What to do with kids in Osaka if it starts to rain? Here are all of the places that we love.
See for my full list of things we love to do in Osaka.
This blog post contains some affiliate links. This means that I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase using my link – at no additional charge to you.
1. Miracle World Osaka
Click here to book in for the digital art experience in Osaka called “Miracle World.” (Book up to 3 months in advance.). Not as big or popular as Team Lab options – but if you don’t like crowds this can be a lovely alternative. It is 4-5 mins walk from Namba Station (here is my full list of things to do in Namba with kids.)
2. Round 1 Umeda or Round 1 Sennichimae
Round1 Umeda
Another great activity option with kids in the middle of Umeda. It is 3 mins walk from Umeda Station and 7 mins walk from JR Osaka Station.
SEE HERE FOR STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS ON TAKING KIDS OUT TO KARAOKE IN JAPAN.
ROUND1 UMEDA
4-16 KOMATSUBARACHO, KITA-KU, OSAKA
OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY (ARCADE SECTION CLOSED BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AT 6AM, KIDS CAN ONLY ENTER AFTER 7PM IF WITH A PARENT OR GUARDIAN AND MUST LEAVE BY 10PM)
Round 1 Sennichimae
If you’re looking for a really fun family-friendly activity (fun for teens too) I recommend visiting Round One Sennichimae (just 4 mins walk from Dotombori.)
Here they have bowling, karaoke booths, darts, arcade games and indoor ball pits, indoor football and VR games. This place is truly incredible.
Children under 16 must be with a legal guardian and aren’t allowed to visit after 10pm
This arcade is 3 mins walk from Namba Station.
ROUND ONE SENNICHIMAE
大阪市中央区難波1-3-1
1-3-1 NAMBA, CHUO-KU, OSAKA
OPEN 6AM-MIDNIGHT (SOME FACILITIES OPEN LATER)
*If you miss out on Round One in Osaka, don’t worry as I speak about the Round One option in Kyoto in my Kyoto with kids post.
3. Game Centre / Arcade & Karaoke（2 mins walk from Namba Station)
Namco Osaka Nipponbashi is open 10am-midnight. Lots of arcade games and claw machines here on floors 1, 2 and 3. The fourth floor has Rainbow Karaoke. Karaoke is open from midday (11am on Saturdays) until 5am the following day. This is a fabulous rainy day option for when in Namba with kids.
See here for my tips on how to make the most of karaoke time as a family.
4. All -you-can-eat Sukiyaki & Shabu-Shabu
This hot-pot style of eating is so much fun for families and just interactive with kids. This restaurant Syabu-yo is a chain restaurant. Diners choose the amount of time they would like to have unlimited meat brought to their table (usually 60 or 90 mins) and that price also includes access to a salad and vegetable buffet and ice-cream. Theinstructions on how to make your meal at the table are here on the Syabu-Yo website but the staff will also help you. My kids prefer sukiyaki to shabu-shabu as it is so sweet and more-ish.
This style of restaurant is tricky if everyone has different dietary requirements (for example if one family member is vegetarian etc) as all the food is cooked in one pot. I guess you could get around this by getting two tables with two separate pots. Sometimes they have pots like the one pictured below that has two sections. This is mostly so you can cook two different flavours but it could also work for a meat side and a veg side too, I guess
To eat here I would budget for around 3000 yen per adult. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. Syabu-Yo accept most major credit cards.
If you like this restaurant – I’m pretty sure you will! Then you are in luck as you can always google your closest Syabu-Yo branch as they are all over Japan.
They have free wifi. It is best to make a reservation here but if you’re eating outside of traditional meal times you could also just try for a walk-in.
The Shinsaibashi branch is 130 metres from Shinsaibashi Station.
SYABU-YO, Q PLAZA SHINSAIBASHI STORE
大阪市中央区心斎橋筋1-1-10 キュープラザ心斎橋 6F
6TH FLOOR, KYU PLAZA SHINSAIBASHI BUILDING, 1-1-10 SHINSAIBASHISUJI, CHUO-KU, OSAKA
OPEN 11AM-11PM
5. Kids Plaza
The Kids Plaza Osaka is the BEST rainy day option with kids we’ve found yet. This place calls itself a children’s museum but I’d call it more of a children’s museum / play centre.
My kids had such a good time at this place. We spent almost 3 hours here.
My little boy loved all the climbing and my little girl could not get enough of the pretend play supermarket, post office and the pretend tv reporter station.
The staff speak enough English to help with almost every single part of the museum so language isn’t an issue at all.
They will also store your stroller while you are in the museum – free of charge.
I’ve written lots more about this kid-centered museum / playcentre in Osaka here ( including access details and open times.)
6. A department store with a ferris wheel on top!
Another suggestion for an easy meal with kids, near the station, is to go into the HEP FIVE Department Store. On the top floor, next to the entrance to the Ferris Wheel are a whole selection of kids friendly cafes and restaurants.
The Ferris Wheel will also give you a great view of the city at night. *Please check on the Hep Five site if the ferris wheel is in operation on the day you are visiting (there have been some renovations going on lately.) They often have karaoke carriages too!
This department store rents out strollers at no charge for in-store use.
There are breastfeeding and baby changing rooms on floors 2, 4 and 6.
They have a colourful waffle restaurant, a giant whale statue that kids love in the middle of the department store and a Disney store too.
HEP FIVE
大阪府大阪市北区角田町5-15
5-15 KAKUDACHO, KITA-KU, OSAKA
OPEN 11AM-11PM (ALTHOUGH MOST SHOPS CLOSE AT 9PM, RESTAURANTS REMAIN OPEN)
7. Legoland Discovery Centre Osaka
Not to be confused with the outdoor amusement park that is Legoland Japan in Nagoya, there is an indoor playcentre called Legoland Discovery Centre. It’s a little on the expensive side but it is a great indoor spot for children aged 0-6 years old (older than that and I don’t think it is that much fun for kids.). The centre is approximately 30 mins from the middle of Osaka or 15 mins / approx 5000 yen in a cab.)
LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTRE OSAKA
OPEN 10AM-6PM (OPEN LATER SOME EVENINGS SO CHECK THE WEBSITE BEFOREHAND)
8. Hedgehog Cafe in Namba, Osaka
6 mins walk from Namba Station, you will find the Hedgehog Themed Cafe called “Harry Wood.” You can try walk ins or make a reservation on the Harry Wood Hedgehog Cafe website here. Visitors can hold, take pictures with and feed the hedgehogs. This hedgehog cafe is open from 11am-8pm.
9. Namba Parks Shopping Mall
This place is MASSIVE! A whole day’s worth of things to do – shopping, eating and playing!!! Here are just some of the things we like to do in this big shopping mall.
Firstly, there is a big Toys R Us within this complex. We have bought so many Japanese toys here for us or friends here. There is also a massive section just for nappies and baby food etc. See here for my article on where to buy nappies in Japan.
While in the Namba Parks Shopping Mall, we like to eat at casual Italian restaurant “To the Herbs.” They serve pasta and pizza and desserts. They also have high chairs. There are wax replicas of all meals outside the restaurant (makes it really easy for kids to choose what they would like to eat.)
I recommend budgeting for 2000 yen per adult for lunch to eat here and budget for more like 3500 yen per adult at dinner time. They accept most major credit cards. They have an English menu.
TO THE HERBS, NAMBA PARKS OSAKA
難波中2-10-70 なんばパークス 6F
6TH FLOOR, NAMBA PARKS, 2-10-70, NAMBA
OPEN 11AM-9PM
10. Spa World
If you’d like an onsen experience (or just a swimming pool experience) in Osaka, I recommend spending the day at Spa World Osaka.
There are onsen sections (nudity required) and a co-ed swimsuit friendly pool section with water slides etc. There is a food court on the third floor inside Spa World too.
Please note that, if your children like waterslides -the day can get very expensive very quickly. Slides are 500 yen per person per slide! OR 1500 yen for a day pass for all you can slide. To ride most of the slides you will also need to be taller than 115cms.
11. Indoor Playcentre
There is also a Kid o Kid large playcentre within the Grand Front Osaka complex. The name of the centre is “Asobi no Sekai Grand Front Osaka “
***PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PLAYCENTRE IS CLOSED FOR A FEW MONTHS AND WILL REOPEN APRIL 24, 2026. ****
It is on the 3rd floor. Ive written in detail about it here.
is also a Kid o Kid large playcentre within the Grand Front Osaka complex. The name of the centre is “Asobi no Sekai Grand Front Osaka “
It is on the 3rd floor.
There is a bay for strollers, breastfeeding rooms, change tables, juice vending machines and a special area just for little babies.
Kids from 6 months – 12 years are welcome (personally, I think that 5 years is the max though -they might think it’s a bit boring if they are older than that.)
If you decide that you like this brand of playcentre: you may like to visit their other branches all over Japan.
******PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PLAYCENTRE IS CLOSED UNTIL APRIL 24, 2026***
