Japan Train Stations: Umeda Station Osaka

Umeda Station　梅田駅

Umeda Station, Osaka.

Umeda Station in Kita-ku, north central Osaka, is western Japan's busiest station with around 2.3 million passengers using the station on a daily basis.

Railways utilizing Umeda Station include the Hankyu Line (with trains on the Kobe Line to Juso and Sannomiya, trains to Ibaraki, Takatsuki, Katsura, Sai-in, Karasuma and Shijo Station on the Kyoto Line, and departures to Toyonaka, Ishibashi and Takarazuka on the Takarazuka Line)

The Hanshin Main Line connects Umeda Station with Sannomiya Station in Kobe via Amagasaki, Koshien, and the plush Kobe suburb of Ashiya.

Umeda Station is also on the Midosuji Line of the Osaka subway system with trains to Shinsaibashi, Namba, and Tennoji to the south and Esaka and Shin-Osaka to the north, with Shinkansen connections to Tokyo and Nagoya from Shin-Osaka Station.

Around Umeda Station

Other stations within easy walking distance of Umeda by underground passage include Osaka Station on the JR Osaka Loop Line, Nishi-Umeda Station on the Yotsubashi Line of Osaka Subway, Higashi-Umeda on the Tanimachi Line of Osaka Subway and Kitashinchi on the JR West Tozai Line.

The underground malls of Umeda Station connecting the various stations of other railway lines are lined with numerous shops, cafes and restaurants. Hanyku department store, Hanshin department store and Daimaru department store cluster around the stations.

The Umeda area has a number of good cinemas, including the Umeda Piccadilly (Tel: 06 6315 1414), OS Gekijo Cinema (Tel: 06 6311 2478), and Navio Toho Plex (Tel: 06 6316 1312).

The twin towers of 173m-high Osaka Sky Building (Tel: 06 6440 3899) are a local landmark and the office complex hosts trade fairs and the annual Osaka beer summit held in October in the square below. There is an observation tower at the top - the Floating Garden - (admission 700 yen) and the Takimi-Koji Alley of recreated traditional 1920s shops in the basement. There is also an urban garden on the site at ground level with wooden walkways and small ponds. The 11-storey Hep Five Building (Tel: 06 6343 9319) has a popular Ferris wheel (admission 700 yen) with great views of the city and plentiful shopping and dining possibilities.