The Nakanoshima Rose Garden sits on a long, narrow strip of land wedged between the Dojima and Tosabori rivers. It holds over three thousand rose bushes representing nearly ninety different varieties. In the late eighties, the city…
Nakanoshima Waterfront Architecture
This riverside stroll along Osaka's civic island highlights elegant Meiji-era brick buildings, historic offices, world-class modern museums, and a manicured rose garden.
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1. Nakanoshima Rose Garden
2. The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka
The Museum of Oriental Ceramics sits as a low, concrete structure along the banks of the Dojima River, distinguished by its floor-to-ceiling glass windows that mirror the shifting surface of the water. Inside lies the Ataka Collection, a…
3. Osaka City Central Public Hall
The Osaka City Central Public Hall wears a facade of red brick and white granite that stands out against the modern concrete of Nakanoshima. Einosuke Iwamoto, a stockbroker, donated one million yen in nineteen oh nine to fund its…
4. Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library
The Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library features a heavy green copper dome that sits atop a temple-like stone exterior. This building functions as a center for research and rare documents, financed entirely by the Sumitomo family in…
5. Bank of Japan, Osaka Branch
The Osaka Branch of the Bank of Japan features a striking neoclassical facade with tall, ionic columns that command the street corner. Designed by Tatsuno Kingo and completed in nineteen oh three, the structure replaced a former gold…
6. FESTIVAL TOWER
Festival Tower features a towering, dark granite facade that stretches forty stories into the Osaka skyline. It sits on the former site of the Asahi Building, a structure once famous for its unique curved design and rooftop garden.…
7. Daibiru Main Building
The Daibiru Main Building features a facade of hand-carved, earth-colored terracotta tiles that mimic the texture and brickwork of its nineteen twenty-five predecessor. When the original structure was demolished, architects salvaged…
8. The National Museum of Art, Osaka
The National Museum of Art, Osaka, is defined by its titanium and glass entrance that looks like a cluster of long, silver reeds swaying above the sidewalk. This entire museum is tucked completely underground, buried beneath a public park…
9. Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka (NAKKA)
The Nakanoshima Museum of Art is a massive, jet-black cube that sits in the middle of the city like a dark, polished stone. While most museums rely on elaborate facades, this one focuses entirely on its sharp, obsidian exterior. It opened…