OSAKA UMEDA: Japan’s Ultimate Transit Hub | History, Shopping & Navigation Guide

OSAKA UMEDA: Japan’s Ultimate Transit Hub | History, Shopping & Navigation Guide

[Music] Hey guys, thank you for stopping here. My name is Suoku and please call me Rocku for short. I am now exploring Japan off to all the 47 prefectures and so far I’ve been exploring six prefectures including this Osaka and I’ve been exploring this Osaka for the half a year but mostly focusing on world expo which was held in Osaka but ended this month earlier. So I started traveling Osaka again. So this time I’ll be exploring the heart of Osaka which is called Umeda. In this channel I will not only be talking about traveling but also about the cultures, history and entertainment that I mostly encounter through traveling. So if you’re interested in Japan, please subscribe my channel before you lose it. Okay, let’s explore. So before moving on, you might be wondering where I am. I am now at the place called Tokino Hiroba. And this is like a you know kind of one of the iconic place where people meet up with this golden watch behind me and then there’s like a nice chairs around. There are even people sleeping on the ground. So this is a really nice place for people to meet up. And then actually this is like a fifth floor of the building called Lukqua which is one of the shopping malls around this uh JR station of Osaka. And then you can just you know go up to this place after you getting from the JR Osaka station. But this Osaka station is kind of complex. So I’ll be talking about that later as well. So this is the content that I’m going to talk about in this video. This video is composed of three parts. Part one, understanding Umemeda introduces the overall picture of Umemeda and explains why this area is so important. Part two, history of Umeda explores the development history that shaped what UMEDA is today. Part three, experiencing Umemeda, covers the practical ways to eat the city’s major railway lines. Some useful tips and an on-site exploration of Umemeda’s key areas. Okay, let’s start. Part one, understanding Uma. Number one, Osaka’s geography and the city structure. So before walking through Umemeda, let’s first look at the Osaka from the perspective of geography. So Osaka is located at the center of Kansai, meaning the western part of Japan and it takes about 2 hours and a half by Shinkansen from Tokyo. Osaka lies on the vast aluvial plane formed by Yodo River which flows from Lake River into Osaka Bay. Because of the landscape, Osaka has long developed as a city of water and trade, a natural gateway connecting the sea and the inrand areas of Japan. In the past, rivers and canals run across the city and the people transported the goods by boat living closely with the water in their daily lives. This water transportation network is a major driving force behind Osaka’s gloss as a merchant city. At the same time, this flat lowland geography divided the city into two distinctive zones. The southern area centered around Doonburi and Namba became a library district of food and entertainment and the northern area centered around Umemeda became a modern center of business and transportation. By the way, I’ve created a video about that southern area mainly focusing on the food and its history. And if you’re a food lover, please check it out. And today we’ll walk through the northern side, Umeda. Number two, what is Umeda? Location and overview. So what is exactly Umeda? Um is a central district located in the northern part of Osa city and about 10 minutes by subway from dotonbury’s nambai area centered around J O station more than 2.5 million people use this area every single day which is like the fourth biggest area of the station in Japan outnumbered only by Shinjuku Shibuya and Iikuro station making it one of Japan’s most largest transportation hubs generally the term um refers to the area surrounding JR Osuka station Within a radius of 800 m, you can find several major railway lines and one of the largest underground shopping complexes. The massive underground network is affectionately and sometimes fearfully called Lumeda Danjo and the surroundings are filled with department stores, office buildings and hotels. In other words, Lumeda is a multi-layered urban center built around Osa station where the economy, transportation, and the culture of Kai all come together in an incredible dense way. But you might wonder how this such a gigantic urban complex has been created and then the answer lies in the history of railways. Part two history of Umeda. Number one, origins the railway city. The story of Umeda began in 1874 when one of Japan’s earest railway lines opened in Osaka, giving a birth to what is now JR Osaka station. The name Umeda is written as this in Chinese character meaning perm field but it came from the words umemeta written like this meaning fielding rice fields. At that time this area was nothing but wetland and farmlands a quiet edge of the city. So why build a station in such an empty place? The reason is it was located just north of doima and nakanoshima area which were the commercial centers of Osaka back then. The rise of Osaka as an economic hub dates back to Sangoku period when Chto Mhiroshi laid a foundation for urban development of Osaka centering around Osaka Castle and during Edo period it became the center of commerce known as Tenano kitchen of the nation as it became the place where goods from all over Japan gathered. I have created a video about in the history of Osaka dating back to more than 1,000 years ago. So if you interested in the history please take a look. The rice warehouses that supported that prosperity were located in Dogema and Necron area. Building a station in this wide and undeveloped area allowed the city to expand to the north in the future. For those who envisioned railways as the skeleton of the modern city, this location was ideal. From late mage to Taisho era during the early 20th century, many private railway companies began extending their lines into this area. In 1905, Hin Railway connected Osaka and Coobe. In 1910, Mino Aria Electric Railway, now Hanku, connected Osaka and Takalazuka line. That same year, Kahhan Railway connected Kyoto and Osaka. While national railways run by the government focus on long-distance routes, they couldn’t handle all the short distance ones between cities. Then that gap was filled by local entrepreneurs, private railways. They understood one key principle. When the train runs, the land moved. By developing commerce and housing alongside their railway lines, they created a uniquely Japanese model where railways build the cities. Number two, Ichizo Kobayashi and the Hanky model. The person who shared this model most clearly was Ichizo Kobayashi who is the founder of Hanku railway. As he originally aspired to become a novelist, he was a visionary who combined imagination with business insights. He envisioned a city making as if writing a story design that integrated railways, housing, commerce and entertainment into one complete lifestyle. He developed residential areas along the railway lines and introduced Japan’s first installment payment system for housing purchases with 20% of down payment with monthly installment payment which gradually transfers ownership of the housing to the buyer. It was a revolutionary idea. Even the salaried worker could own a home. At the terminal, he built the Hanky department store. Along the way, he founded Takarazka Review, which is all female theater trove based in Takarazka Hog Prefecture to entertain the people who started living around the railways known for its lavish productions and elaborate costumes. Actually, he’s also founder of Toho, which is like the biggest movie company in Japan. And both of them are now still playing a great role in Japanese entertainment. So by connecting railways with housing, commerce and entertainment, he created what is now called Hanku model. This system also greatly influenced other Japan’s private railway companies such as Tokyo, Odaku, and cable, which flourished in Tokyo area that you can see in stations like Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Kibukuro. Shaping Japan’s unique station centered urban structure in a country with limited land and high population density, railways naturally became the backbone of everyday life. So stations were not just transit points. They became the centers of the community and culture where the stories of cities began. Number three, the first terminal department store. In 1929, I kobayashi opened the world’s first department store directly connected to a railway station, the Hanku department store in Umeda. Shopping became a part of daily life and the station itself turned into social hub. Even today, Hanky Department Store remains top Osaga’s performer in sales. A symbol between railways and shopping. Number four, host boom to modern Umemeda. After World War II, during Japan’s rapid economic growth, Umeda transformed once again. The Hansen department store opened. The underground shopping areas expanded and the new office districts were developed. From the late show period to heay and Raya large scale development projects continue turning omea Japan’s largest commercial district today as I said meda’s daily passenger count exceeds 2.5 million people about three times larger than that of number Osaka’s second major terminal within 800 meters of JR Osaka station you can find Hungu Daimaru Hansin Yodbash camera ground Osaka Grand Osaka Lua and or below them lies one of the largest underground complex in Japan. Wherever you go, the streets are filled with people and shops. Railways bring people and people grow commerce. Commerce above the city. That’s the cycle. This constant motion is the source of Umea’s vitality. Part three, experiencing Umemeda. Number one, navigating Umemeda railway stations and tips. So from now, I’m going to talk about how you get around this Osaka Umeda area by using trains. So supposing that you are coming from eastern side of Japan maybe from Tokyo and then you get to Osaka by Shinkansen and you will be getting at Shin Osaka station. So from there you will take a train at JR then you will be getting off at the platform 7 or 8 in Osaka station. So then let’s make it easy. So there are several exit in this JR Osaka station. So we will be going to the central exit. Okay, let’s go. [Music] Okay, this is the ch central gate. And let’s check the place where you can buy the ticket. So I just now came to the place where you get the tickets in front of the you know JR Oscar station. So, Umemeda is a place where even locals can get lost and layers of ground and underground passages overlap and the railways and shopping areas intertwine in complex ways. But once you understand its structure, you realize it’s surprisingly logical and this is one of Japan’s most advanced transportation hubs. And then OGO’s railway networks include JR, Metro, Hanku, Hansing, Kintetsu, Nankai, Anha. I know it’s too many but still I think as far as you go around Osak area you can kind of focus on four out of them which are JR metro and the Hansing and Hank. So in terms of JR station from JR Osaka station the coobe and the Kyoto and Takalazka lines. So on this map JR co line A and Sh line which is also A on the right up and then and the Takaraja lines which is in yellow of G spread outward in all directions and while the OA loop line which is O and at the center in red that is connecting the main areas of Osaka and then so actually when you are buying the tickets for different railways you can of course buy each ticket, but you can actually transfer seamlessly by using Ioka card or if you’re using a pass or a street car from Tokyo area, you can also use it in here in Noaka. So if you want to buy that like say iikoka or other other ones uh you have to go to the opposite side which is that it’s called midorino maduchi in Japanese and then that’s where also you buy the fast train ticket and then also Ioka and then some other you know uh Japan railway pass as well and then next to this uh midorino malaguchi there’s a tourist information no saka so if If you have any issues with your travel, uh you can come here and then ask their help. About the metro, you have to go downstairs. So, let’s go down then. Okay. So, you get to this area where you can find this kind of a big uh electric billboard. You can see this north central exit like this kind of like a spacious area. Okay. Let’s go to the middle Suzi north exit which is connected to subway and then also Hank line. Okay. So you go down there this one. Okay. So you get to this uh subway exit called Umeda station uh kita gate north gate of midos line. So this is a little complicated thing. So the station name changes to umemeda. So you just got to be you know careful about that. So this is the Osaka metal line mark and then the most main one will be the middle line which is running from north to south of Osaka in red and then the line in purple which is Tanimachi line running from east to west. I’ve actually stayed here in Noaka for the past half a year or almost and then I’ve only used Midosu line and Tanimachi line and there also Chu line that is going to the uh Bay Area which is surrounded by you know Ushima it’s like the venue of expo and then also one that I’ve been to is Osaka Co station which is to visit Kayukan it’s like one of the largest aquarium in all Japan there’s also a one-day pass available So if you are spending uh more than 820 yen for for an adult, you would be better off by buying that for the day. And then also you can buy that for uh 310 yen Japanese yen for kids. For the weekend, you can spend less for the you know one day pass 620 Japanese yen. So which is very convenient. So now I will go to from here get to Hanku line. So, Hanku is this way. Let’s go through the dungeon of underground. So, I’m now passing through Hanku Sambangai South area. So as you can imagine as I’ve explained in the history part so this hungu line are connected to many Hank shopping districts that were run by Q railways. Okay. So Hank lines on the left. Okay. Here’s the Hank line to the second floor central entrance. Okay. So, we get to the uh station of Hanku and the name is Hanku Osaka Umeda station. So, they also have both Osaka and Umea for their name. Okay, let’s go to the uh ticket ticket counter. So they are extending to several areas of Kansai such as Kyoto and then also northern part of Osaka which is Mino and then also Shogo area such as Takaraza and then also Coobe area. So you get the better understanding about this Hank line I hope. Okay, from here let’s go to Hansing railway. So let’s go back to the navigation. Okay. So, just uh straight back to where we came from. Let’s go to this way. So, this time I’ll be uh going to the Hansen line on this first first floor right to the left. [Music] [Music] Okay. Still let’s keep straight. [Music] Okay. Follow the navigation [Music] still you keep straight. [Music] So then you will take right from here. [Music] Okay. So I just got to this station and then the name is Hansin Osaka Meta Station. So the same name as Hanku. Okay. So to buy ticket you have to go down. So this Hansen railway also consists of several lines that is extending to the southern relatively southern part of Osaka and then also but it mainly you know going to Kyogo area such as Arions where I’ve been to before with Mi and then also other part of Hyo such as Himeji so and then also Kanomia it’s like the center and then the most urban area of Hog. Okay. All right. You got the idea. So, if you want to go back to JR station or subway, you can do the reverse of how I got here. But of course, there are multiple ways to go back to, you know, uh subway and then also JR. So, please take this as an example. So I think if you ever get lost in this meta area, maybe you can remember JR Osaka station central exit or maybe Tokino Hiroa Plaza where I was exploring in the morning with that golden watch. Yeah. Or maybe Grand Osaka. Those are very, you know, close each other. But once you find it, you can probably easily meet other people. And then personally, I feel that Hanku and Hansi have a particularly strong presence in this Osaka area. As I’ve explored this Kansai area, I really feel that and then I guess one of the reasons would be like you know this Kai area such as Osaka and Nala and Kyoto those were the capital for about 1,000 years. So it has been the center of culture and politics in Japan but since starting of the you know ed period the capital moved to Tokyo since then they started developing their own spirit of local enterprise as they you know became the commerce hub of Japan during the period. So here that independent energy took a form of urban development led by private railways companies. So railways, real estate, shopping and entertainment all linked together. That’s like the unique homegrown urban DNA of Kansai. So if you visit Osaka, staying near the Osa JR station will be the most convenient choice I guess. And even if you have no sense of direction, do not worry. I’ll give you one last advice. So if you are staying in Hanku or Hansin related hotels which often has that name in the hotel’s name for example Hanku respire hotel or hotel Hansin Osaka in these cases you might not find clear direction to the hotel in those cases don’t look for the hotel signs look for the railway signs as I’ve explained railways are also connected the hotels so if you’re looking for hotel that is run by Hank railways follow the signs line of Hanku railways you’ll naturally find your way to to the Hank complex itself that’s the way as I’ve said this city was designed to work okay that’s about the railway navigation part let’s move to the next part number two exploring Umeda major facilities so from now I’m going to start exploring this north area of the JR OA station which is you know pretty much about you north side of the Umea. Okay, let’s let’s explore. And when you are coming to Dosaka, please ride on the right side. So on the left side is like a passing lane so that people can just, you know, go up. So yeah, people in front of me uh probably like from abroad. Okay. So this is also a nice place to you know uh place where you can meet up with the people and here you see nice view you can get. So this one uh in front is called ground Osaka. Then on the left the building you see is called Umeda sky building which is also one of the landmarks in Noa. And then the one that I would highly recommend to visit. So this one this shopping mall is called Rukua which is like directly you know connected with this uh JR Osaka station and then so this is like a nice place you can meet up with people there’s a luron also so next to ground no saka you can see this yorobashi that’s like where you can buy any kind of electric appliances pretty much like you know best bar in the US let’s go up to the Tokino Hiro Bara So now I came up to this 11th floor of this uh lua. It’s called kazinoa which means like a you know square of or wind. Here you can also see the clear view of the Osaka area. And then here you see this grand green Osaka which is now still partially uh under development. And then so it’s a really nice place to explore as well. All right, let’s go down. Let’s go to this ground front Osaka. There’s a apple and a second floor. So basically this ground front Osaka is divided into two towers south and the north and the north tower is connected to the hotel intercontinental hotel. Okay, from the ground front you get the idea. Then I’m coming back to the Hiroa again, but this time I’m heading left to this uh Yorobashi Umemeda, which is also a shopping mall called Linkxa. And this is like the floor guide of this link sueda. And then from basement 2 to fifth floor it’s uh like a part of yubash. It’s a yodash camera. The other part of the fifth floor and then also like from sixth to eighth floor which is links to meda. It’s like a shopping mall where you can find various kinds of uh stores. And then from the 12th to 35 floors it’s a hotel hank respire. So here you can see how big this Yogashi camera is like and they having like all the logos of the shopping stores and then you can also see this is a east gate of Lqua and it’s called Kong Hiroar and if you go down from here you will go back to where I started uh central central exit of Osaka station. Here I am. Osaka Jr. Osaka station. It’s like a north gate. And then then if you keep straight. Okay. Now I came back to where I started. I’m now at the you know the area where I started you know exploring the north side of JR Oska station. So I’m gonna then go to the opposite side south central gate of old JR Oska station. Okay let’s go. Okay now I’ve passed the central part. So seen like south gate building and then this is like pretty much the shopping center called Daimaru which is one of the most well-known shopping center in Japan that is having many luxurious brands and fashion stores inside and uh this is a floor guide of Daimaru shopping store and uh mostly those are like clothing and fashion brands mainly but what’s interesting is that 13th floor you see these uh many stores related to Japanese characters like Pokemon Center Osaka and Nintendo Osaka and then also One Piece Mugara store and the Capcom store and the cafe um so this is like where you can visit if you’re really like a lover of Japanese games and anime. Okay, so this is the view you get from the south gate. Right in front you see this Hansen Hakaten which is also one of the landmarks of this Umeda area. Okay, let’s go up one floor. Then you get to a point where you can see kind of like a whole buildings that are surrounding this Jaka station. So on my on my right you see this Hansen Hansen department store. What I think is interesting is that the green that you can see on this building which looks really nice. And then you also see this Hank Shakat which is like the Hanku main store. And then as I’ve shown there’s you know Yurubasha in front on the north side of this JR station city. And then on the left you just see like the Daru where I was. So you can get the you know kind of whole idea by coming to this kind of like area sports square that’s connecting all the buildings. I think that’s one thing that’s really nice about this you know station city is that so it’s connected by this uh you know skywalk and then also underground so it’s very you know convenient in that sense. Okay, let’s go into Hanku. Then this is also mainly you know luxurious brands for clothing and fashion and then also uh at the top floor uh there’s like a event space. So you know uh every season they have like a special event uh you know for having many customers, new customers. I think there are many shopping and then also dining stores as well. Then here they also talk about Hansen Tigers which is like main baseball team in uh Japanese baseball league and then they have actually won a championship in this year and then they are really passionate you know supported by the people here in Osaka and then this is actually you know run by Hansen uh rail railroad company. So this is the map. It’s pretty nicely organized. I think English, Korean, and the Chinese. It’s really easy to see what they have for each floor. So each shopping store basically they have, you know, food court and then also spaces for seasonal events at the top floor. There can be, you know, universally appealing to every everyone so that they can go up to the top. So when when they go down, they can stop by each floor that they are interested. And so if you’re going to the meta sky building, you go to the left this way. So this is one of the interesting areas to explore which is Grangling Osaka. So this one is also having like a two area of south ground green also south south and the north and at the center they have like a south park where you can explore like on the green. So as the name stresses this is the area that tries to create your innovation through futing green and then this is like a area like a big hole for like event I think and then this is like a nice area where you can just go in and you know like a lie down on the green and then there are still right now it’s still like before 6 there are so many people lying on the green and then you know enjoying the nice blaze of the night. Some people doing like a hiking and they’ve been bringing a chair. There’s also a nice looking cafe and many shops. Let’s go up a little bit. So as you can see this grand green Osaka is like totally having a different concept compared to the other part of the Umeda area which is represented by the many big department stores having this green really featuring this area and then area you can see right in front of me this is the area that is south part of this grand green Osaka having this um glim place as your entrance part. Then behind it you see this really nice greenish area where any kind of generation can gather and then also this north part will be uh should be right now under development. So there will be another part of the building that will be built around here and then you take a walk down there and then that is directly leading to the sky building. So here’s the glam green north south building and uh so looks like they have gate tower office uh from fifth to 17th floor and then as in addition to the hotel and then here what it’s interesting is that the restaurant choices they all look kind of you know fancy and then kind of unique on the third floor they also have hotring called McDonald’s and then so you can actually enjoy you know like taking a spur So I just came up to the seventh floor of ground Osaka as I got really hungry exploring the city. So there may be some people who are intimidated by going to Namba Don Balia as it’s too bustling and then you know there are a lot of people so that could make you feel tired but you might still want to eat something that is specific to O this Osaka which are like you know okonomyaki and takoyaki for those kind of people you can find in here. Right now I see two, you know, uh, places that you can enjoy okonomyaki. So I’m going to the right one called [Music] this is probably my It’s really nice that how you can see how it’s being cooked like this. [Music] So good. This seems a lot of green onion. [Music] It’s so good. The onions are really fresh. Shaki. I like the I like the taste. It’s also grilled with flour, but it’s a little soft. really kind of like some of the stuff. Number three, recommended places. Okay, so this is pretty much about exploring Umeda. Lastly, I want to kind of touch the recommended places to visit in the Sumeda area. So, as I’ve mentioned, Umeda is pretty much characterized by its, you know, gigantic department stores that were run by many different, you know, railway companies. So if you really love shopping, you can of course visit those places. But to me, I kind of want to, you know, like to visit something kind of unique. So I’d like to recommend the Granling Osaka as I’ve kind of explored like, you know, green, you know, greenish area where many people from different generation can kind of, you know, relax together which really looks peaceful and I really liked it. And then also the Grand Green Osaka southern building which was having like a you know kind of like a unique taste you know restaurants and cafes and the clothing brands that you can find that you cannot find in the main shopping uh department stores in this main area. So probably because that’s like a newly opened area then like a developers try to select the ones that are not you know selected in the you know already existing department stores I imagine so but you know that’s like a really nice and kind of you know cool place I thought so that’s one of my recommendation and then the secondly especially like me sky building that’s like the must visit especially for you know people who like architecture and then also uh who want to have like a you know nice view uh from the you know that’s where you can kind of see like the whole area of Umeda from really high place and then also you can go outside and then you know feel the wind directly if you if the weather is fine and then also like just like you know having like a nice pictures for example like the you know going to the top you can have like you know elevator that looks really nice and cool uh both for going up and down and then the lastly If you like cafes, actually there’s like a place called Nakazak Cho, which is like on the right side of the map from the center of the Mida station. Walk about 10 to 15 minutes to the to the east side. You can find, you know, nice area with kind of like a retro vibe with really nice trendy cafes. These are my recommendations. Uh one of them is called Yate. It’s also really nice cafe. And then also another one is called Neil where where you can have a really nice you know pork cutless sandwich. And then for the night cafe I would recommend uh pals where you can have really nice shaved ice. So that’s like three biggest uh recommendations for area. Okay. So enough said uh this is pretty much about Umeda. So I hope you better understand this area and then also I hope that this video can be helpful for your travel in Noaka. So okay and in the next video maybe I will be shing uh actually I have done kind of like you know join my friend from the states for two days uh travel in Osaka. So, I might kind of share that my experience. So, anyway, I’ll be still sticking to the Osaka. So, see you in the next video. Bye-bye. Thank you. Please let me know how you thought about the video. And if you like it, please share it with your friends and families. [Music]

In this video, I’ll explore Umeda, the heart of Osaka. The first half will focus on the origins of Umeda as a city, the “station-centered urban development” that had a major influence on modern Japan’s growth, and the key figure who championed this vision. In the second half, I’ll actually tour the landmarks of Umeda, centered around JR Osaka Station, to delve into its charm while introducing the transportation network—which appears even more complex and bewildering to international visitors—along with tips for navigating it and recommended spots.

Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
(Part 1 : Understanding Umeda)
2:00 Osaka’s Geography & City structure
3:19 What is Umeda : Location & Overview

(Part 2 : History of Umeda)
4:32 Origins : The Railway City
6:45. Ichizo Kobayashi & Hankyu Model
8:32 The First Department Store
9:00 Post-War Boom to Modern Umeda

(Part 3 : Experiencing Umeda)
9:59 Navigating Umeda : Railway Stations & Tips
21:56 Exploring Umeda : Major Facilities
36:17 Recommended Places & Ending

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