Osaka · Tennoji / AbenoNo.175★★Open in map →
Harukas 300
— Osaka's sky observation deck
Japan's second-tallest building rises 300 metres above the Tennoji hub. The three-floor observatory on levels 58–60 offers a 360-degree panorama across Osaka Bay, the city grid, and on clear days, the Ikoma Mountains.
Abeno Harukas completed in 2014 and held Japan's tallest-building title for nearly a decade, until Azabudai Hills in Tokyo surpassed it in 2023. The building wraps a department store, a hotel, office space and university campuses around a glass-and-steel frame designed under César Pelli's supervision. Harukas 300 — the observatory name derived from an old Japanese word meaning 'to brighten up' — occupies the 58th through 60th floors. The top floor is a single open space with floor-to-ceiling glass on all sides; on the floor below, a section of glass floor lets you look straight down at the street 300 metres below. The Tennoji area surrounding it combines the zoo, Shitennoji temple, and the department stores of Abeno into one walkable hub.
Background & history
Construction began in 2010 on a site previously occupied by Kintetsu's older Abeno department store. The complex opened in stages, with Harukas 300 opening to the public on March 7, 2014. At 300 metres and 62 floors it was Japan's tallest structure for nearly ten years. The name 'Harukas' (はるかす) draws from the classical Japanese verb meaning 'to brighten, to clear the view' — a deliberate nod to the building's role as a sky viewpoint.
What to look for — in walking order
- 60F sky lobby
- all-glass single open space at the top, 360-degree unobstructed panorama
- 58F glass floor
- a section of transparent floor looking straight down 300 metres — one of the observatory's signature moments
- View to the bay
- on clear days, Osaka Bay, Kansai International Airport island and the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge are visible to the west
- Tennoji area below
- Shitennoji temple, the zoo and Tennoji Park are visible directly beneath — worth a half-day loop before or after
How to enjoy it
Tickets are 2,200 yen for adults (day-of price; 1,980 yen if purchased online in advance). Book online in advance to save and skip the queue at peak weekends. The observatory closes at 22:00 (last entry 21:30), so a night visit with the full Osaka light grid below is particularly striking. Combine with a ground-level walk around Shitennoji temple, a short walk north, to round out a half-day in the Tennoji area.
How to actually get there
- Tennoji Station (JR / Metro Midosuji or Tanimachi Line) — the building is a 1-minute walk from any exit.
- Follow signs for 'Harukas 300 Observatory' to the ticket counter on the ground-floor lobby.
- Ride the express lift to the 58th floor; walk up to the 60th-floor sky lobby for the full panorama.
- Direct access: Tennoji Station is the base of the building
- Tennoji Station is served by JR (Osaka Loop Line, Hanwa Line, Yamatoji Line), Osaka Metro Midosuji Line (M23) and Tanimachi Line (T27). From JR Tennoji, follow signs for Kintetsu Department Store / Abeno Harukas — the building entrance is about a 1-minute walk through the station concourse. Trains from central Osaka (Shinsaibashi, Namba) run every 3–5 minutes on the Midosuji Line, taking about 5–8 minutes.
- Return from Tennoji Station any time
- All lines at Tennoji Station run until after midnight. From here you can reach Namba, Shinsaibashi, or Osaka Station directly without transfers on most routes.
Before you go
- Cash
- Adults 2,200 yen (day-of) / 1,980 yen (online advance). Elementary/middle school students 900 yen. Age 5 and under free. IC cards (ICOCA, Suica) are accepted on all transit here. Online booking recommended for weekends.
- Closing days
- The Harukas 300 Museum inside the complex has a separate admission charge. The Kintetsu department store in the lower floors closes earlier than the observatory.
- Another way
- Kintetsu Osaka Abenobashi Station is integrated into the building at basement/1F level — if coming from Nara or the Kintetsu network, this is a direct connection.
- After you get off
- From Tennoji Station (any exit toward Abeno/Kintetsu), follow overhead signage for 'Harukas 300' — the observatory entrance lobby is in the tower at ground level.