Best Other Townscapes around Kansai Spot List

Midosuji takes its name from the Kita Mido Hall and the Minami Mido Hall, which are branch temples of Higashi Hongan-ji Temple and Nishi Hongan-ji Temple located by the roadside. As the face of Osaka, this grand boulevard runs through the city's heart and entertainment area and is lined with banks, trading company buildings, and hotels. Stretching 44 meters wide, the road extends four kilometers southwards from the front of Hankyu Department Store beside Osaka Station to Namba Station. The road is lined with four rows of gingko trees, whose leaves turn a beautiful yellow in autumn.

The Dotombori-gawa River slices right through the Minami district of Osaka, and it is from the river's Ebisubashi Bridge that you can view the famous Glico neon billboard up close. The riverside promenade called Tombori River Walk exudes a tasty atmosphere. Tombori River Cruise, in which you can enjoy the scenery of Dotombori from the river, is open for an only limited time.

Shaped like the fugure eight, this loop bridge connects Kinsei-dai (Venus Lookout) in Suwayama Park and the mountaintop observatory square called Venus Terrace. This winding bridge, thrusting out toward urban Kobe, offers you a magical night view right before your eyes. Lights of ships and planes arriving and taking off from Kobe Airport resemble shooting stars. The Futatabisan Driveway leading to Venus Bridge is closed to vehicles from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. (closed to two-wheel vehicles all day).