Osaka City Central Hall Tours and Activities

The neo-Renaissance red brick Osaka CityCentral Hall built between 1913 and 1918, rivals Osaka Castle with its beauty and bronze domed roof.

The structure came about when wealthy Osaka stockbroker Einosuke Iwamoto returned to Japan after visiting the United States, where he was inspired and impressed by the American businessmen who contributed their wealth to the construction of public buildings such as Carnegie Hall. This led to Iwamoto’s donation of 1 million yen to the city of Osaka so that a similar hall could be built in his city. Iwamoto ultimately passed away at the age of 39 during the construction of Osaka City Hall, and the Iwamoto Memorial Room in the basement of the building now commemorates his generosity.

The building sits among several other historical structures from the Meiji and Taisho periods, making the area a pleasant place for a leisurely walk when the weather’s nice.