Educating future generations about the horrors of war and the importance of sustaining peace is the aim of this center located in the southern part of the Castle Park in Osaka. The museum also gives visitors a graphic picture of the devastation caused by Japanese aggression in different parts of Asia.
The Osaka International Peace Center was opened for public viewing in August 1981. Exhibits at the museum include photographs and reproductions of the destruction of Osaka during World War II. There are also displays showing the Japanese army’s aggression in China, Korea and other parts of South East Asia, depicting the massacres of the Chinese ethnic groups in Malaysia and Singapore. There is also a section devoted to the German concentration camp in Auschwitz.
The first floor of the Osaka International Peace Center has objects relating to the Japanese occupation of Manchuria, Korea and South East Asia. There are sections devoted to the World War II Battle of Okinawa and the bombing of Hiroshima . The second floor has exhibits about the 50 air incursions over Osaka with replicas of the inflammatory and the large bombs that destroyed the city. The third floor contains a library, a video screening theater and a hall that is used for seminars and lectures relating to the importance of avoiding wars and promoting sustained international peace.

The Osaka Museum of History is dedicated to 1,400 years of the history of the city. It offers a multidimensional view of the past to visitors using reconstructions, scale models, videos and photographs.
The Osaka Museum was opened for public viewing in the year 2003 and is located across the street from Osaka Castle. The museum is housed in a modern building with a unique glass facade that offers spectacular views of Osaka Castle and Osaka Castle Park. It occupies the site of the Naniwa Palace, the royal residence built by Emperor Kotoku in 645 when Osaka was the capital of Japan. Displays of different eras in the history of the city are arranged from the 10th floor downwards.
Notable exhibits at the museum are the archaeological remains of the Naniwa palace on the ground floor, a reconstructed 5th century warehouse on the grounds of the museum, a reconstruction of the historical Dotombori street in Osaka, shopping streets in the city before World War II and a special section dedicated to Kabuki. The lower floors contain a restaurant, souvenir and other shops and a large lobby. The descriptions are in Japanese and visitors can rent an audio guide to explain the exhibits in English.

The Osaka Prefecture Contemporary Art Center is an art gallery featuring contemporary works run by the Osaka Prefecture. The aim of the center is to display, promote and educate the public about the different aspects of contemporary art.
The Osaka Prefecture Contemporary Art Center was founded in Dojima, Ka Ku, in 1974. At the time it was known by its Japanese name, Ōsaka Fumin Gyararī. The gallery was moved to a facility in Nakanoshima within Kita Ku in 1980 and its name changed to the Osaka Prefecture Contemporary Art Center. It moved to its present location which is an annex of the Osaka Prefecture office in the year 2000.
The Osaka Prefecture Contemporary Art Center has a permanent collection on display and hosts Japanese and international art exhibitions. The permanent collection consists of over 7,500 works. Most of them are by the winning artists of the Osaka Triennial Art Competition. Other notable works displayed are contemporary wood block prints. Special exhibitions of art are hosted by the museum displaying themed paintings, sculptures, photographs, multimedia installations and other contemporary art genres or displays of works by a single or group of contemporary artists. The Museum stays open on all weekdays from 10 am to 6 pm and on Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm. It is closed on Sundays.

The Osaka Castle is a landmark building in the city and one of the oldest castles in Japan. It stands witness to Osaka’s history. It was destroyed by fire and war several times and was rebuilt time and again.
The Osaka castle was commissioned by Toytomi Hideyoshi in 1583 on the former location of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple. After his death, the Tokugawa army attacked and damaged the building in 1615. It was renovated and expanded in 1620 by Tokugawa Hidetada who built the sheer walls of granite using a unique Japanese style of construction called Burdock piling. The building was damaged by bombs during World War II and the present structure is a concrete replica of the original castle constructed in 1995 and completed in 1997.
The Osaka Castle has five floors on the outside and eight on the inside to protect it from attackers. The present building is modern with elevators and a museum dedicated to the castle’s history and the life and times of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The park within the castle called the Nishinomaru Garden has over 600 cherry trees. It is a popular spot in the city during the cherry blossom viewing season, Hanami. An entrance fee is charged for entering the garden while entrance to the rest of the castle grounds is free.

The Museum of Oriental Ceramics has one of the largest collections of Asian ceramic pottery and artifacts in the world. Its collection consists of 14 objects that have been declared as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties.
The Museum of Oriental Ceramics was founded to commemorate the donation of the ceramic collection consisting of 965 pieces called the Ataka collection to the City of Osaka in 1982. It is located within the Nakanoshima Park which is the oldest public garden in Osaka. The Museum has an impressive display of ceramics from Japan, Korea and China. It is also a research facility and collaborates with other museums within Japan and around the world and conducts education programs and seminars on ceramics. The museum has continuously enriched its collection by acquisition and donations from renowned Japanese collectors.
The Museum of Oriental Ceramics permanently displays the Ataka collection, a valuable ensemble of ceramic objects belonging to a wealthy merchant and businessman. It was donated to the city by the 21 companies belonging to the industrial giant called the Sumimoto Group. In 1999, the museum received another large donation called the Rhee Byung-Chang collection of Korean and Chinese ceramic objects from Korea. From the initial 962 exhibits, it has over 2000 ceramic artifacts today. The museum stays open all week except on Mondays.

This Museum is dedicated to the history of pharmaceuticals and medicine in Japan. It is located in Doshomachi that was once known in Osaka as the Pharmacist’s Quarter.
The Doshomachi Pharmacutical and Historical Museum forms part of the grounds of the Sukunahikona Shrine dedicated to the Shinto God of Medicine. The area surrounding the shrine consisted of shops belonging to wholesalers of raw material to make medicinal compounds. These wholesalers had establishments in many parts of Osaka until the Edo Period when the eighth Shogun Yoshimune gave them a license to organize themselves as an exclusive commercial organization. In return, these early pharmacists were expected to evaluate and certify the quality of the medications and herbs that were used to make them, set a price and to ensure that the health of the Japanese people comes to no harm.
The Doshomachi Pharmaceutical and History Museum is dedicated to the valuable service rendered to the country by the Doshomachi Commercial Organization. It has over 3000 documents belonging to these early pharmacists from the Edo Period. There are also over 30,000 documents from the Meiji era. Other interesting exhibits are advertising posters from the 1960s to the 1980s and gifts given by pharmacists as incentives to customers.

The Yuki Museum of Art is dedicated to the different types of tea ceremony utensils used in Japan. It is the repository of the collection of Teicchi Yuki, the founder and owner of the Kiccho chain of restaurants.
The Yuki Museum of Art was opened to showcase Yuki’s collection in 1987. It occupies the first three floors of the building that was once the Kiccho restaurant in the Hirano area of Osaka. The rest of the 8 floor building is used as a hall for special exhibitions and tea ceremonies and houses the offices of the museum.
The display halls of the Yuki Museum of Art are designed to resemble typical tea ceremony rooms. The exhibits consist of items and utensils used to serve a Chakaiseki or tea ceremony meal from the Nara period to the Edo period. There are many unusual and antique dishes, bowls and decorative artifacts like horsetail tea caddies, a Hirosawa Shino tea bowl and bowls from the La Kasuga Temple. Eleven exhibits have been declared as Important Cultural Assets. The museum holds special themed exhibitions twice annually. An organization called Friends of the Museum organizes lectures and seminars relating to the traditional tea ceremony of Japan and often conducts traditional tea ceremonies in the museum building.

The Osaka Science and Technology Museum or the Ōsaka-shi Ritsu Kagakukan is an interactive museum showcasing the latest gadgets and advancements in different scientific disciplines. It offers hours of enjoyment for children and adults.
The Osaka Science and technology Museum was founded in 1989. It was established to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the city. Besides showcasing gadgets and computer aided displays, the museum has a planetarium that hosts 4 shows daily. There is also an Omnimax Theater where images are projected on an overhead dome like screen that offers a rotating selection of science based IMAX films.
The Osaka Science and Technology Museum has a range of hands on science exhibits and displays covering four floors. It provides science related educational programs including aeronautics and space science displays. There is also a multimedia corner that is very popular among visitors of all ages. Admission to the museum is free but a fee is charged for some shows including the show at the Omnimax Theater. It usually takes about three hours to view all the exhibits but the interesting games and objects may entice children to spend the whole day. The museum stays open from 9.30 am to 4.45 pm on all days of the week except Mondays.

The National Museum of Art is a gallery dedicated to displaying the works of Japanese and international contemporary artists. It is popularly called the submarine because the structure is wholly underground except for its glass and steel roof with skylights that resembles reeds blowing in the wind.
The National Museum of Art began as the Expo Art Gallery constructed as part of the Expo ’70 that was held in Suit near Osaka. After the Expo, the area became the Expo Commemoration Park. The gallery remained as a structure designated for a future museum. It housed the National Museum of Art from 1977. Soon the building was found to be too small and old to display the growing collection. It was razed to the ground and a brand new modern structure designed by Argentine American architect Cezar Pelli opened its doors for public viewing in the year 2004.
The first floor beneath the ground has an auditorium, restaurant and gift shop. The next two floors consist of the display halls and storage areas. The permanent exhibits are displayed in the intermediate level and temporary exhibitions of works by a single artist are also held here. The lowest floor hosts changing themed special art exhibitions. International paintings displayed in the permanent collection include works by Cezanne, Picasso and Ernst.