Osaka Museum of History

The Osaka Museum of History opened in 2001 and tells the story of the city across roughly 1,400 years, from the era of the ancient Naniwa Palace to the busy commercial city of the twentieth. It occupies floors seven to ten of a tall building beside Osaka Castle Park, linked by an atrium to the NHK Osaka Broadcasting Centre, which was designed and built at the same time.

The location is the first lesson. The museum stands on the site of the Former Naniwa Palace, one of Japan's early imperial capitals, and its basement preserves excavated remains of a palace warehouse, walls and water-supply works; tours of the remains are offered. Naniwa Palace Site Park, the open ground where more of the palace has been excavated, lies close by.

Inside, the galleries use full-scale reconstructions, detailed miniature models, film and original documents, which makes the story accessible even if you know little Japanese history. The museum's collection runs to well over a hundred thousand objects, so displays change, and separate special exhibitions run alongside the permanent galleries. The tourism office singles out the view towards Osaka Castle as a favourite photo spot.

The museum opens from 9:30 to 17:00, with last entry 30 minutes before closing, and closes on Tuesdays (or the following day when Tuesday is a public holiday) and over the New Year period, from 28 December to 4 January. Admission is modest, with reduced rates for high school and university students, and free entry for disability certificate holders and one carer; special exhibitions are charged separately. The building has barrier-free access and a restaurant. Allow around two hours.

It suits anyone who wants context for the castle and the city before exploring further, and it works well on a rainy day. Families with older children tend to enjoy the full-scale reconstructions and models, and the galleries are usually far calmer than the castle keep during cherry blossom season and holiday weekends, when the castle draws its biggest crowds. The museum is close to Exit 9 of Tanimachi 4-chome Station on the Osaka Metro Tanimachi and Chuo lines. Osaka Castle is a walk away across the park, so the natural plan is the museum in the morning and the castle in the afternoon, or the other way round.