Tower of the Sun

photo by takato marui · CC BY-SA 2.0

photo by Nankou Oronain (as36… · CC BY-SA 3.0

It has been a national cultural property since 27 August 2025, fifty-five years after the Expo.

The tower stands in the middle of the park where the World Exposition was held in 1970, and you can go inside: the hall is taken up by a tree that the forms of life climb, from the first organisms upwards. It stayed closed for almost half a century after the Expo, and the interior was reopened after regeneration work.

It was designed by Okamoto Tarō for the 1970 Osaka World Exposition. On 16 May 2025 the council for cultural affairs recommended it to the minister for designation, and on 27 August 2025 it became a national Important Cultural Property: the grounds for designation speak of a gigantic and singular construction, put up with the most advanced techniques of its time, a symbol of the years of growth.

ℹ️ Entry to the tower alone costs 720 yen for adults and 310 for elementary and junior high school pupils; the combined ticket with the nature park and the Japanese garden costs 1,080 and 310. You book ahead. ⚠️ The two official pages do not say the same thing: the tower's website speaks of entry by booking, to be made by the day before, while the prices page says booking is not compulsory. It is best to book.

🚉 Koen-Higashiguchi · 13 min walk

Sources: pref.osaka.lg.jp · taiyounotou-expo70.jp · expo70-park.jp

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