National Museum of Ethnology — Attraction in Suita

For most of my life, culture and history never really interested me. Whenever I'm on a trip, I mostly pay attention to theme parks, food, and shopping. Museums and historical areas are the last places i would choose.

As such, my 3 past visits to Osaka have mostly consisted of going to Universal Studios and shopping and eating along the famous districts. I thought we had seen everything and erased the city from my list.

My husband showed me this massive park and I hesitated to go because I wasn't really interested in such places. Museums? Historical parks? No, thank you.

But it turned out to be one of the best places I've ever visited. I never thought I'd really appreciate all the artifacts about different cultures because unlike other museums, it was a very immersive experience. It made me realize the connections between human beings, animals and nature. It triggered me to think about my own life journey and inspired me to think about the deeper consequences that differences in culture have created.

A society that respects history can learn from it as well. While most of the exhibit was in Japanese, it was still sad to see that this place was not very popular among foreigners. I hope it can attract more attention from visitors by displaying more explanations in English and other...

If you’re interested in exploring different cultures and communities from around the globe, this museum in Osaka/Kyoto is definitely a must-see! With a diverse array of artefacts and items, it offers a lot to take in—from Asia to the Americas. Personally, I found the Asian section particularly captivating, filled with traditional instruments, houses, and costumes that stood out. However, I couldn't help but notice that this section seems to be represented more heavily than others. As a result, the European portion felt sparse and somewhat random, lacking a genuine reflection of European traditions and culture. This is why I am giving the museum a rating of 4 out of 5 instead of a perfect 5.

I spent about 2.5 hours in the museum, but I could have easily lingered longer if I had the time. I’d definitely love to return, but I hope they consider adding more European exhibits to give it a more balanced representation! Additionally, I appreciated the Canadian totem poles displayed both inside and outside the museum—they were a...

Fantastic spot to spend a few hours in. The museum is located inside the Expo Commemoration Park (accessible by the osaka monorail), and is a roughly 10 min walk from the entrance of the Expo Park.

The different cultures of the world are displayed clearly through the 2nd floor of the museum.

Each region has its own section complete with faithful and realistic recreations of notable landmarks or sights.

The museum also has categories such as religion, music and language.

Most of the exhibits include a reasonable amount of English explanations, though they are not as detailed as the jaapense ones. Even so, the sheer breath of things to see here is more than sufficient to keep most busy for a few hours.

Ensure you retain your ticket stub, as you will need for access back into...