Nakanoshima Children's Book Forest

We stumbled upon this place after crossing the Toshahori river looking for the nice park. Hold up?! Giant green apple and a kid’s library? Wait a sec. We love them. I and happen to own 2 children! Sign us up. Luckily we didn’t need any type of reservations and the ladies in the front desk spoke a little English. Super impressed by the layout and design of this architecture. I shouldn’t be surprised but am. Love the staircase for the people to chill and get lost in a book. Great vibe with children and families. We spent almost 1 hour there. My children really enjoyed flipping through some Japanese books. They had a tiny selection of English books too but not a lot. We didn’t have much to complain about.

I came specifically to see the architecture by Tadao Ando, and I was truly impressed. The spatial design, atmosphere, and use of light were all beautifully done. The natural lighting and overall mood felt perfect for a children’s library — warm, welcoming, and a place you’d want to stay in for a while. The design has playful elements, yet it doesn’t take away from the calm, focused atmosphere a library should have.

Another Ando masterpiece. The scale of the interior was designed for kids! Unfortunately, a private event stopped us from exploring further. We'll be back for sure!

Walking around the Nakanoshima Children's Book Forest, even without stepping inside, felt like discovering a hidden treasure. Designed by the renowned Tadao Ando, the building is minimalistic yet full of life. Its concrete structure, softened by the surrounding greenery, invites you to linger and admire the harmony between architecture and nature. Near the entrance, I was delighted to find a plaque with Samuel Ullman's Youth. Reading his timeless words while standing next to the cheerful green apple sculpture felt surreal—like the building reminded me to stay young at heart. The poem resonated deeply, offering an unexpected moment of reflection in such a tranquil setting. Although I didn't get to explore the inside due to closing time, the exterior alone was worth the visit. This is the first building I've seen by Tadao Ando, and I'm already very impressed. It's a place where design, literature, and imagination meet.

This is a beautiful open space library. Besides books by domestic authors and artists, there is a wide selection of books sourced globally and translated to Japanese. We visited because it was a building designed by Tadao Ando. We stayed to browse and enjoy the library for more than an hour because it is a wonderful library. While we were there, there were many families with young children actively using and enjoying library resources. There were also older kids and adults using the workspaces available, especially those with a direct view to the river. If I lived nearby, I would be a regular patron of this library.

Nakanoshima Children’s Book Forest is a children’s library on Nakanoshima in the centre of Osaka. The building was designed by a well known architect and contrasts with the historical buildings nearby. The building’s modern style is easy on the eye, and the library is a great place to bring younger children. There is a map of Nakanoshima on the outside of the library.

The architecture of Tadao Ando. There are also apples. It's not crowded on weekends so you have to wait at least 30 minutes to get in.

A very pretty small library, artistically pleasing and very efficient use of space. It has very limited English books. I enjoyed reading a book with the river view.