Osaka, Japan Umeda Sky Tower - 1 of 3

Osaka is Japan's second largest cities after Tokyo with a population of 2.7 million and a very modern city of skyscrapers. It has been the economic center of the Kansai Region for many centuries. The city is home to the Osaka Exchange as well as the headquarters of large multinational electronics corporations such as Panasonic and Sharp.

We visited the Umeda Sky Building in Osaka to take in the view of the area and learned the history of the city and the building. At the top is the Kuchu Teien Observatory made up of 3 floors (39th, 40th, rooftop). To get there you take an elevator and then the see-through escalator that goes from the 35th floor in one tower to the 39th floor in the second tower. There is the 360 degree open-air view from the rooftop observatory floor, a bridge connecting the two towers and we got to look out over the nearby Yodo River, Umeda business district, and Awaji Island. A great view and an interesting building or I should say, two buildings connected for stability and safely in a potential evacuation since they are always focused on potential earthquakes here.Read more