What other travelers are saying about Tower of the Sun
I visited on a weekday late morning and, luckily, was able to buy a ticket on the spot. I found the moody music and images a bit dated but absolutely worth it, if only to have the chance to see the interior structure, especially the arms. I never quite understood this tower, but became quite fond of it as the day progressed, and enjoyed seeing it as the light softened. If you can, do plan to stay into the evening to see the holiday illuminations.
Tip: The route involves a climb up an interior stairway, 145 steps spread across 6 floors, and reaching just about halfway up the tower, then a descent down a different, more narrow stairwell. There is an elevator but it seems access may be by reservation.
The Tower of the Sun is a symbolic structure originally created for the 1970 Osaka World Expo by Japanese artist Taro Okamoto. It stands as a representation of human evolution, culture, and energy, with its distinct design featuring three different faces.
The Tower of the Sun was designed by Taro Okamoto, a renowned Japanese artist known for his avant-garde and modernist works that often blend abstract forms with deep cultural symbolism.
The Tower of the Sun features three faces that represent different aspects of human progress. The Golden Face at the top symbolizes the future, the Face of the Sun in the middle represents the present, and the Black Sun at the back stands for the past.
Yes, visitors can go inside the Tower of the Sun. Inside, there is an exhibition called the Tree of Life, which illustrates the evolution of life on Earth from the beginning of time to modern-day species.
The Tower of the Sun can be easily accessed via the Osaka Monorail, getting off at the Bampaku-Kinen-Koen Station. The park is a short walk from the station, and the tower is visible from afar.
An interesting giant art piece, it's hard to tell from the photos just how enormous the tower is. Unlike other tall buildings which are very... "building-like", the humanoid shape makes it more interesting to look at, and really felt like you are standing next to a giant human.
The tree of life inside is also worth seeing, overall a great experience.
Finally visited! I’ve been obsessed with this tower for years.
You can go inside, but you MUST reserve a ticket at least a day ahead of time. There are no same-day ticket sales.
Okamoto Taro’s sculptures inside are absolutely stunning
To enter inside make sure to buy your tickets a week in advance as the time slots fill up fast. Limited spacing and you're only allowed to be in the tower exhibit for 30 min. You're only allowed to take photos on the first floor but if you pay an extra fee (I think it was 800yen), you get a rental pouch for your phone allowing you to take photos everywhere. Over all there's not much to see inside. You walk up the tower and on each floor there are some sculptures that have been preserved from the '70 expo. Unless you're a fan of the artist, better suited for taking your kids, almost feels like a children's science museum.
Giving a 3 stars as not able to went in the Tower and seems is hard to get the reservation.
The museums in the park area are some good places to visit.
