Southern Osaka

Southern Osaka covers the southern part of Osaka City as well as the southern part of Osaka Prefecture. The most interesting sights are located in the city of Sakai in southern Osaka Prefecture.

[Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine]

We consider anything south of the Tennoji District to be southern Osaka. Within the city of Osaka, the most important site in the south is Sumiyoshi Taisha, an interesting Shinto shrine. Outside of the city proper, you’ll find the city of Sakai, which is famous for its knife and sword-making traditions. Sakai is also home to Japan’s largest pre-Buddhist burial mound, the Emperor Nintoku Tomb.

Southern Osaka Highlights

• Sumiyoshi Taisha
• Emperor Nintoku Tomb

[Sumiyoshi Taisha: Jasonyan / Shutterstock.com]

Things To See And Do In Southern Osaka

• Sumiyoshi Taisha (Shinto shrine)
  This colorful shrine a short journey south of Tennoji is one of the few Shinto shrines in Osaka that was not destroyed by bombing in WWII. It’s dedicated to the sea and sea travel. A visit to this shrine makes a nice addition to a trip to the Tennoji area. The shrine is next to Sumiyoshi-taisha Station on the Nankai main line and Sumiyoshi-tori-mae Station on the Hankai main line.

[Emperor Nintoku Tomb: panparinda / Shutterstock.com]

• Emperor Nintoku Tomb (burial mound)
  Located near Mozu Station on the JR Hanwa Line (that runs between Osaka and Wakayama), this burial mound (which is known as Daisenryo Kofun in Japanese) is the largest of its kind in Japan. There’s not a heck of a lot to see here other than the greenery-covered mound and the moats around it, but it might be interesting for fans of Japan’s early history. It’s in Sakai, which has some other interesting attractions, including the following.
• Sakai City Traditional Crafts Museum (museum)
  Located near Myogokujimae Station on the Hankai Line, this small but excellent museum showcases the main product of Sakai city: world-class knives and other cutting tools. If you’re a fan of Japanese knives and swords, don’t miss this place.
• Oizumi-Ryokuchi Park (park)
  Located in Sakai City, south of Osaka, this massive park is arguably the best-uninterrupted expanse of green lawn in the entire Kansai region. Besides the spacious lawn, there’s also a sheep enclosure and a couple of well-designed playgrounds to keep the kids occupied all day.

Places To Stay In Southern Osaka

• Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport
  (View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
  If you’ve ever suffered through an early wake up to catch a flight with children, then we strongly recommend staying your last night at an airport hotel. Early departures from KIX are made easy and pleasant when you stay at Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport!

• Star Gate Hotel Kansai Airport
  (View on Booking.com or Agoda.com)
  If you find the rooms booked at the Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport above and you have an early flight out of KIX, then we highly recommend Star Gate Hotel Kansai Airport right across the bridge from the airport.

Where Are These Places Located?

• Open the Osaka map
• You will see the list of places on the left hand side. (Click the 3-line icon in the top left corner if not). Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want.
• Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.
• Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels / Ryokan / Guesthouses | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | GREEN: Shops | YELLOW: Things to See and Do
• If you’re using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.

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