Tsutenkaku

Nov 2024 experience: Even with the Osaka amazing pass, I still had to wait in line to go up to the viewing deck, and had to line up again for the slide, which was a faster queue. Very small inside space on the viewing level (didn’t go up to the external outside level) but 360° views and can see a very tiny Osaka castle in the distance if you know where to look. Honestly I didn’t like the view as much as what the Umeda Sky Observatory offered but each to their own, going on a sunny day or evening time might’ve been better. I’d give this 3/5 on its own based on my experience. The slide was definitely much more enjoyable and I’ll like to come back to do that again. Whether it’s scary or not depends on how much you can tolerate, plenty of people screamed on their way down but I thought it was alright 😂

Visiting Tsutenkaku 通天閣 was a good and interesting experience. One of the most memorable moments is when you enter the elevator—the lights suddenly turn off and a special animation begins, making you feel like a rocket is launching. It’s a fun and unexpected touch that makes the ride up more exciting than a normal elevator. At the top, the view is nice and it’s a good place to take photos of Osaka from above. However, there isn’t a coffee shop or a place to sit and relax, so most of the time you’ll be standing while looking around and taking pictures. Even so, the atmosphere is lively and enjoyable. Overall, Tsutenkaku offers a unique experience, especially with the “rocket” elevator, and it’s an interesting spot to visit when exploring Osaka. 🚀📸✨

TLDR: definitely visit at night. Fun street market vibes. Small area, great for a half-day visit. I only had half a day to visit and since it was in the day, it was a bit quiet. They still had a lot of food and game stalls open though. The vibe is very reminiscent of fun fairs, if you’re into that.

A RETRO ROCKET SHIP IN THE HEART OF OLD OSAKA · VIBE CHECK this iconic tower is the beacon of osaka's historic shinsekai district. the vibe is pure, unapologetic nostalgia, a time capsule from the postwar era when this was the city's futuristic dream. THE TOWER LOWDOWN tsutenkaku literally means "tower reaching heaven." it's the symbol of this old part of osaka city, a playful structure that feels like a retro-futuristic lighthouse watching over the bustling, old-school streets below. FINAL VERDICT come for the vintage views and the unique atmosphere, not for sleek modernity. riding to the top offers a cool perspective on osaka's layered history. it's a charming, kitschy must-see that embodies the city's resilient and playful spirit. lowkey iconic. · peep the images for your ref; they’re worth a thou. make sure to ❤️!

DON'T GO - it's absolutely nor worth it. After queuing for more than half an hour in dense crowds, you finally reach the top of the tower, where looking around at the city views takes less than 10 minutes. Then you have to queue again to take the elevator down. Inside the tower, it's nothing but commercial space selling all kinds of merchandise; the only slightly interesting part is the limited photos and descriptions about the tower's history on the wall, which you can easily find on the internet. Overall, this experience is simply not worth the expensive ticket price, and your time. After coming out, I suspect many people feel disappointed like me.

Tsutenkaku is one of Osaka’s most nostalgic landmarks and really captures the old-school Shinsekai vibe. The area feels lively and a bit retro, with lots of street food and local shops around. The tower itself isn’t very tall compared to modern observation decks, but the view is still nice and gives you a different perspective of the city. It can get a little crowded, especially during peak hours, but the experience is fun and very Osaka-like. Worth visiting at least once, especially if you want to see a more local and classic side of the city. I didnt go up the tower but just walked around to get the a view of the tower.

We went there on a Monday afternoon. Klook reservation was 3:00pm. Surprisingly there was no queue at the entrance, although there was a short queue at the elevators from the 1st to 2nd floor, and 2nd floor up to the 5th (where the observation deck is located). The deck is 87.5 meters above the ground, offering a decent skyline view. We didn’t bother to go to the special deck, since it is only slightly higher by 7 meters. The elevator going down stops at the 3rd floor, which showcases the tower’s history. Going down to the 2nd floor there are lots of interesting information about Glico Man. Overall experience is just so-so; at least we can say that we’ve been there 😄.

The tower is beautiful from below, but there's nothing special about the observation deck. The lights are so bright and glittery like party lights, it's impossible to see outside because the reflections on the glass are very distracting. (night-time visiting experience) If you want to see the panorama of Osaka city from a height, it's better to go to another place like the Umeda Sky Building.

I thought this was a fun thing to do while in Osaka. I originally had only booked a slide ticket but then decided I wanted to go up to the observatory so I added on a ticket through Klook. They have 2 lines so if you already have a ticket, there's 1 line and then to purchase tickets is in another line. I went up to the observatory first and spent about an hr there. I went all the way to the top which I thought was worth it. If you are going to do it, do it all the way. ;) There was a great photo op spot at the edge of the building which was kinda fun. Great views and when I went, it wasn't overly crowded. My slide was for noon and it was a fun experience. You don't get to see much so if you want to go to the top, buy the other ticket. Super fun and you they give you a download which is fun to have. Great view of the city.

We visited here as a part of the Osaka Amazing Pass (very much worth the money if you're trying to hit multiple destinations in one day by the way). We came here around 6:30-7 so we could go to the top of the tower. We didn't know when we were checking in that you could only pick the observation deck or the slide and we picked the slide. It's a pretty cool experience. You get to slide from an upper floor down to the ground floor with some lights in the tunnel and there was a Superman theme at the time which was cool. At the end you can even download a video of your sliding after. Line is a little slow but its because you share a line with the people going up too. Pretty cool experience if you're looking to do something other than or in addition to the observation deck.

We came here to visit Osaka tower, a very popular tourist destination. They had two separate tickets, one for the observation deck and other for sliding loop. There was a 45 minutes waiting for observation deck, so we decided to do the slide. It took us about 20 minutes to get top of the tower at the Sliding deck. All the employees were friendly and helpful. They were trying to make it as fun as possible. The sliding itself is 10-12 seconds of experience. You get experience partial free fall while sliding on a piece of blanket. The ticket came with equipment rental of the helmet and sliding blanket. They also provided free video of the slide, but it was only the beginning and ending parts of the slide. After completing our activity, we spend some time in the gift shop. I found a unique coin machine where I was able to engrave on it whatever text I wanted. It was one of the most unique souvenir item I managed to collect in my entire trip. The shop had other stuff like apparel, snack, candies, toys and Osaka souvenir items. Overall the quality of the products in this shop wasn't good enough for me.

Tsutenkaku is known as the Osaka tower. We originally wanted to go up in the tower but it's 45mins wait even with Ōsaka Amazing Pass. So we did the Tower Slide instead. I still get to see a little view from the window. The slide was fun though. It's from mid tower to bottom. First part is semi transparent then it's dark with LED light. You have no idea which way you are going. I definitely screamed but honestly it was not that scary. More shopping and restaurants at lower level and around the tower. Japanese people really good at developing tourist spots. I have been buying non stop every place I go.

Great area to walk around and eat as there's so many restaurants to pick from. Close to transportation as well which is convenient.

When this tower was first built in 1912, it was the tallest tower in all of Asia. 31yrs later, this tower was severely damaged in a fire, and was eventually rebuilt to the 100-meter tall tower we know of today. This tower is prettiest when viewed at night, where its bright neon lights will change color depending upon the season. Additionally, the lights on top of the tower are weather beacons indicating the next day's weather forecast. We went with an Osaka Amazing Pass, so we were able to take an elevator up to the top without any additional charges. The very top of the tower was a special VIP section that required an additional fare, so we opted out. Even without access to the VIP section, we were still able to get a pretty good top-down view of Osaka from the vantage point we were at. From the top of the tower, you slowly make your way back down. You'll pass different sections such as the history of Glico and Pocky Sticks, various anime-related themed rooms, as well as various statues of Billiken that you can donate to and rub for luck. There is no shortage of spots in this tower to make good-luck donations to, or purchase of small trinkets or gachas. And of course, the experience ends in their gift shop where you can purchase a variety of Pocky's of differing flavors typically not found elsewhere. The slowest point of this whole experience was waiting for our turn in line for the elevators going up to the top. It was a decent experience since it was already included in the Osaka Amazing Pass that we bought. But might be a bit of a letdown if you are expecting something more akin to a modern observation deck.

Tsūtenkaku, meaning "Tower Reaching Heaven" is a well-known landmark in Osaka. It is located in the Shinsekai old town district. When it was first built in 1912, it was the second tallest structure in Asia. Nowadays it doesn't look so tall. The tower is famous for its neon lights, which are actually now LED lighting. The lights show a different color set for every two months (for ex, pink for cherry blossom season in March/April). The lights on top of the tower are a weather beacon indicating tomorrow's weather forecast by a combination of different colors, and during COVID they were a counter of active cases to keep people updated on risk levels. When I visited in March 2023, the tower was under construction so we could not enjoy the lights. I did not go up into the tower, so I can't speak to that. It does have a slide which looks like a lot of fun.

The fiancé and I headed over to Tsutenkaku with no intentions of going to the top. We have been to many observatory towers in Japan with amazing views, but sometimes the view from the bottom is just as great! The tower itself is simple with the colors changing every few seconds. It's often referred to the Eiffle Tower of Osaka. Other than that, I can't say much about Tsutenkaku. However, the area around it is lively! There are many restaurants with bright colored signages and objects. I'm a huge sucker for lights, and Japan is a city full of them! There are also many shops, both old and new alike. For me, I personally enjoyed the trek to Tsutenkaku from where we were staying. I liked checking out the restaurants and shops, and just taking in what the area had to offer. Although this area is still part of Osaka, it gave off a different vibe and that was refreshing. If you are on the same boat as myself, then I recommend exploring Tsutenkaku and the area around it. If this doesn't sound appealing to you, take a pass and go explore elsewhere! Happy traveling!

The Osaka Tower was alright. I was disappointed that the garden was closed. I really wanted to see that, but there wasn't any indications of the garden being closed while we were waiting. We waited in line for about an hour. Of course, while in line there's an opportunity to take a souvenir photo At the top there is a café and a Pocky display. There's an extra charge to go to the very top - which is outside. We figured we had waited long enough, that we might as well go all the way. Overall, it's a good view but I'm not sure it was worth the long wait to get up there.

It's a good spot to overlook Osaka city view, also nearby Shinsekai shopping centers.

Enjoy the Elevator up the observatory floor! I call it the Hitachi tower! Nearby is Tower Knives where you can shop local craftsman made knife from Japan! Pricey but might be worth the money for the chefs

Perhaps as iconic though not as internationally famous, Tsutenkaku is a symbol of Osaka. Dubbed as the Eiffel Tower of Osaka, Tsutenkaku is the signature landmark of the Shinsekai district and has the same manga-inspired nostalgic vibe as the neighborhood that represents. If you take any photos of Shinsekai, be sure to have this symbolic tower in the backdrop! Originally constructed in 1912 as an Eiffel Tower on top of an Arc de Triomphe, Tsutenkaku was a tall representation of the Shinsekai's Paris half. However, after the fall of Shinsekai after WWII, the entire neighborhood changed its development direction to a nostalgic vibe and the tower that was burned in a fire was reconstructed to its current state. It may take a lot of imagination to see this tower as an Eiffel Tower imitation, so the new Tsutenkaku is even more Osaka than Paris! Tsutenkaku also has an observatory on the top. However, if you are expecting a world-class observatory like the Umeda Sky Building, you will be disappointed. The observatory room is relatively narrow, and the glass are not immune to the glare of its own interior light. Although Tsutenkaku is nowhere near the tallest in Osaka, its location makes it a stellar unobstructed view of the Osaka skyline if you can see through the glare! I think the biggest winner of the observatory isn't the observatory itself. Instead, the mini museum that shows Osaka's past and the Glico gift shop are the true attractions! Heck, the amount of Pocky in the Glico gift shop is absolutely insane! Be sure to check out some nostalgic merchandises that this unique shop has in stock. Is the Tsutenkaku observatory a must-go destination? Probably not, but it is an interesting place to check out nonetheless especially if you are already in the Shinsekai area! --- tl;dr version: 1) An iconic Osaka symbol and the standard for Shinsekai 2) Mediocre observatory but cool gift shop!

This tower is the symbol of Osaka. The area around the tower is called Shin-sekai, the meaning is new world. Yes, it was a new world in hundred years ago. You can look around Osaka from the top of the tower, the entry fee is 700 yen, and you have to wait on line on holidays. I recommend you should go up one time and second time you just walk around this area and have good Osaka food. But don't follow the person who invite you to some Izakaya! These ones are terrible and very expensive. You have to research good restaurants by Yelp! 大阪のシンボルといえる塔、通天閣。 大阪のシンボルってこれといい、太陽の塔といい、けったいなもんばっかり。 新世界と言われるエリアにあります。 そう、100年前の新しい世界、そこが新世界です。 700円払って上に登ると大阪の街が見渡せます。 南側は...あまり凝視しないように。 休みの日は登るのにも行列です。 一度登れば十分で、周りの大阪グルメを楽しんでください。 ただし、客引きしてるお店は絶対にダメ！ 不味いし高いし、ちゃんと調べてお店に行きましょう！

Tsutenkaku Tower is talked about a lot in tourism books, always being called a cross between the Eiffel Tower and Arc de triumph. This might be hard to imagine, but once you're there you'll get it. If you've bought an Amazing Pass you'll be able to ride up to the top of the tower for free. And soon you'll be confronted by the wonder that is Biliken. He is everywhere there and around the area. But you'll also get some great views of Osaka.

Can't miss it in this part of town, the Eiffel Tower of Osaka if you will. I was in the area mainly to score some killer takoyaki and other tasty treats in the neighborhood below it. Not as impressive as the Sky Tree in Tokyo or even Kyoto Tower, as the shape of the tower is much like an air traffic control tower. There's some trivial history behind the tower but nothing too exciting. As for soaking in some views of the city, I'd save the cash here and spend it at the Umeda Sky Building 40 floors up or at Osaka Castle for some panoramic backdrops.

If you're in the Shinsekai area, you can't miss the Tsutenkaku. It's the easiest landmark to spot. The tower isn't too tall or anything, so it's not the best observatory deck to go to. I also wouldn't recommend going out of your way just for Tsutenkaku. Hit up Umeda Sky Building instead.

I have long wanted to come here. I don't want to go to Eiffel Tower in Paris or Sky Tree in Tokyo. In the first place I really wanted to come here! This tower became catchy, when it was centennial. It was introduced in various media. But I am sorry to say I thought this area was unsafe and unwholesome. So I hesitated to visit here. However my common sense was overthrown. This area is very popular and active. I became to love it. This tower was modeled on the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It soars in the center of the mall. I was overwhelmed by its outstanding existence. I entered the tower. I had to go underground by elevator or stairs. I bought an entrance ticket, which costs 700 yen including a chocolate (only for adult). I also got on an elevator to upstairs and got off it at 5th floor. I had to wait for 15 minutes to look around the tower. The day I visited was weekday, but it was crowded with sightseers. After I got off the elevator, staff members took a picture of the each customer. They yelled, "Hi, Tsuten!" instead of "Hi Cheese". They checked if they took a picture properly. If it was OK, they yelled, "Tore Tower" instead of "Toretawa". It meant they succeeded in taking a picture. Osaka people like jokes, humor, and puns. There were many puns in the tower. If you come here, you will feel humor of Osaka persons. I'm sorry I am always derailed. Anyway, the views were splendid!! I could enjoy panorama of Osaka city. I first met the third Mr. Biriken who has supported Tsutenkaku as a guardian angel of the good luck. In 1908 an American popular female novelist met a unique deity in her dream, which was a model of Biriken. He is funny and amiable and smiles to make us happy. In this tower the history and appearance when Tsutenkaku was established was introduced by screen and miniature. An amusement park or theater stretched over the tower. Dreamy world!! Very fantastic!! A lot of people flocked here so that this area was overcrowded on consecutive days. Therefore I was shocked to see that the tower broke down by air attack during war. But I was glad that it was reconstructed and still exists now. I happened to meet university students in Hiroshima here. They tripped as a group to enjoy Osaka. They said to me "Okonomiyaki is famous in Hiroshima. So we are going to eat Takoyaki here". So I bought cookies of Takoyaki in an inside souvenir shop and gave them the cookies. I parted from them, saying, "Have a nice trip". They replied with smile, "Thank you". Such an encounter is the cream of one-day trips!

To me it was a waste of time, but just in for the experience. Lined up for about 1hr to get to the top of this man-made tower (original one was lost in a fire), and there wasn't much to see at the top. If you want to see the grand scheme of the things in Osaka, there are other skycrapers in Umeda for that purpose. The only special part for me was the display of that famous manga - 筋肉人？？ and Biliken. The surrounding area was very down to earth, some sort old neighborhood with lots of small shops and food stands, however I did not have time to experience those, and lining up for the observation deck actually made me miss my schedule to visit next place in the harbor.