Date visited: July 12, 2026 (Sunday, sunny)
JR Sakuranomiya Station
Starting my walk from Sakuranomiya.
As I followed the river, a different side of Osaka gradually came into view.
The third stop in my Osaka Loop Line series was Sakuranomiya.
I arrived at the station shortly after noon and first bought a bottle of milk tea from a vending machine.
I still had not eaten breakfast that day, so the sweetness seemed to soak straight into my body.
It looked as though this would be a day spent walking through Osaka, starting from Sakuranomiya.
After leaving the station, I found a long row of cherry trees stretching along the Okawa River.
In spring, crowds gather here for the annual cherry blossom viewing passage at the Osaka Mint. On this day, however, the area was surprisingly quiet.
There were only a few runners and people out for a walk.
Even the same place can show a completely different face when the season changes.
👉🌸 Read about last year’s walk through the Osaka Mint cherry blossom passage here.
▶ (YUMEVOJA )Drunk on Sake Below, Drunk on Blossoms Above
Okawa River
Along the river stood a sign identifying it as a “Class A river.”
I stopped without thinking.
Its colour and smell were slightly different from the image I had associated with the words “Class A.”
Even so, there was no denying that this river had helped Osaka grow.
A little farther ahead stood the Former Sakuranomiya Public Hall.
I remembered seeing a wedding held there during cherry blossom season and joining the people nearby in applauding the couple.
Mint Museum
Civilization and Enlightenment.
A glimpse into the history of how Japan learned from overseas technology and developed it in its own way.
After signing in at reception, I attached the visitor badge provided for the tour.
Unlike the cherry blossom passage, there were very few people inside the museum.
A large clock stood near the entrance.
I tried to record the hourly chime, but I was too late and captured only the lingering sound of the bell.
“Ha ha.”
For the moment, I decided to explore the museum.
I entered the mini theatre, where a presentation is shown every thirty minutes.
I had expected only a video, but midway through the screening, a model opened to reveal the inside of the minting factory.
Children would probably love the surprise.
Later, I realised how it worked.
Before the screening, the model was apparently left open and then closed shortly before the programme began.
Because I had started watching after it had already closed, the reveal surprised me even more.
Coin Exhibits
As I looked at the coins on display, it felt less like viewing money and more like admiring works of art.
The intricate designs were remarkably beautiful.
The exhibits also conveyed something about Japanese craftsmanship.
Japan learns from other countries but does not stop there.
The technology is refined again and again until it becomes something of its own.
I felt there was something distinctly Japanese in that attitude.
One reason the Osaka Mint was built here was apparently the convenience of water transport.
When I thought about it, both Osaka and Kyoto are cities that developed alongside water.
Even today, semiconductor manufacturing requires enormous quantities of water.
Japan has few natural resources.
Even so, its abundant water may be one of its greatest strengths.
The Clock
When I returned to the entrance, there were only two minutes left until the next chime.
This time, I was ready.
I successfully recorded the three o’clock bells.
Near the entrance was a promotional display for a collaboration between The Apothecary Diaries and JR Central.
The Mint Museum also appeared to be one of the venues included in a stamp rally.
With the summer holidays approaching, it felt like a very Japanese kind of collaboration.
Visitor Information
The Mint Museum introduces the history of Japanese currency and the techniques used to produce it.
Visitors can learn not only about coins, but also about Japanese craftsmanship and design.
👉Official website（The Mint Museum）
Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
Into the streets of the Edo period.
Simply walking through them made time feel as though it had turned back a little.
I started walking again and headed for the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living.
There was not much time left before closing.
When I asked at reception, a staff member said,
“You still have plenty of time.”
They recommended a combined ticket that included the special exhibition.
I decided to visit the permanent exhibition first, then take my time at the special exhibition, Creativity Begins with Copying.
Creativity begins with observation.
A playful special exhibition that repeatedly made me stop and look.
As I viewed the exhibition, I began to understand something about my own taste.
Rather than beautifully polished paintings,
I was drawn to works featuring slightly comical, lively figures.
Travel teaches me not only about cities, but also a little about myself.
I returned to the recreated townscape.
This time, I tried to photograph the fireworks projected onto the ceiling, but failed.
A staff member told me the timing, and I managed to capture them on my second attempt.
It was a day of trying things again and again.
Visitor Information
The Osaka Museum of Housing and Living is a museum where visitors can experience Osaka’s homes, daily life, and streetscapes from the Edo period through the Showa era.
Seasonal special exhibitions are also held throughout the year.
👉Google Maps（The Osaka Museum of Housing and Living）
👉Official website（The Osaka Museum of Housing and Living）
By then, I was unbearably hungry.
I rushed into a set-meal restaurant across from the museum.
Extra meat. Extra rice.
I finished everything without slowing down.
From Tenma to Osaka Station
After the meal, I started walking toward Osaka Station.
However, the oil in the food affected me more than expected.
“Maybe I should walk a little and settle my stomach.”
With that thought, I left the shopping arcade and slowly followed the main road.
As I walked, preparations for the Tenjin Festival were beginning throughout the neighbourhood.
Each time I saw festival banners and decorations, I felt summer drawing closer.
There was a bakery displaying edamame and cheese bread.
A small car drove past making a strange noise.
Its rear window was covered with plastic sheeting.
“As long as it moves, it is fine.”
Somehow, even that attitude felt very Osaka.
Choosing sandals because of the heat had been a mistake.
Blisters made every step painful.
I usually overtake other people while walking, but on this day, one person after another passed me.
Simply walking at a slightly different pace made the city itself look different.
At an upscale café, I spotted a peach tiramisu.
“Oh.”
I was interested, but the price was 3,100 yen.
I decided to pass this time.
Strangely, however, that only made me want tiramisu even more.
Even after reaching Osaka Station, I could not find one.
“Ha ha.”
Then, when I went down into Hankyu Sanbangai, I finally encountered a tiramisu torte.
Returning Home
When I arrived home, my step count was 24,673.
It was hard to believe I had only started walking in the afternoon.
My feet hurt from the blisters.
Even so, strangely, I had no regrets.
Osaka was not a city where I simply moved from one destination to another.
Every detour revealed another side of it.
Next time: Kyobashi.
Will I once again find an Osaka that makes me think,
“Really? There?”
🗺️ The Route I Walked
The route I walked and the places I visited are collected in the YUMEVOJA My Map.
👉 Related illustrations here
(Free to use)
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