Bridge · Nakanoshima / Kitahama

Naniwabashi Bridge 難波橋

A stately 1915 bridge guarded by four stone lions at the east tip of Nakanoshima, with steps down to the island and the classic night view of the floodlit Central Public Hall and the river.

About

Naniwabashi carries Sakaisuji over the Tosabori and Dojima rivers at Nakanoshima, and its four lion statues, two roaring and two with closed mouths, have earned it the nickname Lion Bridge. The current bridge was completed in 1915 and rebuilt in its original style in 1975. From the middle you can descend directly onto Nakanoshima Park and the rose garden, and the bridge and nearby riverside give the classic Nakanoshima night composition: the floodlit red-brick Central Public Hall, the river, and the skyscrapers of Kitahama and Yodoyabashi. Night cruises and water buses pass beneath. In December it is part of the Osaka Hikari-Renaissance illuminations.

Highlights

• Four stone lions, two roaring, two silent
• Night view of the illuminated Central Public Hall
• Steps straight down into Nakanoshima Park
• River cruise boats passing beneath

Tips

• The south bank riverside terraces around Kitahama give a view of the bridge and the hall together.
• Visit in mid-May or October when the rose garden below is in bloom.
• Decembers Hikari-Renaissance illuminations make this area even more photogenic.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Nakanoshima ParkPark · 100 m away
• Nakanoshima Children's Book ForestPhoto Spot · 100 m away
• Nakanoshima Rose GardenPhoto Spot · 100 m away
• Moto CoffeeCafé & Sweets · 170 m away
• Kitahama RetroCafé & Sweets · 170 m away
• Museum of Oriental Ceramics, OsakaMuseum · 180 m away
• Coin Lockers · Kitahama StationLuggage Storage · 190 m away
• Osaka Exchange BuildingPhoto Spot · 210 m away