Abeno Harukas

Abeno Harukas is a 300 meter high skyscraper above Osaka Abenobashi Station and the tallest building in Japan. The 62 story building has observation decks on its upper floors, and contains a hotel, a museum, and a massive department store with extensive shopping and dining facilities. Here are the highlights.

The Harukas 300 Observatory

The Abeno Harukas observation decks occupy floors 58 – 60. To access these floors you first need to take an elevator to the 16th floor. Here you will find a ticket counter for the Harukas 300 Observatory and once you have paid your fee you will be guided to the observatory elevator.

The fees are as follows:
Adults: 1,500 yen
Children aged 12 – 17: 1,200 yen
Children aged 6 – 11: 700 yen
Children aged 4 – 5: 500 yen

The elevator to the upper floors takes you from the 16th floor to the 60th in just 45 seconds. Once there you can enjoy panoramic views over the city from the gallery’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

At regular intervals it is also possible to join a tour of the heliport at the very top of the building and have your picture taken in the open air. This tour takes around 20 minutes and costs an extra 500 yen.

The 59th floor has a souvenir shop, a play area for children, and a café area and on the 58th floor there is a restaurant and bar with an open air terrace garden.

The observatory is open every day from 9.00 – 22.00 with last entry at 21.30.

Abeno Harukas Art Museum

The Abeno Harukas Art Museum can be accessed on the 16th floor. The museum hosts special exhibitions of Japanese traditional and contemporary art as well as Western style art. Recently scheduled exhibitions feature the works of Hokusai, Matisse, and Studio Ghibli.

The museum opening Hours:
Tuesday – Friday: 10.00 to 20.00
Monday, Saturday, Sunday & holidays: 10.00 – 18.00
Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Admission fees vary with each exhibition. The museum is occasionally closed on Mondays and is also closed for the year end and New Year holidays.

Rooftop Garden

This rooftop garden is also located on the 16th floor. It has seats overlooking the city and is free to enter.

Osaka Marriot Miyako Hotel

Osaka Marriot Miyako Hotel occupies floors 19 – 20, floors 38 – 55, and 57. The hotel lobby and reception can be accessed on the 19th floor. The hotel has 297 guest rooms with stunning views over the city, a fitness center, and restaurants offering Japanese, Western, teppanyaki, and buffet style options. For further details please see our article: Osaka Marriot Miyako Hotel.

Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Main Store

Kintetsu Main Store is Japan’s largest department store with 100,000 square meters of floor space. It occupies floors B2 – 14 of the main Abeno Harukas Tower Building and also the basement levels and floors 2 – 10 of the Wing Building. This Wing Building is connected to the main building at various levels by walkways and escalators.

In the Tower building there are three dining floors with 44 restaurants on floors 12 – 14. Cosmetics and accessories are on the 1st floor, the latest brand fashions for ladies can be found on floors 2 – 5, men’s fashions on floors 6 – 7, and children’s clothing on floor 8. Floors 9 – 11 stock household goods, furniture, traditional crafts, and kimonos. In the two basement levels there is a food market, a grocery store and confectionery stores.

Opening Hours:
B2 – 3.5 Floor: 10.00 – 22.30
4th – 11th Floor: 10.00 – 22.00
12th -14th Dining Floors: 11.00 -23.00

The Foreign Customer’s Salon

This salon is a tourist information center for overseas customers on the 3.5 floor of the Wing Building. You can easily access this floor from the 3rd floor of the main Tower Building via a short escalator. This salon has English and Chinese speaking staff and offers the following services:

• Information on the in-store 8% tax exemption procedures
• A 5% discount coupon for all foreign customers
• Baggage storage
• A hotel delivery service
• Local sightseeing information
• Foreign Money Exchange Machines
• An international ATM cash machine
• Free Wi-Fi internet access

Access

Abeno Harukas is a 5 minute walk from Tennoji Park, a 15 minute walk from Tennoji Zoo, and an 8 minute walk from Osaka Municipal Museum of Fine Art. Abeno Harukas stands above Osaka Abenobashi Station which serves the Kintetsu Minami Osaka Line.

It is also directly across the road from Tennoji Station which serves the JR Osaka Loop Line, JR Hanwa Line, JR Yamatoji Line, the Midosuji Subway Line, and the Tanimachi Subway Line.

On the west side of the Abeno Harukas building is Tennojiekimae Station which serves the Hankai Tram Line.

Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.