserved in the 1st-floor entrance can be viewed at any time during opening hours. On the south side of the museum stands a reconstructed storehouse from the Kofun period. Visiting this together with Naniwa Palace about 310 meters to the southeast and Osaka Castle about 700 meters to the northeast allows you to trace Osaka's history from ancient times through the early modern era all at once.