The Most Beautiful Public Sculptures In Osaka

While Osaka has no shortage of art museums and galleries, you don’t necessarily have to pay the entrance fees to see beautiful sculptures in the city. Here, we explore some of the best places to see statues and sculptures displayed in Osaka’s free public spaces.

Street statues at Midosuji

For the largest collection of public statues, look no further than Midosuji street, one of the major shopping streets near Shinsaibashi. Pedestrians walking along this avenue of high-street shops must share the pavement with 27 sculptures. Designed by both local and international artists, these statues of people in various forms and movements add life and beauty to the street.

Fudo-myo at Hozen-ji

At first glance, this statue of the Buddhist deity Fudo-myo appears to be made entirely out of moss. But when you look closer, you will realize that the moss has in fact covered the sculpture, giving it its green, fuzzy appearance. This statue stands outside the Hozen-ji temple, located at the historical Hozenji Yokocho alleyway near Dotonbori. Worshippers at the temple can pour water over the sculpture in an act of purification and to receive its blessing; centuries of this ritual caused moss to grow all over the statue.

Hideyoshi Toyotomi at Hokoku Shrine

Shrine

This sculpture of Hideyoshi Toyotomi can be found at Osaka’s Hokoku Shrine, located on the edge of the keep of Osaka Castle, on the castle grounds. The shrine is dedicated to Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the founder of the Edo period, who united Japan from warring states into a single nation. He was also the ruler who first built and lived in Osaka Castle. This bronze sculpture was first erected in 1903, but was destroyed during WWII, and the current replica was made in 1943.

Whale sculptures at HEP Five

This huge entertainment and shopping mall is known for its nine floors of shops selling fashionable clothes and trinkets, as well as the towering HEP Five e ferris wheel that gives you the best view of Osaka for miles around. But did you know that there are two gigantic sculptures on display at the mall? Each over 20m in length, these two crimson whales hang from the 6-story tall atrium in the centre of the mall. They were designed by the Japanese pop artist Tatsuya Ishii.
5-15 Kakudacho, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0012, +81 06-6313-0501

Namba Yasaka Shrine

Building, Shrine

Located in Namba, this Shinto shrine has been in place for centuries, a place of worship ever since Namba was populated. This shrine has an iconic building shaped like a lion’s head, carved out of stone. Standing at 12m high, 11m wide and 10m deep, you can’t miss this roaring lion that stands before the main temple building. This striking sculpture, one of the most formidable and recognizable in Osaka, makes the Namba Yasaka Shrine a truly unique one.

Nio at Shitennoji

Shitennoji in Osaka was erected to celebrate the adoption of Buddhism as Japan’s religion, and has been one of the centres of Buddhism in Japan since the 6th century AD. Like many major temples over Japan, a pair of Nio statues flank each of the main gates of the Shitennoji – the Great East, West, and South Gates respectively. With their bare, muscular bodies, fierce expressions, and towering heights, these Nio statues are meant to guard the temple against demons and thieves.

About the author

Elizabeth Lee

Elizabeth Lee was born in California and grew up in Hong Kong, the city where she has lived her whole life (so far!). She is currently studying at the University of Hong Kong, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English Studies and Linguistics. Rather than look for a place to call home, Elizabeth is a wanderer who wants to experience life on this earth to the fullest. Driven by her curiosity for the world and in particular other cultures, Elizabeth has travelled to various places in Asia, Britain, Australia and North America. Elizabeth is an aspiring writer who is inspired by literature, history, and foreign cultures, and her work features themes of freedom and feminism. She hopes to publish her fictional writing someday.