Kita-ku Famous Places Information, Osaka

/ Genre - Structures and Buildings / Osaka City Central Public Hall

/ Area B - Nishitemma, Nakanoshima [East Area] / Osaka City Central Public Hall

  • Osaka City Central Public Hall
  • 音声ガイドあり
  • No. 13

An icon of Nakanoshima. Look up! We’re on top of the arch on the roof! Minerva, the goddess of knowledge. Mercury, the god of industry.

Osaka City Central Public Hall
1-1-27 Nakanoshima , Kita-ku, Osaka
TEL 06-6208-2002
9:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. (Telephone reception: to 8:00 p.m.)
Closed 4th Tuesday of the month, December 28 – January 4 (Open on holidays, closed the following weekday)
  • 13　12
  • 建造物・ビル
  • Einosuke Iwamoto, known as the “Chivalrous Investor”. When Iwamoto experienced a great financial loss in the markets, the mayor of the time offered to return his donation to the city, but Iwamoto adamantly refused.
  • The wooden benches on B1F have seats that flip up where visitors could store their hats long ago.
  • The ceiling painting in the special room is Creation of Heaven and Earth by Hisashi Matsuoka.
  • The legacy of great speakers from around the world can still be felt in this large hall packed with over 1,100 seats. Yuri Gagarin, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein.
  • The sight of this single remaining post from an original 4,000 which supported the Public Hall over a century ago is inspiring.

Osaka City Central Public Hall is the most famous red brick structure in Osaka and stands out prominently among the scenery of Nakanoshima.
It opened in 1918 and has been a favorite spot of locals for over 100 years not only due to its stately, gorgeous Renaissance Revival architectural style, but also because of young entrepreneur Einosuke Iwamoto, who was involved in its founding.

Einosuke Iwamoto, known as the “Chivalrous Investor”. When Iwamoto experienced a great financial loss in the markets, the mayor of the time offered to return his donation to the city, but Iwamoto adamantly refused.

Meet the “Father” of Osaka City Central Public Hall in the B1F exhibition hall

In 1909, stockbroker Einosuke Iwamoto joined a group of businessmen headed for America led by Eiichi Shibusawa. While at Carnegie Hall in New York, he empathized with the idea of the wealthy using their assets for public works to better the lives of others and leaving their money to charities, so decided to do so himself. Specifically, he wanted to build a public hall in Nakanoshima where people could meet, debate, perform music, sing, and dance. He used his inheritance from his father and his own assets totaling one million yen (five billion yen today) and donated this massive sum to the city of Osaka. Based on plans by Shinichiro Okada, construction went forward on final designs drafted by Kingo Tatsuno and Yasushi Kataoka. However, after suffering a massive loss in the financial markets, he was in a predicament that he felt he could not weather and ended his life at 39 years old in 1916 before witnessing the opening of the Public Hall. The exhibition space on B1F touches on the more than 100 years of history at the Public Hall and showcases items from the life of Iwamoto.

The wooden benches on B1F have seats that flip up where visitors could store their hats long ago.

Join a guided tour and check out the special room!

Normally, the only parts of the building open to the public are the exhibition hall on B1F and the area with seats on display from when Osaka Central City Public Hall first opened. On the guided tour (30 minutes, fee applies), however, you can visit the special room (former VIP room), which is the highlight of the Public Hall. Inside, you’ll see unique designs such as a large painting on the arched ceiling (shown in the photo), and stained glass on the east side incorporating Chinese phoenixes and the Osaka City crest. These decorative pieces are the remnants of artisanal techniques from the past that are no longer seen today, and the reason why the room itself is known as a work of art.

The ceiling painting in the special room is Creation of Heaven and Earth by Hisashi Matsuoka.

A gathering place for notable people

A number of famous people have given lectures at Osaka City Central Public Hall including theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (1922), author and activist Helen Keller (3 times from 1937 to 1955), and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (1962). Frequent performances are also held here by world-famous classical musicians and ballet companies.

The legacy of great speakers from around the world can still be felt in this large hall packed with over 1,100 seats. Yuri Gagarin, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein.