Nakanoshima, Osaka

Miki is rural, very rural. There is not a lot to do there. It will be a fine place to work, study Japanese, and build some local relationships. But the weekend will call us away to Kobe and Osaka. This weekend, we chose Osaka.

Entrance to The National Museum of Art, Osaka

We started our day in Nakanoshima, an island about 20 minutes south of Osaka Station on foot. You wouldn’t realize it’s an island without seeing it on a map, because it’s right in the middle of everything. The island is home to Osaka City Hall, the National Museum of Art (Osaka), a science museum, a lovely park with a rose garden, and a number of other landmarks. 

In addition to the big landmarks is one of my favorite companies in Osaka, Graf. Graf is a furniture store, a design company, a gallery, and it has one of the best cafes in Osaka. They have a simple menu with four set lunches, and everything always tastes fresh and gourmet. 

We popped into the Museum of Modern Art for a bit after lunch. A portion of the museum was free for the day, and we enjoyed making fun of an exhibit called White, which was literally white, framed canvases with a tiny bit of texture on each canvas. Several rooms of all white squares begged the question what is art?

Just over the river is the beautiful Utsubo Park. Once a US airstrip, this park is not widely know beyond locals, but anyone in the area should get a cold drink and take a leisurely walk here.