Just 10 Minutes by Rental Bike! Experience Autumn Art in Osaka’s Nakanoshima — A Half-Day Artistic Model Course
Hello from THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI!
The air in Osaka has turned crisp, and autumn has finally arrived. It’s the perfect season to slow down, explore the city, and enjoy a little “autumn art.”
In this blog, we’ll introduce a half-day model course around the Nakanoshima area—one of Osaka’s most scenic cultural districts—featuring art spots you can enjoy along the way.
What Kind of Place is the Nakanoshima Area?
The Nakanoshima area is home to historic architecture, art museums, and an increasing number of new cultural landmarks.
Located on a long sandbar between the Dojima River and Tosabori River, the district is connected by several elegant arch-shaped bridges. Pre-war buildings line the riverbanks, giving the area a refined, timeless charm.
While the eastern side is known for its modern business buildings, the western side has been transforming in recent years into one of Osaka’s key hubs for culture and the arts. It’s the ideal destination for a relaxing, art-inspired autumn outing.
“Model Course for an Artistic Day” Experiencing Osaka’s Nakanoshima
■ 14:00 | Rent a bicycle at THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI and depart!!
THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI offers rental bicycles.
You can rent up to 4 bikes, so please enjoy cycling in the cool autumn season with friends and family.
Rental Bike Prices
- Hourly rental: ¥500 / hour
- Daily rental: ¥1,200
⇩ Travel about 7 minutes
■ 14:07 | Discover new picture books at “Kodomonohon-no-mori Nakanoshima“!
First is “Kodomonohon-no-mori Nakanoshima,” a 3-minute walk from Naniwa Bridge.
A library donated by architect Tadao Ando with the theme of encounters between children and books.
It’s a space that stimulates sensitivity where you can spend intellectual and calm time.
✓Art Point
The building extends in a bow shape along the Dojima River and Tosabori River that flow on both sides of Nakanoshima.
Also, a three-dimensional space with a 3-story atrium with walls covered in bookshelves. The structure where stairs and bridge passages go around like a “maze” makes the entire building an image of a “forest of books.”
✓Art Point
In front of Kodomonohon-no-mori, there is a giant blue apple.
This carries a wonderful meaning that people should remain in the midst of “youth (= an apple that never ripens and stays blue)” throughout their lives and become adults who can stay that way forever.
■ 15:30 | Touch history at Osaka City Central Public Hall (National Important Cultural Property)
This architecture can be called the symbol of Nakanoshima and is also designated as a National Important Cultural Property built in a major city.
Inside, there are exhibition rooms and free viewing areas, and equipment and fixtures that have been used since the Taisho era are displayed almost as they were.
Also, the atmosphere is completely different between day and night, and at night it is lit up and wrapped in a fantastic atmosphere, so you can enjoy both day and night.
✓Art Point
Preserving the architectural beauty of the Taisho period as it is, it is truly “the building itself is a work of art.”
The retro exterior and arched windows are popular photo spots that are photogenic.
⇩ Travel about 6 minutes
■ 16:00 | Enjoy art at Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka
The “Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka” with its impressive black cube.
Centered on modern and contemporary art from Japan and abroad, many special exhibitions are also held.
The shops and cafes inside are also well-stocked, and you can enjoy a moment immersed in art.
✓Art Point
Nakanoshima Museum of Art is black and has a design that looks like it’s floating. This is “Passage” by architect Katsuhiko Endo. To emphasize the activities of people inside the museum, the exterior is deliberately covered with black precast concrete panels. Also, this black is not just to make it look cool, but it’s a color that firmly establishes the museum’s presence in the city while also being environmentally conscious!
✓Art Point
At the entrance, “SHIP’S CAT (Muse),” one of the “SHIP’S CAT” series created by Kenji Yanobe that protects the museum flying into the 21st century, welcomes you with a particularly large presence.
■ 17:00 | Shopping at HAY
“HAY,” an interior product brand from Denmark that landed in Japan for the first time in 2018. “HAY OSAKA,” the brand’s second directly managed store in Japan, is also at Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka. Cute Nordic goods and furniture are all gathered!
✓Art Point
Products created by HAY have the major characteristic of being inspired by three fields: “art,” “architecture,” and “fashion.” Not just Nordic simplicity and gentle coloring, but by mixing in elements of avant-garde artworks, urban architecture, and even trendy fashion, they have a multifaceted and fresh design.
■ 17:30 | Take a break at Café Musée KARATO
After fully enjoying Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka, I got a little hungry, so I took a break at “Café Restaurant Musée KARATO” on the first floor of Nakanoshima Museum of Art. The interior is spacious and there are terrace seats too. I had a parfait while feeling the autumn breeze.
⇩ Travel about 12 minutes
■ 18:00 | FREE BEER at THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI
After finishing a day touring art and culture, please spend time relaxing and soaking in the afterglow of your trip with the hotel’s free beer in hand.
This time we introduced the Nakanoshima area with the theme of autumn art, but there are many other recommended spots around THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI. Stay tuned for more soon!