Umeda and Osaka Station with Kids (Babies and Toddlers, Too!)
Last Updated on November 23, 2024 by Kay
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Believe it or not, there are a ton of things to do with kids in and around Osaka Station in the Umeda district, located in the northern part of Osaka (Kita-ku).
This is somewhere I take my daughter often, especially when we have playdates with families who live in other parts of the city, so trust me when I say I know places that kids (and the entire family) will love. Even my Japanese mom friends are impressed whenever I take them!
This is an article that I’ve been wanting to write for months so I’m excited to finally share it!
What to Do with Kids in Umeda and Osaka Station
YODOBASHI CAMERA LINKS UMEDA
This is a massive shopping complex attached to Osaka Station. There are stores, restaurants, and of course, plenty of things for kids to do.
I recommend taking kids to the 5th floor of Yodobashi Camera where there’s a HUGE toy area. Kids can play with so many toys here for free. My daughter and her friends can easily spend an hour here. Nearby you can find a massive section for capsule toys, too.
If you need a washroom for your toddler or young child, there’s a children’s washroom near the race tracks on the same floor.
You can also visit a kid-friendly arcade here called Mollyfantasy. It can be a little hard to find so my tip is to look for the big Mario figure jumping out of a green pipe near the Nintendo Switch games. Mollyfantasy is right through the entrance under the ヨドバシカメラLINKS sign.
Located next to Mollyfantasy, younger kids can play at an indoor playground called SKIDS GARDEN. It’s a little expensive at 800 yen for the first 30 minutes and then 300 yen every 15 minutes afterwards but my daughter always likes playing here. There are tons of toys, a ball pit, a colorful slide, and a merry-go-round!
How fun is this space invaders ball pit game?!
If you have a baby, you’ll be happy to know that children under the age of one are free!
Note that only children up to the second year of elementary school (so around ages 7-8) are allowed in.
Another fun thing you can do with the whole family is make personalized shirts and bags at the UNIQLO on the 1st floor using tablets. My daughter really enjoyed decorating a bag with Kuromi and making it all her own.
In terms of food, I recommend taking kids to Tonkatsu Wako on the 8th floor, which sells tonkatsu meals, including ones for children that come with toys.
Bournelund Asobi no Sekai
Bournelund Asobi no Sekai (also known as “Asobiba Doki Doki”) is an indoor playground located on the 3rd floor of the Grand Front building (North) next to YODOBASHI CAMERA LINKS UMEDA. It’s easy to get there using the overhead walkways from the second floor.
This is a place my kid and her friends can spend hours at, but we usually have to pry them away when it’s time for lunch. There’s a ball pit, playground, climbing wall, trampolines, giant roller wheels, toys, and more!
Once this playground reaches capacity, they no longer allow kids in so I recommend arriving around opening (10:00 AM). If your kids will spend more than two hours here on weekdays (or 2.5 hours on weekends), you may want to get a 1 Day Pass. Adults also have to pay a fee to enter, but it’s only 700 yen. Children cannot be left unsupervised.
Note that holidays such as around New Years (end of December to the beginning of January) are more expensive and 1 Day Passes might not be available.
Bournelund Asobi no Sekai allows children up to age 12 and has a special area for babies to play in as well.
If you want to do some clothing shopping for your kids, check out Petit Main on the 5th floor of the South Building.
LUCUA
This is a shopping mall with various shops, although most aren’t that interesting for my daughter. I think the only one I would recommend to parents are LOFT for shopping and the Tom and Jerry Market on the 9th floor.
If you want to nurse or change your child’s diaper, there are dedicated rooms on the 8th floor. You can also rent strollers from the Information Counter on the 2nd floor.
LUCUA 1100
Not to be confused with LUCUA, LUCUA 1100 is another shopping mall located right across from LUCUA. There are walkways that will take you from one to the other if you accidentally go into the wrong building but note that these walkways are not on every floor.
Stores that my daughter likes include a Sanrio store on the 1st floor, Disney store and C-pla capsule toy shop on the 5th floor, and Ghibli store on the 8th floor (which has an awesome Kiki’s Delivery Service photo op spot as well as a massive Totoro!).
If you’re looking for fashionable Japanese baby and toddler clothes, check out the stores familiar and MARLMARL on the 2nd floor.
If you need to change diapers and/or nurse, head to the 7th floor. Stroller rentals are available at the 2nd-floor Information Counter. The 3rd floor also has a currency exchange machine.
Toki No Hiroba
This is a beautiful area on the 5th floor of Osaka Station City where your child can watch trains come and go in the station. There’s a cafe here as well and in the winter, you can sit at one of their kotatsu while enjoying something to eat or drink.
DAIMARU
This is a popular department store with various locations throughout Japan.
Although department stores might not sound very exciting to kids, the 13th floor is absolutely heaven for kids.
Here you can find a Pokemon Center, Nintendo Store, Plarail shop, ONE PIECE store, and TOMICA shop! Keep in mind that it can be crowded, especially the Pokemon Center.
(Did you know that if it’s your child’s birth month, they can get a special card from the Pokemon Center? Ask the Service Counter or a staff member, and make sure you have ID for your kid ready! (Although they never checked my daughter’s ID when I got the card for her))
If you want to do some high-end shopping for your kids, check out the 10th floor where you’ll find Japanese brands like familiar and MIKI HOUSE.
In terms of places to eat with kids in Daimaru Umeda, there are plenty of places on the 14th floor. I like Yotaru, which is a tempura restaurant that has a kids set. It’s a little pricey but my daughter was happy.
HEP FIVE
This is yet another shopping mall, although more geared towards youth in Japan. I like to think of it as Osaka’s version of Shibuya 109.
Whenever I visit Umeda with my daughter, we like to stop by HEP 5 for several reasons.
🐳 The Giant Red Whale
There’s a huge red whale hanging from the ceiling of the building, which my daughter loves looking at, especially while using the escalator.
🎡 HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel
This Ferris wheel on the 7th floor is nice to ride if you have the Osaka Amazing Pass since it’s one of the included attractions.
🛍️ Stores
There’s a huge Disney Store here on the 4th floor as well as a Sanrio Store that we always have to stop by. My daughter also likes the JUMP Shop on the 6th floor, and I personally like the 3COINS shop where (almost) everything costs 300 yen.
The 9th floor also has picture booths (purikura) and special events. For instance, there was a Pokemon event in autumn where we could borrow Pokemon headbands for free and take adorable photos with our phones.
(Psst, if you need a 100 yen store, there’s a huge DAISO close to HEP 5. There’s also a Don Quijote where you can buy diapers and other essential supplies for kids.)
HANKYU Umeda Department Store
This is a department store specific to the Kansai region and my personal favorite. Granted, I don’t think it’s the most kid-friendly when compared to other malls and department stores in the area but I like the range of desserts and food they carry.
For kids, head to the 11th floor where you’ll find high-end clothing and other goods for little ones. For Japanese clothing brands for babies and toddlers, check out familiar and 10 mois.
MARLMARL makes personalized bibs on the spot, so if you know a baby you’d like to shop for, I recommend getting a bib from here where you can get the baby’s name embroidered. My daughter has the bib shown in the picture below and I’ve gifted bibs from here to my friends who had babies.
My favorite stores on this floor for children’s clothes (baby to elementary school age) are Anna Sui and Shirley Temple.
There’s a store called Manma on this floor with fancy baby food as well!
If your kid likes Sanrio, they’ll be happy to know there’s a Sanrio store on this floor.
And if you need a place to feed your baby or change their diaper, there’s a Baby Room right next to the Sanrio Store.
You can find a children’s (こども) toilet across from the Baby Room.
If you go down a floor, you’ll find a cute stationary store (Umeda SOUQ) that has some giant stuffed animals outside. My daughter always enjoys looking at these.
There’s an open space here too where there are seasonal and special events like Christmas markets.
The windows on the first floor of Hankyu Umeda also always have some interesting and creative displays that my daughter likes to see, for instance featuring the Peanuts (Snoopy).
There are also tons of kid-friendly restaurants to eat in Hankyu Umeda on the 9th, 12th, and 13th floors. Many offer kids meals such as curry rice, pasta, sandwiches, and hamburg steak.
If you’re staying in Umeda, you might want to check out the basement floor of Hankyu, especially at around 6 PM to get some discounted food like sushi.
Hankyu Sanbangai (阪急三番街)
This is a shopping mall attached to Osaka-Hankyu Station where you can find restaurants, variety goods, and clothing stores.
My daughter’s favorites here include KIDDY LAND, which sells all sorts of kawaii character goods for all ages, including Sanrio. They have toys as well for kids.
There’s a Ghibli Store here, too, although I prefer the one in LUCUA because it has photo spots.
🚃 Kay’s Tip: Sometimes the Hankyu trains have fun illustrations or decorations on them, so I recommend stopping by Hankyu-Umeda Station to check them out.
Kaze no Hiroba Plaza
If you want your kids to have some fun running around outside amongst greenery while you get to take in a nice view, check out Kaze no Hiroba Plaza on the 11th floor of the North Gate Building. Take the glass elevator near Lululemon in LUCUA to get there.
There are benches here, too, so you can buy something from the Family Mart convenience store here and enjoy a nice snack or meal while getting some fresh air.
Umeda Sky Building
If you’re visiting Osaka and want a spectacular view of the city, head to Umeda Sky Building. This is another attraction that’s included in the Osaka Amazing Pass (until 3 PM).
If you use the Osaka Amazing Pass, you’ll also get entry into the Koji Kinutani Tenku Art Museum where you can watch a pretty cool 3D show featuring Japanese gods and other elements of Japanese culture.
Your kids might enjoy exploring the basement of the building as well, which is like taking a trip back in time.
Umekita Park
Located right beside Umeda Sky Building, this is a brand new park in Umeda that just opened in 2024. There’s lots of greenery here as well as a splash zone where kids can get wet, so make sure to bring a towel and a change of clothes!
KITTE Osaka
This is a new mall that opened in 2024. It features different shops, although none too exciting for kids.
However, one unique thing about this mall is that the 2nd floor has shops featuring souvenirs from different prefectures in Japan.
This is also a great place to eat as there are lots of highly-rated restaurants. I recommend Kushikatsu Daruma on the 4th floor. I also like Kurogewagyuyakiniku Aburiya Arata, which has amazing wagyu yakiniku sets, but they don’t have kids meals nor cutlery, so it’s probably best for older children.
There’s also a cute Japan Post box outside the entrance!
Is KITTE Osaka a must-visit place? I don’t think so. If you don’t have much time in Osaka, skip this place. I’m just suggesting it since it’s new and perhaps my readers who are living in Japan or Osaka would be interested.
Kids Plaza Osaka
This interactive children’s museum is hands down one of my favorite places to take my daughter in Osaka (next to Universal Studios Japan). In fact, I’ve written an entire article about it, so please give it a read if you want to know more about what this unique space for kids has to offer.
Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
This museum takes you back in time to Osaka during the Edo period. It’s a great place for photos and learning the history of this amazing city. For an additional charge, you can rent yukata and the super nice staff will take photos of you with your family using your phone.
Kids can do a stamp rally here to get a sticker, too!
I was worried my daughter wouldn’t enjoy this place but we ended up spending a whopping two hours here!
Personally, I like their special exhibits. They had one featuring retro makeup in Japan and I loved looking at all the beautiful bottles and containers!
This is another attraction included with the Osaka Amazing Pass.
Toy Toy Park
This indoor facility is located a 15-minute walk from Osaka Station or a 6-minute train ride.
There are a lot of toys for young kids to play with, including Plarail, Lego, and magical girl toys. I also like how there are large windows where kids can see trains passing by.
Ogimachi Park
If the weather is nice, consider taking your child to Ogimachi Park, a playground about a fifteen-minute walk from Osaka Station.
Kids will enjoy the different slides, a literal rock climbing wall, and space to run around.
Nakanoshima Children’s Book Forest
This is a beautiful library located about a 20-minute walk from Osaka Station (or 12 minutes by train). It’s filled with mostly Japanese children’s books but even if your child can’t read Japanese, they might enjoy the illustrations.
Note that you need to make a reservation in advance if you want to visit and there’s a 90-minute time cap.
Osaka Cup Noodles Museum
This museum dedicated to cup noodles is a short train ride from Osaka-Umeda Station and although small, I highly recommend giving it a visit if you haven’t been to the one in Yokohama. You can read all about both the Yokohama and Osaka Cup Noodles museum here.
Minoh Falls
If you want to escape the city and get a taste of nature, check out Minoh Falls. This is one of my favorite places in Japan and I used to visit often, so make sure to read my article all about it to find out why I love this place so much.
Where to Stay in Umeda with Kids
If you’re looking for family-friendly accommodation in the Umeda area, check out this article.