I love random events. Love! So if you have some random free time in your Osaka schedule, you should totally check out the schedule at ATC Hall- you might get lucky and find exactly what you want to see!
ATC Hall is a large event space that holds both one-time and yearly events with a wide range of themes. Got kids? Why not treat them to a thrilling Monster 3-D experience? Or bring them back in time for life-size dinosaurs, watching you with glittering eyes, or stampeding through floor to ceiling screens? If you’re a reptile fan, why not check out the yearly Reptiles Fever expo, where thousands of snakes, lizards, rare insects and frogs, etc., are all for sale? Touch a real owl- they’re so very soft! Petting zoo includes cute cuddles for all! Events can also be educational, such as the Hygiene exhibit in 2011, where visitors were treated to larger-than-life working models of the body designed to educate hands-on. My one piece of advice, come early, or go late- these things can get seriously crowded. A sweat towel is sometimes recommended.
ATC Hall is located just across from Japan’s Trade Center buildings (you can get a tour!), in a huge shopping center wrapped around a ferry port. Arriving by monorail, you’re treated to a great view of the huge glass tower. Stores include the impressive (and impressively expensive) IDC luxury furniture store, Osaka’s famous souvenirs, and a few fashionable original clothing stores, to name a few. And just next to the gemstone shop is a very small Chinese goods store that, for some reason, is always shockingly cheap (it’s different every time, but I was able to get a lovely paper lamp for only 300 yen… check it out!) There are also countless restaurants to try, as well as any number of smaller, free musical goings-on that pop up around the extensive grounds outside. Big bonus- are you an anime/ cosplay fan? The mall is a mecca for cosplay fans, who come in groups to use the interesting mall features and gardens for their photo shoots. It’s always an awesome feeling to see the characters you love walking around for real, posing and laughing with each other. The hall itself also hosts extensive cosplay events: definitely worth a visit! All in all, you could easily spend a morning or a day here depending on your interests, so check out the website and get interactive in Osaka!
