Tempozan Harbor Village, Osaka

Tempozan Harbor Village is an entertainment and shopping complex centered around the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. With the Cruise Ship Santa Maria, the Tempozan Giant Ferris wheel, Legoland Discovery Center Osaka, the Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho (Osaka cuisine food theme park), and the Tempozan marketplace (shopping mall), there is enough things to do for you to spend a whole day in this place without getting bored.

 Cruise Ship Santa Maria

On this cruise ship, made after the Santa Maria ship from Columbus, you can tour around Osaka bay. The day cruise (1,600 yen for adults, 800 yen for children) last 45 minutes and it sets sail once every hour from 11:00 until 19:00. From 19:00, the night cruise (2,100 yen for adults, 1,050 yen for children) starts, which requires reservation and it lasts 60 minutes. 

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 Tempozan Giant Ferris wheel

This Ferris wheel with rainbow colored cabins has a diameter of 100 m and it takes 15 min. to complete a ride. The admission fee is 800 yen and it is open from 10:00-22:00. There are also four cabins with glass sides and bottom, which are totally see through. In the cabin, you will hear what you can see outside the windows in English and Japanese. From 2015, it also started to have LED lighting on the outside of the whole wheel, showing firework patterns, weather forecasts for the following day, and messages.

Tempozan marketplace (shopping mall)

There are nearly 80 shops and eateries and even an indoor petting zoo (3F)! Don't expect high-end or international brands, but rather small souvenirs, food souvenirs, accessories, and stationery shops. Check out the: Seria (100 yen shop, 3F), fake food models shop (3F), Popcorn papa (3F), food court (2F), Mecha game arcade (2F), and cartoon face drawing shops on (2F).

Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho (Osaka cuisine food theme park)

In this theme park located on 2F of the Tempozan marketplace, you will feel like you are walking on the streets of Osaka in the 1960s. There are about 20 well-known mini restaurants, giving you a taste of Osaka cuisine with dishes such as kushikatsu, okonomiyaki, and takoyaki.

Opening hours: 11:00- 20:00

Admission: free (you only pay for the food you order)

Legoland Discovery Center Osaka

The Legoland Discovery Center is located on 3F of the Tempozan marketplace.

Opening hours: 10:00- 19:00

Admission: 2,300 yen 

(you can get a discount if you purchase tickets online on the day before your visit) 

Note: an adult must be accompanied with a child (<15 years old) to enter. Don't bring any food inside (shop for food souvenirs afterwards!).  

I didn't take pictures of the last three places, but I did take a beautiful picture of the whale sharks light decorations on the outside of the Osaka aquarium Kaiyukan. It almost seems like they are swimming in the air.

Nearby, there is also a fast shuttle ferry, called Captain Line, which can take you to Universal Studios Japan in 10 minutes (700 yen, one-way). Just in case, you still have some time to spare.