• The entire wall is covered with books of every genre. Kids enjoy sitting on the stairs to read.
  • No. 19

Designed to inspire children at every turn

Nakanoshima Children’s Book Forest
1-1-28 Nakanoshima , Kita-ku, Osaka
TEL 06-6204-0808
9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Advance reservations on the 1st and 15th of the month via the website, first come first served on Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m.)
Closed Mondays (the next day if it is a holiday), year-end/New Year holidays, and for reorganizing the collection
Free admission

This library was opened by the city of Osaka in July 2020 to inspire children. The interior, designed by architect Tadao Ando, is lined with packed bookshelves on all three floors. The surfaces of the walls are organized into books of 12 different themes such as “Enjoy Nature” and “Animal Lovers,” along with a variety of other ingenious ideas to stoke the curiosity of young ones. The director says, “We want this to be a comfortable place that helps children grow through the power of picture books.” The library holds seasonal and picture book events throughout the year. Visitors come back again and again to savor the soothing, laid-back atmosphere.