HEP FIVE

One of Umeda’s best-known landmarks, HEP FIVE is a shopping and entertainment mall with a huge red Ferris wheel attached to its roof. HEP is an acronym for “Hankyu Entertainment Park.” The lower and middle floors are mainly devoted to fashion and goods shops, while dining facilities and amusement zones occupy the upper floors. Let’s take a look at each of the facilities in turn.

One of Umeda’s best-known landmarks is the Ferris wheel of HEP FIVE

Table of Contents

The Atrium

HEP FIVE certainly creates an unusual first impression. Customers entering from the 1st floor main entrance find themselves inside a massive atrium with a giant sculpture of a red whale and its calf suspended above them. The sculpture was produced by artist Tatsuya Ishii.

Near the entrance on the 1st floor, a touch-panel information terminal lets visitors search for shop information and floor guides. If more detailed guidance is needed, staff can respond through the terminal’s call button. A series of staggered escalators ascend to the upper floors, and you can view the whales and the floors below from each level.

Looking down on Tatsuya Ishii’s suspended whales

The atrium entryway

Shopping

From the 1st basement level to the 6th floor, HEP FIVE is filled with fashion stores, fashion-goods shops, character-goods shops, cosmetics and lifestyle stores, and other boutiques that are mainly aimed at trend-sensitive young shoppers. Ladieswear is especially prominent, but menswear, bags, shoes, jewelry, accessories, anime and comic goods, and variety goods are also well represented. Across the building there are around 160 shops, restaurants, services, and amusement facilities.

There are seven floors of shops in HEP FIVE

Fashion shops are a major part of HEP FIVE

There are also character-goods and variety shops

Dining

There is a good selection of restaurants and cafes on the 7th floor, with Japanese and Western food, sweets, casual eateries, and the Ferris wheel ticket counter nearby.

The 7th floor has many restaurants

Amusement Zones

On the 8th floor, HEP HALL hosts events, and Bandai Namco Cross Store adds character goods and amusement facilities. The 9th floor has more Bandai Namco Cross Store space and eggnam, a print-seal corner for purikura-style photo booths.

Purikura-style photo booths at HEP FIVE

Game machines at HEP FIVE

The Ferris Wheel

This is the main attraction of HEP FIVE. You can board the Ferris wheel from the 7th floor. The 75-meter diameter wheel has 52 four-seater gondolas which take about 15 minutes to make one complete circuit. At its highest point it is about 106 meters above ground and offers broad views over Osaka. On clear days you may be able to see Osaka Bay, Ikoma Mountain, and Osaka Castle. The fare is 1,000 yen per person, and children age 5 and under ride for free. A 200 yen discount is available with a Hankyu Hanshin Odekake Card/App or STACIA Card. All the gondolas are fully air conditioned and heated. At night the whole wheel is illuminated.

Buy your tickets for the Ferris wheel at ticket vending machines by the 7th floor entrance

The entrance to the Ferris wheel, which is called a “kanransha” in Japanese

Boarding the gondolas

HEP NAVIO

Right next door to HEP FIVE is the boat-shaped building HEP NAVIO. It contains Hankyu Men’s Osaka for men’s fashion, Navio Dining, TOHO Cinemas Umeda, and the HEP NAVIO Wellness Mall on the 6th floor.

HEP FIVE is easily accessed from Osaka Station

HEP FIVE Location Map

HEP FIVE is about a 4-minute walk from JR Osaka Station’s Midosuji Gate and about a 3-minute walk from Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station. It is also about 5 minutes on foot from Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station, Osaka Metro Midosuji Line Umeda Station, and Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line Higashi-Umeda Station. Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line Nishi-Umeda Station is about 10 minutes away. It is easy to find because of the giant red wheel.

Opening Hours:
Shopping: 11:00-21:00
Restaurants: 11:00-22:30
Amusements: 11:00-23:00
The Ferris Wheel: 11:00-22:45 final boarding

Some businesses keep different hours, and closing days are irregular.