Written by Lily Crossley-Baxter
Researched by Jane Pipkin
Nothing makes the neon streets more photogenic than some raindrops, but once you’ve got your atmospheric shots, what else can you do on a rainy day in Osaka?
Unfortunately, plenty of the main sights in Osaka—Dotonbori, Tennoji Temple, Sumiyoshi Taisha, for example—require some outdoor strolling, which can be pretty unenjoyable in the miserable rain. You might not have factored in the wet weather, but in a city that sees around 110 days of rain a year, you probably should have.
Fortunately, Osaka did, so you’re not short of things to do—from huge covered shopping streets to relaxing spas to great museums and galleries. Take a look at our top ten suggestions and you might find yourself hoping for a bit of rain.
Looking for even more inspiration? Check out the current events — many feature temporary indoor exhibitions and activities.
1. Explore the past at Osaka’s many museums
Given its rich cultural history, it’s no surprise that Osaka has a great selection of museums where you can explore different aspects of the city’s past. Whether it’s through local ukiyo-e artworks (which can’t be seen anywhere else) or through realistic reconstructions, you can easily spend your day indoors, learning something new.
Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum
¥700Dōtonbori
Buy tickets
For a local feel, head to the Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum which has displays of prints featuring popular kabuki and bunraku (types of theater) characters. From the late Edo era, the prints form the only permanent exhibition in the world of Kamigata Ukiyoe. Kamigata is the old name of the Kyoto-Osaka region and the prints are distinctly different to those from elsewhere in Japan thanks to their realistic style.
Osaka Museum of History
¥600Ōtemae
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At the Osaka Museum of History, you can explore a full timeline of the city’s past, from ancient times to the modern era. Through a mix of models, reconstructions, and historical objects, you’ll get a glimpse of how people lived throughout the ages. There are also a few interactive elements scattered throughout the exhibition, Plus, from the 10th floor of the museum, you can enjoy an elevated view of Osaka Castle.
Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
¥600Tenjinbashi
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Similar to the history museum, this museum has carefully recreated the city streets for a unique display. With a full-sized historical townscape, the Museum of History and Living allows you to see what day-to-day life was like in Edo-era Osaka (rather than just battles and wars like many museums). Traditional festivals, games and shops are explored using murals, videos, and small- and large-scale models. Guests can rent a kimono and stroll through the streets for some vintage shots as well as enjoying the special exhibitions and events including crafts and tea ceremony.
Dōtonbori Museum Namikiza
¥300 to ¥1,200Dōtonbori
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Down Dōtonbori, you’ll find the Dōtonbori Museum Namikiza — a museum where you can learn about the history of Japanese theater. Focusing mainly on Bunraku and Kabuki, this museum offers its visitors are few different types of experiences (for different prices). Activities include a Kabuki makeover, stage experience, and other content, ideal for both children and adults.
2. Shop in the city’s shotengai
Part market, part mall, these covered shopping streets host a mix of food, clothes and souvenirs — offering a safe haven to shoppers on rainy days.
Safe from the elements, these shopping arcades maintain a strange half-in-half-out feel thanks to the glass ceilings (literal ones), allowing natural light to flow in. While some are more modern, like the Shinsaibashi-Suji (just off Dotonbori) some are a little more retro like the Karahori and Kohama shotengai. If you head out to Shinsekai, you can also find Nanyo-dori Shopping Street (known as Janjan-Yokocho) as well as Shinsekai Market — which also have the retro vibes.
Alternatively, head to Tenjinbashi-suji, which claims to be the longest in Japan, stretching out to 2.6 km. It’s less crowded than Shinsaibashi as it’s a little further afield, but has enough stores and shops to keep you busy for a long while. If it’s kitchen goods your after, stick to Doguyasuji — the short-but-sweet shotengai filled with knives, utensils and more.
3. Go Thrifting in Ame-mura
Thrifting is another great indoor activity, and there’s no better for it than Ame-mura – Osaka’s version of Harajuku. The area embraced its “American identity” back in the 1970s, when shops began selling imported clothes from the US. Since then, it has grown into a lively hub full of cafés, live venues, and more.
While the neighborhood isn’t fully covered, the shops are close to each other, making it easy to hop from one to the next. You’ll also find larger shopping complexes like Shinsaibashi Big Step. This particular shopping center houses The Silver Ball Planet — a retro pinball arcade where you can try out over 100 rare pinball machines.
Once you’re done shopping, check out some of the many trendy cafés nearby. One of our favorites is Café LA, a cozy underground spot with an international vibe and great toasties.
Pro tip: Lover of vintage? You could also spend a rainy day following our Ultimate Osaka Vintage Guide and finding some standout pieces.
4. Watch a traditional live performance
If you’re feeling cultural, then a show at one of Osaka’s theaters will be right up your alley.
The National Bunraku Theater
¥1,800~Nipponbashi
Offering performances of bunraku — a traditional art form from the Kamigata (Osaka and Kyoto) area, the theater opened in 1984 and has a smaller branch in Tokyo. A type of puppet drama, bunraku is on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Tickets can be bought online or at the box office—if you’re looking for student discounts you’ll have to get the tickets in person.
Osaka Shochikuza Theater
¥4,000 to ¥13,000Dōtonbori
Experience the colorful and cultural world of Kabuki at Osaka Shochikuza Theater. Standing proudly at the end of the main strip in Dotonbori, this historic venue hosts a different performance each month. Typically, there are three shows daily — morning, noon, and evening. While it’s recommended to book tickets in advance, you can also purchase them at the box office on the day. Tickets range from ¥4,000 to ¥13,000, depending on the seat. Keep in mind if you buy on the day, you may not get the best seats.
Asahi Theater
¥1,000~Shinsekai
A smaller theater located in the retro area of Shinsekai, the Asahi Theater puts on two popular theater-style shows per day (12 p.m. and 5 p.m.). Depending on the production during your visit, you can expect some laughs or slightly more emotional moments. Luckily, you can just grab tickets on the day at the venue. Tickets for a performance start at ¥1,000.
Note: All these performances are in Japanese.
5. Feed the fish at Kaiyukan Aquarium
¥2,700Kaigandori
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Embrace the water and spend a couple of hours at one of the largest public aquariums in the world.
Known for having a whale shark, the aquarium is one of the big draws for locals and visitors alike. The areas include a ‘Deep Japan’ display with giant spider crabs as well as a ‘Japan Forest’ which has salamanders slinking around. There are different feeding times and a touching tank for kids, so you can entertain families easily, as well as adults.
Seniors: ¥2,000
6. Eat away the day at Tsuruhashi Market
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Similar to the city’s shotengai, Tsuruhashi is a food-focused market with countless stalls to sample from.
Located in the Osaka’s Koreatown, this market will keep you well fed and stocked for days. The atmosphere is distinctly shabby but in a charming way (hopefully), with plenty of signs, lights and distractions to keep you entertained.
There are around 800 shops in the market which stretches through three areas (Tennoji, Higashinari and Ikuno). This is where the chefs and restaurant owners of Osaka gather in the mornings to get the best produce for the day, so trust in the knowledge that you’ll be getting good quality when you shop here. Be sure to arrive hungry as the food stalls sell everything Japanese and Korean — you’ll have a hard time choosing from them all!
7. Soak away the day at Spa World
¥1,500 to ¥2,500Shinsekai
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Probably the best way to enjoy a rainy day in the world, this is basically an onsen theme park with a rooftop pool.
In the delightfully sketchy Shinsekai area of Osaka, Spa World is divided into two sections: Asian and European, with genders swapping between the two each month. Spend your time between blue caves, Grecian pools and salt saunas, with traditional Japanese cypress baths around too. The water is sourced from a proper hot spring, it’s just jazzed up a bit by the surroundings — so enjoy the benefits on your skin and embrace the bizareness of it.
The pool at the top is mixed and requires bathing suits. Be aware there is a strict no tattoo policy (but if you can hide them you’ll probably be fine—from personal experience once you’re in, you’re alright).
Admission to all areas of Spa World costs ¥2,500 for adults and ¥1,500 for children. Additional fees apply for other amenities such as the waterslides and certain baths.
Elementary School students: ¥1,500
8. Step inside Osaka Castle
¥1,200Osakajo
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Maybe so obvious it passed you by, but Osaka Castle was renovated to include a historical museum, perfect for rainy days!
While wandering in the surrounding park won’t be too much fun, you can step inside for a few hundred yen and learn all about the history of the castle and the city it protected. Once the largest castle in Japan (and still pretty impressive) the castle has undergone various disasters including lightning strikes since its original construction in 1583. The modern version was built in 1931 and renovated in 1997 and will teach you everything you need to know about the battles, bloodshed, and building work that’s taken place over the centuries.
9. Make your own Cup Noodle at the ramen Museum
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If a museum doesn’t have it’s own cup noodle making room is it even a museum? Not in Japan, and the proof is right here at the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum.
With a much more well known sister museum in Yokohama, this museum is slighty smaller but still really fun—with the added bonus of being the real hometown of the creation. With wall-to-wall displays tracking the design changes, movies about the history of cup noodle development and giant models dotted around the place, you’ll love it here, even if you only like instant ramen a bit.
The place is a lot of fun before you even reach the cup noodle making area, which is factory-like in efficiency (as we would expect no less from Japan). Design your cup, the contents and then take it throught the packaging process, all before packing it in an inflatable pouch. If you’re still peckish, there’s an Ippudo ramen shop on the way back to Ikeda Station.
10. Participate in a workshop
¥48,000Sakai
Book here
Another perfect rainy day activity is to attend a workshop, and Osaka is full of them. From cooking classes to traditional experiences, there’s a whole host of options to choose from. If you’re looking for something unique to Osaka, consider this exclusive knife crafting class at the legendary Wada Shouten.
Specializing in Sakai blades, these knives are crafted in the traditional way by artisans — without the use of machines or molds. Notably, Sakai remains one of Japan’s top three chief cutlery-producing regions.
This workshop includes access to the Sakai Knife Museum as well as the Wada Shouten workshop. There, you’ll have the rare opportunity to make your own knife, choosing from Santoku, Deba, or Sasihimi styles. To make the experience even more special, you can brand and engrave the knife with your name. Before taking your knife home, you’ll also learn how to properly maintain it so it lasts for years to come.
Pro tip: if you simply just want to buy a kitchen knife, head over to Tower Knives Osaka in Shinsekai.
Rainy days in Osaka FAQs
What is the rainiest month in Osaka?
June is known as the rainiest month in Japan. While it often rains heavily, the weather tends to stay quite warm. That said, it doesn’t rain every day.
What is the best month to visit Osaka?
This is subjective, however, the general opinion is that March to May and September to November are the best times to visit. This is because of the warmer temperature as well as the various cultural events and seasonal blooms. For more insight, check out this video.
While we do our best to ensure it’s correct, information is subject to change.
