Umeda Sky Building, Osaka

A nice place to visit is the Floating Garden Observatory on the top of the Umeda Sky Building, you'll get a good 360 degree view of Osaka city without the obsruction of glass as the observatory is outdoors. The admission price is 700Yen (Nov 2005). Beware of the poster next to the ticket vending machines advertising a cost saving if you buy a combo ticket (all written in Japanese) - the photos shown are of the Umeda Sky Building and the ferris wheel on top of the Hep Five building - we were under the belief that this combo ticket would save us money for the ferris wheel too, but when we got to the Hep Five building, we found out that the combo ticket could only be exchanged of 3 amusement rides at the Joypolis Centre at Hep Five and not for the ferris wheel.

The Umeda Sky Building is a futuristic building which rises 170 metres into the Osaka skyline. Most of the building is occupied by offices, but there is an observation deck on the 39th floor and in the basement there is a food court designed as a Japanese street of 100 years ago. Enjoy the view and then fill up on sushi.

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While everyone is enjoying the observatory and the city's view on top of the Umeda Skybuilding, I also have enjoyed watching the work of art down below. Just very close to Osaka Station are pieces of art displayed on the ground floor of the Umeda Skybuilding.

Take a look at those carved pieces and other display of unique works at the ground floor. Let me know what you think of them. To me, I appreciate my half hour sitting and watching these arts and talking to other fellow tourists.

Mind you, I found new Thai friends on this spot. They are a couple of tourist from Bangkok and would you believe we visited them in Bangkok on the last leg of our journey very recently. Very pleasant experience indeed!

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While many of Japan's cities have some sort of building where you can view the surrounding city, not all of them are really worth the money. The Umeda Sky Building is one however that is worth it, especially at night! The city is beautiful and with it all lit up with the bridges over the river, it's a great way to end a day of sightseeing!

Entrance is 700 yen.

Hmm. Was considering putting this one in "Tourist Traps" to be honest, as I'm not convinced that 700 yen is good value for the opportunity to stand on a roof and look down at other buildings, in any city. But maybe that's just me.
The view from Umeda Sky Building is very very impressive, and does give you an idea of the sheer scale of Osaka...concrete as far as the eye can see. Get there late afternoon and watch the sunset across the city.
Over the course of the year, a series of displays and markets (for example, a mexican market in late summer and a beer festival in early autumn) are held underneath the tower (check the free English press for adverts).
One thing I definitely do recommend is checking out the cinema in the tower, especially people living in Japan. The cinema tends to show independent or less famous films from abroad, that don't get screentime in the mainstream Japanese cinemas.

Osaka is a big city with 9 million inhabitants. A big part of the city can be seen from the top of Umeda Sky Building. The Umeda Sky Building offers a 360° view at 173 meters high.

The Umeda Sky Building is open from 10:00 am to 10:30 pm(admission until 10:00pm). And the views at night are even better than at daytime. As admission fee is 700 Yen (2001 price) it is advisable to go in the late afternoon and wait until it is dark to see the nightview. You can wait at the 40th floor for the sun to set in the Sky Cafe.

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It's worth paying a visit to this place to see Osaka. I saw the harbour and lots of bridges. And catch the arriving aeroplanes. The elevator is scary, as there is nothing underneath it at 46th floors.

700Yen to get to the 46 Floors, and you can stay as long as you want. Coffee and cakes are not expensive up there. You can use the binoculars up there for free. Can see Osaka Castle using the binoculars clearly.

Boundless building landscape from the 40th floor, 170m from the ground, at Umeda Sky Building. You can overlook a dynamic panorama of 360 dgrees.It is worth paying 700 yen !

You can enjoy a glorious view also if you visit at twilight time, especially from late fall to early winter.

Opening hour: 10AM - 10:30PM(last admission 10PM)
*The openinh hour is various from season to season.
e.g.) During Jan. 2nd to 29th Feb. 2004, close at 9:30PM

Entrance fee: 700 yen for adult. 500 yen for above 65 yrs.

One thing about Japan that struck me was the absolutely beautiful architecture. The country seems to have decided that they'd only build cool looking buildings.

The Umeda Tower is exactly that - it looks awesome fron the bottom or the top. The building itself is located along some cool scenery. The park around it has a water fall in which the water goes UP! That's tryely Japanese :)

To get to the sky deck you must go to the third floor of the east Umeda sky building. It cost about 700 yen which takes you to the 39th floor,. From there you cross the span between the two buildings and reach the sky deck from which you can see Osaka 360-degrees.

It's an awesome place to visit for the view alone. If you are into cool buildings then you'll like this one. The surrounding area is also cool.

The Umeda Skybuilding is well worth a visit. It's just a short walk from Osaka Central Station and the Hankyu Station. Entrance is JPY700 for adults. On the open roof top you are 173m above Osaka and you have 360 degrees views. Just below the open deck there is the obilgatory cafe and shop. The unusual the elevators that you have to ride for the last part of the journey to the top (or first part going down), are a highlight.