One place that most visitors to Osaka almost always visit is “USJ/Universal Studios Japan”.
It is famous for entertaining visitors with fascinating attractions and seasonal events.
After having fun at USJ, the next place that comes to mind is probably Tempozan.
It is famous for its aquarium “Kaiyukan” and “Giant Ferris Wheel”.
Tenpozan also has some places like “Tempozan Market Place” with attractions such as “Naniwa Shokuninbo Yokocho” and “LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Osaka,” “Tempozan,” famous for being the lowest mountain in Japan at 4.5 meters above sea level, and “Tempozan Park,” which has the “Monument to the Imperial View of the Meiji Emperor,” built in 1868 in memory of Emperor Meiji’s visit to a military parade by the ships of the newly established Meiji government. The “Tempozan Park” is also home to the “Tempozan Monument,” which was built to commemorate the Emperor Meiji’s viewing of the military parade of the new Meiji government’s naval vessels in 1868.
I am sure many of you would like to visit that place.
But here’s the problem…
In fact, a pretty wide river runs between Konohana Ward, Osaka City, where USJ is located, and Minato Ward, Osaka City, where Tempozan is located. Moreover, there are no bridges in the vicinity that are accessible to people.
So how do we get to the other side of the river?
In this article, we will introduce how you can go to Tenpozan on the other side of the river for free using a “boat”.
This article is intended for
- Those who want to move to Tempozan slowly for free.
- Those who love to walk.
- Those who like to travel by boat.
Through this article, you can not only learn how to get from “USJ” to “Tempozan” for free, but also get a glimpse into the daily lives of local Osaka citizens by taking a “boat” ride after reading this article.
Now, let me invite you all to a pleasant journey.
Thank you again for your cooperation.
Overview of Osaka Waterships
Before going into the main subject, I will give a brief explanation of ferry boats in Osaka.
Currently, there are a total of eight ferry ports in Osaka City.
All are operated by the City of Osaka and are free of charge.
Seven of the eight locations are located in Taisho Ward, Osaka City (located to the east of Minato Ward, where Tempozan is located), the hometown of hiikun.
The buses depart from the Taisho Ward side* and run to and from the surrounding Minato, Nishinari, Suminoe, and Taisho wards. Many local residents use the ferry service for commuting to work and school, shopping, and leisure time.
*The “starting point” here refers to the location where the crew quarters are located.
This time, I would like to introduce the “Tempozan Watership”, the only boat that runs outside of Taisho Ward.
The route starts from Chikko (Tempozan) in Minato Ward and connects to Sakurajima in Konohana Ward on the opposite shore.
The straight line distance is approximately 400 meters and takes about 3 minutes.
Although short, the boat sails near the mouth of the river, so you can enjoy a pleasant sea breeze and a wonderful view of the scenery.
You can use this ferry to go from “USJ” to “Tempozan” for free.
There is another boat, the ” Captain Line,” from “USJ” to “Tempozan,” although there is a fee for this service. Adults (13 years old or older or junior high school students or older) must pay 900 yen one way or 1,700 yen round trip, but it takes only 10 minutes between Universal City Port and Kaiyukan West Hatoba.
It is by far faster to arrive here.
However, we will not use the “captain line” this time because we will travel for free.
*I will introduce “captain’s line” in detail at a later date. So I will not include it in this article.
Outline of itinerary from “USJ” to “Tempozan”
The starting point is the South Exit of Universal City Station on the JR Yumesaki Line, the closest station to USJ.
The final destination is the aquarium “Kaiyukan” in Tempozan.
The itinerary is as follows
1. Go out the south exit of Universal City Station, go down the stairs, and turn right.
2. Walk along the road in front of you toward “Sakurajima Station”, the last stop on the JR Yumesaki Line. The direction is west.
Turn left at the first traffic light after “Sakurajima Station”.
4. After a short distance, you will see a post office. Turn left there.
5. Go straight. At the end of the road, you will see “Tempozan Ferry Terminal/Sakurajima Side”.
6. Here you can finally board the boat.
7. You will arrive at the Chikko side of the harbor on the other side of the river.
8. Continue walking along “Tempozan Park.
9. You will arrive at the “Giant Ferris Wheel”.
10. Walking along the Tempozan Market Place, you will arrive at the aquarium, “Kaiyukan”.
end
Now it’s time to go from USJ to Tempozan.
*This is a photo I took from the south entrance of Universal City Station, along the road we will be taking. First, proceed to the vicinity of the cable-stayed bridge seen in the distance.
Here we go.
Now let’s walk toward Tempozan.
I walked around taking pictures over two days.
Let’s walk together, comparing the evening and night pictures of each!
*Date of shooting: September 29, around 4:00 p.m. and October 3, around 7:00 p.m.
1. Go out the south exit of Universal City Station, go down the stairs, and turn right.
I really wanted to shoot from the front, but there were too many people, so I had to move out of the way a bit. The signboard of the hotel next door became the center of the shot.
The station is located directly behind this sign.
The Cingulari Hotel & Sky Spa at Universal Studios Japan
Go down the stairs and turn right.
Just outside the south exit, a luxurious-looking hotel stands on the left.
The number of hotels and condominiums for sale around Universal City Station seems to increase every year.
I have been here for the first time in about four years and am amazed at the transformation of the station area.
Hotel Universal Port Vita
2. Walk along the road in front of you toward “Sakurajima Station”, the last stop on the JR Yumesaki Line. The direction is west.
You can see the Giant Ferris Wheel of Tempozan in the back. We will go there.
The JR Yumesaki Line runs next to the fence and several large pillars on the right.
Still, I am surprised at the number of hotels along the road between Universal City Station and Sakurajima Station.
La Gent Hotel Osaka Bay
Sakurajima Station is the last stop on the JR Yumesaki Line.
In front of the station, there is a large and magnificent hotel like this one.
The Sakurajima Station area is also undergoing a transformation, although not to the same extent as the Universal City Station area.
Revel Hotel at Universal Studios Japan
Turn left at the first traffic light after “Sakurajima Station”.
Please continue straight ahead still. If you look at the road in this area from above, it is L-shaped.
The black shadowy thing in the upper left is my finger. I apologize for my unfamiliarity with photography.
Head to the red light in the evening photo above and the green light in the night photo below.
4. After a short distance, you will see a post office. Turn left there.
Turn left at this corner and go a little further. Then…
You will see a post office and a traffic light. Turn left there.
5. Continue straight and you will arrive at the “Tempozan Ferry Terminal/Sakurajima Side” at the end of the road.
6. Here you can finally board the boat.
Anyway, go straight to the end of the street.
When you see the “Sakurajima-1” warehouse, you will soon reach the boarding area.
We have arrived. This is the Tenpozan ferry terminal (Sakurajima side).
Now, let’s proceed to the boarding area. As indicated by the sign in front of you, single vehicles and mopeds are not allowed on the boat.
Bicycles are allowed. Naturally, people only are also allowed.
This is the boarding area.
The Aji River flows in front of us. The river is quite wide due to its proximity to the mouth.
The cable-stayed bridge seen above the boarding area is the Tempozan Bridge. It is part of the Hanshin Expressway Wangan Route.
There are absolutely no bridges in the vicinity that people can cross. This clearly shows how important this ferry is.
The Giant Ferris Wheel, Tempozan Harbor Village, and Kaiyukan, the last stop, are also visible.
Here is the timetable. During the daytime, the ferry runs every 30 minutes, and during the morning and evening rush hours, every 15 to 20 minutes.
The above timetable shows departure times from Minato Ward Chikko side of the port, the starting point.
I took the 5:15 p.m. boat on September 29 and the 7:30 p.m. boat on October 3.
Users of the Tenpozan ferry vary.
Local residents use this ferry for commuting to work and school. Some tourists, including foreigners, take this ferry to move between USJ and Tempozan.
Also, foreign employees working at USJ use this ferry.
For this reason, an information board in English is available in the waiting room.
A ship can be seen waiting under the Tempozan Bridge.
When I visited on September 29, the Santa Maria, a sightseeing cruise ship, happened to be passing by.
When I visited on the evening of October 3, a huge luxury cruise ship was at anchor. What a huge ship!
The ship arrives. When I took the ferry, it was pretty crowded. Although we are allowed to take photos in the ferry, I refrained from doing so. Photography is not allowed on the pier or at the boarding area. Please follow the instructions of the crew.
We hope that you will actually get on board and enjoy the ship and the view from the ship.
7. You will arrive at the Chikko side of the harbor on the other side of the river.
On the origin side, there is not only a waiting room for passengers, but also a staff room for the crew.
This is the same for the other seven locations.
8. Continue walking along “Tempozan Park.
Tenpozan Park is next to the wall on the left. Continue walking along the path along the park.
The giant Ferris wheel and the huge luxury cruise ship. I wonder from where this ship came from.
At the end of the street, turn left.
At the bottom of the hill, turn right.
9. You will arrive at the “Giant Ferris Wheel”.
It had been a while since I had seen it up close, but I was overwhelmed by its sheer size.
10. Walk along Tempozan Market Place to reach Kaiyukan.
Near the entrance, a giant sculpture of a giraffe made of LEGO welcomes visitors.
Crossing the Tempozan Market Place, we came into view.
We have arrived. The “Kaiyukan” aquarium.
In front of us, there is a beautiful monument.
Sea creatures greeted me.
On September 29, the emphasis was on photography, so I walked without regard to time.
Therefore, I did not measure how long it took.
On October 3, I walked while taking pictures and keeping an eye on the time.
It took about 45 minutes from Universal City Station to Kaiyukan.
I felt a bit tired, but there was plenty to see in the area, so I enjoyed the walk without getting bored. It was also a good workout.
important point
Here are three points to note.
1, Last flight
As you can see in the photo in the article, “From USJ to Tempozan!”, the last ferry departs from the starting point, Chikko side of Minato-ku at 20:30.
Since it takes about 3 minutes to navigate and it may take some time for passengers to get on and off the boat, the last ferry on the Sakurajima side of Konohana-ku will actually be at around 20:35.
Of course, if you miss it, there will be no ferry service. You will be forced to take the long way by train or cab.
To ensure that you can get on the bus, please allow enough time to arrive before 8:30 p.m.
2、Possible suspension of service
The service may be suspended for some reason, such as weather conditions.
As shown in this photo, the signal lights will tell you if the service has been cancelled.
Although not shown in the photo, there is a signal light above the sign that reads “When operation is suspended・・・”. If Red x is displayed there, the service is suspended.
If bad weather is expected, such as a typhoon, it is safer not to go to the ferry.
All eight lines, including the Tempozan ferry, are closed on January 1.
3, Environment around the boarding area (at night)
There are few houses around the boarding area on the Sakurajima side of Konohana Ward, and it is quiet at night.
Tourists and workers at USJ and nearby factories come and go around Sakurajima Station, so there is not much to worry about when you walk around at night.
After passing Sakurajima Station, however, the area becomes pretty quiet.
It may be a coincidence, but I didn’t pass anyone on the way to the ferry terminal after turning left at the intersection mentioned above in “4 After a short distance, you will see a post office. Turn left there”.
This is in contrast to the Universal City Station and Sakurajima Station areas.
When we passed near the post office at 19:20 on October 3, it was already quite dark in the area.
Those who wish to take a boat ride but feel uncomfortable walking around unpopular areas at night may prefer to have more than one person on the boat.
On the other hand, the Chikko side of the harbor on the other side of the river is kind of popular.
As soon as you disembark, you will see Tempozan Park. The area around the park is indeed dark.
However, as you pass it, you will see some private houses.
The Giant Ferris Wheel and Tempozan Market Place are within easy reach.
summary
What do you think, dear my readers?
This time, I moved from “USJ” to “Tempozan” on foot without spending any money.
Let’s review the itinerary.
Depart from the south entrance of Universal City Station.
Walking steadily along the tracks of the JR Yumesaki Line, pass the JR “Sakurajima Station”.
Turn left at the first intersection past the Sakurajima station.
Turn left at the corner of the post office at the end of the street and go straight to the end of the street.
Arrive at Tempozan ferry terminal.
Embarkation→approx. 3-minute boat ride→disembarkation.
Walk along Tempozan Park, crossing the Giant Ferris Wheel and Tempozan Market Place, and arriving at Kaiyukan.
The approximately 45-minute walk seemed long, but it was over in a flash.
It was nice to rediscover the charm of this place after visiting it for the first time in about four years.
If you are interested in a ferry in Osaka, please refer to this page.
Readers, if you have the time and energy, why not walk from Univa to Tempozan, or vice versa, following the itinerary I have described?
Thank you very much for reading this issue to the end.
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