Things to do in Nishinomiya

2026 Global 100 - Best Things to Do

Universal Studios Japan

Here you'll find not only heart-pounding attractions themed around Hollywood blockbuster movies, but also live shows featuring popular cartoon characters—fun for everyone from kids to adults! This is home to the world's first Nintendo theme park, where you can immerse yourself in the world of Super Mario! Here we have holiday-exclusive parades and float tours! Everyone here is the star—join the passionate parade, ignite your excitement together, and feel full of energy! Located in OsakaUniversal Studios Japan("Universal Studios Japan") is one of the Universal Studios theme parks. It opened in 2001 and is a classic and wonderful world of fun in the hearts of many visitors. Its design is similar to Universal Studios Orlando in the United States, and it features popular areas such as "Jurassic Park," "Hollywood," and "Waterworld." With more than 60 fun attractions, you can keep playing and exploring all day long. Universal Studios JapanThere are also much-loved themed IP areas such as "Super Nintendo World (Mario/Super Mario)", "Minions", and "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter". Whether you're having fun interacting with the Minions, racing through the Mario Kart adventure, or weaving through the magical world of Hogwarts, these are all wonderfully unforgettable experiences. △The Nintendo area is a collaboration between Nintendo andUniversal Studios JapanThe world's first Nintendo theme park, jointly built, features the globally popular Super Mario as its main character. It offers a 1:1 ultra-realistic recreation of Bowser's Castle, Princess Peach's Castle, and the Mushroom Kingdom from the game, allowing you to immerse yourself in the world of Super Mario! △"Despicable Me Minion Mayhem" and "Freeze Ray Sliders" pull you into the Minions' gigantic chaos and whip up a heatwave! A huge swarm of Minions is running wild and turning everything upside down in every street, alley, and corner! In the joyful and boisterous Minion Park, every visitor can't help but join in the mischievous mayhem! △Welcome to the magnificent area—The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, which faithfully recreates the world of the Harry Potter™ stories with overwhelming scale and meticulous attention to every detail. The towering Hogwarts™ castle stands tall, and in front of it lies the vast Hogsmeade™ where wizards live, along with many ride attractions and various shops. Here, you can step into "that world" from the films, as if everything is happening right before your eyes.

2026 Global 100 - Family-friendly Attractions

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is a large aquarium themed around the Pacific Ocean, with a visitor route designed as a journey of "diving from land to the seabed": upon entering, you first pass through the tunnel-shaped tank "Water Gate" and watch tropical fish swim overhead; then take a long escalator directly to the top floor, starting from the sunlit "Japan Forest" tank, searching for stream creatures amid the sound of waterfalls and the greenery of streams; then descend floor by floor along a spiral ramp, circling the central "Pacific Ocean" giant tank and passing in sequence through exhibition areas such as the Tasman Sea, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Japan Trench. The same tank reappears repeatedly as you move between floors, offering different views from above, at eye level, and from below, so that walking the whole route feels like diving a full circle around the Pacific Ocean. The aquarium is home to over 600 species and tens of thousands of marine creatures. The core "Pacific Ocean" tank is approx. 9 m deep and holds over 5,000 tons of water, where the iconic whale shark swims leisurely, accompanied by large manta rays flapping their "wings" and schools of silver fish circling in the current; in the "Tasman Sea" tank, bottlenose dolphins swim with agile, dynamic grace; the "Arctic Circle" exhibition area uses two levels to recreate the ice surface and the seawater beneath it, with ringed seals darting near the ice edge; in the dimly lit "Sea Moon Galaxy," jellyfish glow and fade slowly like suspended star clusters, making it a popular photo spot in the aquarium. It is recommended to set aside at least half a day for your visit. Crowds tend to gather around the central large tank, so as you walk down the ramp, pay attention to the small and medium-sized tanks on both sides. Exhibits such as the penguins and sea lions are scattered along the route, and it is easy to miss them if you rush through.

2026 Global 100 - Night Attractions

Umeda Sky Building

•Unfind with the sky •A building connected by the Kuchu Teien Observatory •Take in the Osaka cityscape with a bird's-eye view from the 360-degree open air rooftop The Umeda Sky Building is located in the Umeda district of north Osaka. A rather uniquely designed building, it consists of two towers that are connected at with a rooftop observatory deck, from which visitors can view the dazzling streets below. The building has become a landmark in Osaka, with visitors coming to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. △ Space filled with excitement on the way to the sky  △ A 360-degree open air rooftop observation floor for changing views at any time △ Stand at the 173-meter-high Sky Garden Observation Deck and enjoy the dynamic night view of Osaka City

No. 2 of Best Things to Do in Hyogo Prefecture

Taiko no Yu

Arima Onsen has a history of more than 1,000 years and is a famous hot spring known as the "Hot Spring of Ancient Japan". Taiko no Yu covers an area of about 7,000 square meters and is the largest hot spring theme park in the Arima area. The "Three Famous Springs of Arima" in the facility - golden spring, silver spring, and carbonated spring, allow you to enjoy the pleasure of bathing in hot springs.

2026 Global 50 - Hot Springs Attractions

Arima Onsen

Arima Onsen is a relatively old hot spring in the Kansai region, located in Arima Town, Kita Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. Arima Onsen, one of Japan's three largest hot springs, is a 1,300-year-old hot spring area that is said to have been built by Buddhist monks in the 8th century. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, you can enjoy cherry blossoms in spring and maple trees in autumn. In addition to the famous hot springs, this place is quite popular with tourists. The water quality of Arima Onsen is rich in minerals, and it is divided into golden spring, silver spring, radium spring and carbonated spring according to different spring quality. In addition, because the spring quality of Arima Onsen is slightly salty, it is rumored that if an ancient samurai was injured, soaking in this area would make the wound easier to heal. Bathing here, the warm heat often mirrors the dense clouds and mists of the mountains outside. Today's hot spring area is a concentration of elegant hot spring hotels, and the quiet style is another charming style of Kobe.

No. 4 of Activities in Japan

Hot Springs in Osaka

2026 Global 50 - Hot Springs Attractions

Solaniwa Onsen Osaka Bay Tower

We offer a variety of baths and saunas, including an open-air hot spring bath with flowing source water, a garden-view bath overlooking the vast garden, carbonated springs, and rotating baths, as well as body scrubbing. A place to heal your daily fatigue and recharge your energy for tomorrow, Solaniwa Onsen Osaka Bay Tower. Step back in time to the Azuchi-Momoyama period! This unique space blends traditional Japanese charm with modern elegance, offering an unprecedented experience. Enjoy natural open-air hot springs, foot baths, stone saunas, relaxation areas, Japanese cuisine, wagashi sweets, and a rooftop Japanese garden—all while wearing yukata robes to immerse yourself in the ambiance of ancient times for a truly special moment. Hot spring Soraniwa Onsen boasts garden-view baths overlooking a vast Japanese garden, along with nine types of baths including open-air baths fed by natural hot springs (hypotonic, weakly alkaline, and high-temperature) drawn from 1,000 meters underground. These baths are expected to help with neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain, bruises, sprains, hemorrhoids, cold sensitivity, fatigue recovery, and overall health improvement. Private open-air bath We offer 10 completely private rooms with open-air hot spring baths fed by flowing source water and small gardens. There are 2 special rooms recommended for 4-6 guests, 7 private rooms for up to 4 guests, and 1 private room with a tent sauna. Enjoy the natural hot spring "beauty skin water" with flowing source water in your private space. Ganbanyoku (stone spa) The seven types of stone baths at Nekkaze Yokocho warm your body from the core with far-infrared rays, promoting health, beauty, and relaxation through deep sweating effects. Meal Enjoy a variety of food, from seasonal delicacies to photogenic sweets! Enjoy a colorful menu featuring festival-style food stalls, dining spots that delight both the eyes and the palate, and tea houses proud of their Instagram-worthy sweets. Access About 10 minutes by train from Osaka Station (Umeda Station)! JR/Osaka Metro Bentencho Station is right there. , Route from JR Bentencho Stationhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/GoFE3G4CNT4?rel=0&autoplay=1&mute=1 Route from Osaka Metro Bentencho Stationhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/3VB--bjnJfI?rel=0&autoplay=1&mute=1

2026 Global 50 - Spring Outings

Osaka Castle Park

Located in central Osaka, Osaka Castle Park is a historical park centered around the ruins of Osaka Castle. The park's most striking structure is the Osaka Castle Main Tower, and from its top floor you can take in a panoramic view of the Osaka Plain and the surrounding cityscape. The park is also a well-known flower-viewing spot in Osaka. Nishinomaru Garden is famous for its cherry blossoms and offers evening cherry blossom viewing in spring; the plum grove is planted with many varieties of plum trees that often bloom first in early spring; the northern area also has a peach grove and the densely wooded Forest of Remembrance. Flowers bloom in turn throughout the four seasons, so visitors at different times can enjoy different scenery. The park also has performance venues such as the Osaka Castle Hall and the Music Hall, as well as sports facilities including a softball field, a rugby and soccer field, an archery range, and the Shudokan. Residents often come here to exercise and relax on ordinary days, and visitors can also feel the everyday life of this historical park. The walkway beside the moat's stone wall offers a wide open view, making it a great spot to capture the castle keep and flowers in the same frame. Around the main keep, many stone walls built of massive boulders remain, and the stone walls on both sides of the moat rise steeply, majestic and imposing, making them important remains of the Osaka Castle defensive system from the Tokugawa period.

Selected for Night Attractions in Japan

The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

• Where magic is everywhere • Discover the sights of the wizarding world • Reproduce the world from the Harry Potter stories, bringing it to life on a phenomenal scale Located at Universal Studios Japan, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a theme park based on the stories and characters of the well selling Harry Potter series. Visitors must walk past gigantic rocks and follow a path lined with trees three storeys high before the great doors to this magical world spring into sight. Besides housing many attractions and games related to the Harry Potter movies, the park also features many sites found in the books, including restaurants and shops. All of these help make visitors feel as if they have truly walked into a world of magic. △ Inside Hogwarts castle you'll explore the classrooms and corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including Dumbledore's office and the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.  △ In Hogsmeade, a village where wizards reside, there is an array of shops frequented by students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  △ A magical adventure flying above the Hogwarts™ grounds.

Selected for Night Attractions in Japan

Super Nintendo World Japan

Super Nintendo World is located in Universal Studios Osaka. It is an immersive park built with classic games as its theme. The green pipe design at the entrance restores the classic scenes in the game. Princess Peach Castle and Bowser Castle are the core landscapes, bringing visitors a familiar visual experience. The entire park creates a unique atmosphere where the game world and reality blend together through pixel-style decorations and stereo sound effects. The interactive experience system is the core feature of the park. Visitors wearing Power Up Band bracelets can collect virtual coins in physical scenes and use AR telescopes to find hidden characters. The Yoshi Adventure Ride project has 8 themed areas along the 400-meter track, overlooking the colorful building block landscape of the entire park. The themed dining area offers creative meals such as question mark cube-shaped bread and mushroom soup bowl sets. The 1UP factory store sells limited edition character figures and glowing energy star accessories.