Family-Friendly Activities in Osaka

While Osaka is known for buzzing epicurean havens after dark, it’s no slouch by day either, boasting plenty of family-friendly entertainment options. To help you make the most of this friendly city as a family, here are our top recommendations for both big and little kids exploring Osaka.

Spiral down Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Located in the Tempozan Harbor Village area of Osaka Bay, Kaiyukan is Japan’s most impressive aquarium and one of the largest in the world. Visitors head to the eighth floor to start the tour and gradually spiral downward floor by floor around the central tank. There are around 15 other tanks, each representing a specific region of the Pacific Rim. Some tanks stretch across several levels, allowing guests to observe creatures from different depths and perspectives. The route through Kaiyukan ends at the touch pool where it’s possible to touch rays and small sharks in shallow water.

Getting there: Osaka Metro Chuo line, Osakako Stn, 5-min walk

Build new worlds in Legoland Discovery Center

Also in the Tempozan area by Osaka Bay, Legoland Discovery Center is full of fun for the whole family with Lego racing, model-building workshops, Lego-themed rides like Kingdom Quest where guests hop aboard a chariot to rescue a princess, and a Duplo farm for smaller children. There is even a VR experience called the Great Lego Race, where you strap in and enter a virtual world venturing over rocky mountains, through flowing rivers, and past glowing hot lava streams in a nail-biting race against pirates, wizards, and pharaohs. Tip: save money on the entry fee with the Osaka Amazing Pass, which gets you into several of the city’s attractions, including Legoland, over a one or two-day period.

Getting there: Osaka Metro Chuo line, Osakako Stn, 5-min walk

Explore the zones of Universal Studios Japan

Whether you’ve got an adrenaline-junkie rollercoaster-loving kid, a Harry Potter devotee, or a diehard Minions fan on your hands, USJ will be a definite highlight on a family trip to Osaka. Universal Studios is divided into nine zones: Hollywood; Universal Wonderland; The Wizarding World of Harry Potter; Amity Village; Waterworld; Jurassic Park; San Francisco; Minion Park; and New York.

It’s impossible to visit all nine zones in one day; however, timing your trip to USJ on a weekday rather than a weekend will help to reduce crowd factors. Pre-booking your ticket online is also advisable to avoid long lines at the entrance. If you don’t mind spending the extra cash, it can be well worth purchasing a USJ Express Pass to skip queues for every ride. An alternative is the USJ VIP Wristband Pass, a cheaper option that allows you to enter USJ 30 minutes to one hour earlier than regular ticket holders, providing a chance to enjoy at least two rides without waiting before the crowds rush in.

Getting there: JR line, Universal City Stn, 1-min walk

Get hands-on at Kids Plaza Osaka

An educational museum for kids with an emphasis on hands-on learning and workshops, Kids Plaza Osaka features themed floors. The fifth floor is the ‘discovery floor’ with a TV studio where kids can operate cameras and try their hand at presenting. The fourth floor is the ‘adventure floor’, allowing children to role-play in shops, at the hairdresser, and post office. There is also a playroom for babies and toddlers. The third floor is the ‘creativity floor’ featuring a computer studio with a large interactive touchscreen and art workshops. The outdoor playground boasts a huge climbing wall, a sandpit, and a fun selection of colorful slides.

Getting there: Osaka Metro Sakaisuji line, Ogimachi Stn, 6-min walk

Visit the animals at Tennoji Zoo

First opened in 1915, Tennoji Zoo is the third-oldest zoo in Japan and home to more than a thousand animals across its 11 hectares. Despite its central location in Tennoji Park, the zoo strives to create habitats as close to their animals’ natural environments as possible. The lions roam in a large area alongside other creatures in the ‘African Savanna’ section, while the cranes and flamingos find solace in a nearby pond. The hippo enclosure features Japan’s first see-through pool enclosure, allowing visitors to watch the hippos swimming with fish through transparent barriers.

Getting there: JR and Osaka Metro lines, Tennoji Stn

Have a ball at Hirakata Park

One of the few popular independent theme parks still thriving in Japan, Hirakata Park features roller coasters, Ferris wheels, bumper cars, and more, alongside four separate pools and water slides. Opened in 1910, this nostalgic retro theme park boasts over 40 attractions spread across 160,000 square meters of hilly terrain.

Guests can choose between paying for entrance with an All Access Pass, which includes unlimited rides, or paying the entrance fee only and purchasing individual ride tickets inside the park.

Getting there: Keihan line, Hirakatakoen Stn, 3-min walk

Make your way around Expo City

There is probably no other area in Osaka where you could pack more into one family day out than at Expo City. Located in Suita in the north of Osaka, this multi-venue complex is home to a state-of-the-art aquarium and animal sanctuary known as Nifrel, where you can see crocodiles, tigers, monkeys, penguins, and tropical fish. The Redhorse Osaka Wheel soars 120 meters above Expo City, making it the tallest Ferris wheel in the country. The renowned Bampaku Koen, also known as Expo ’70 Commemorative Park, spans 60 hectares and includes the bizarre Tower of the Sun. The Lalaport shopping center offers a wealth of entertainment, dining, and shopping options, including a high-tech IMAX theater that provides 3D or even 4D immersive movie experiences featuring smoke, water, and other realistic special effects.

Getting there: Osaka Monorail, Bampaku-kinen-koen Stn, 2-min walk

Discover the world at the Osaka Science Museum

Osaka’s educational Science Museum, based on Nakanoshima Island, offers four floors of over 200 interactive exhibits and displays designed to help children learn about chemistry, electricity, energy, and the universe. The planetarium’s main dome has a radius of almost 27 meters, making it the largest in Japan and the seventh-largest in the world. While English brochures are available, the amount of English information for each exhibit is limited. Nevertheless, the hands-on nature of the exhibits, particularly in the second-floor ‘Enjoy Science’ area, makes this a worthwhile venue for families with children.

Getting there: Keihan line, Watanabebashi Stn, 10-min walk; Osaka Metro Yotsubashi line, Higobashi Stn, 10-min walk