Tsutenkaku Tower

The first Tsutenkaku Tower was built in 1912 as a symbolic tower of Osaka and its 64-meter height made it the tallest structure in the Orient at the time. The tower was named Tsutenkaku, which means the "building leading to heaven." The original tower was dismantled due to fire that severely damaged the building, but the current tower was reconstructed in 1956 at the request of the local citizens. Since then, Tsutenkaku Tower has continued to illuminate the city of Osaka until 23:00 after sunset every day with lights that show a different color set every month.

Standing 87.5 meters above the ground is the Golden Observation Platform with lavish decorations that can favorably compare with the Golden Tea Room of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a powerful feudal lord in the 16th century, located inside the Osaka Castle. It offers stunning views of the entire city both day and night. The observation is also where the statue of the third-generation Billiken with blonde hair is on display. Billiken was originally created by an American artist who was said to have seen the god in a dream. With a strange expression that looks both like smiling and angry as well as a playful pose, the statue has been beloved for many decades. Every day, there is a line of visitors waiting to rub his feet to make their wishes come true.