Osaka History Museum

The Osaka Museum of History chronicles the city’s long history spanning from the ancient past from the ancient to the present. The museum is next to a park that stands on the former site of the Naniwa Palace, which served as the capital of Japan during the Asuka and Nara period from the seventh to eighth century. The Palace ruins are preserved inside the museum, in the basement.
The underlying theme of the Osaka Museum of History is “urban Osaka,” which is showcased in the permanent collections on the seventh to tenth floors.
A visit here generally starts at the top floor, where the oldest exhibits from the Asuka and Nara periods are displayed. On the floors below, Osaka’s 13-hundred year history is shown in time order.
The tenth floor houses a full-size replica of Naniwa Palace’s main hall (Taigokuden) built in the Nara period. The vermillion pillars placed in the center of the room are approximately 70 centimeters in diameter.
The ninth floor focuses on Japan’s feudal age to early pre-modern days. The main attraction is the diorama depicting Osaka’s castle town during the Edo period. Back then, the city was a major trade hub and was called “the nation’s kitchen.”
The museum’s pre-modern to modern era collection is located on the seventh floor. This floor reenacts an Osaka streetscape from the late Taisho to early Showa era, when the city was Japan’s largest city.
At the end of your visit, head back to the tenth floor to view the Naniwa Palace ruins and Osaka Castle below. It is a sight to behold, especially after exploring Osaka’s rich history.