Second only to Tokyo, Osaka is one of the largest cities in Japan. It is divided into several distinct districts. The Umeda District, located in the Kita ward, is home to a recently renovated and beautiful train station called JR Osaka Station.
While the Shinkansen stops at Osaka’s other station, the train station is an important hub and is also home to Osaka Station City, a shopping complex featuring an open floor plan and glass ceiling.
Keep reading to find out:
- Train lines that stop at JR Osaka Station
- What Osaka Station City has to offer
Get all the information you need to plan your train trip to Osaka and the city’s station.
Table of Contents
JR Osaka train lines
In JR Osaka Station, there are a number of regional lines and other major train lines that you can take with your JR Pass.
Your Japan Rail Pass makes traveling around Japan easy and affordable. The JR Pass is valid on most JR trains, and you can use it to take the following lines from Osaka:
- Osaka Higashi Line: Connects Shin-Osaka to Nara, providing convenient access to eastern Osaka and major transfer hubs like Kyūhōji.
- Tōkaidō Main Line: Links Osaka with Kyoto and Kobe; this line is key for intercity travel across the Kansai region.
- JR Kobe Line: Offers direct access to Kobe, Himeji, and other cities along the scenic coastal route.
- JR Kyoto Line: Heads north to Kyoto, providing fast and frequent services for travelers heading to the historic city.
- JR Takarazuka Line via Osaka Loop Line: Connects Osaka to Takarazuka, known for its hot springs and theater.
- Osaka Loop Line: Encircles central Osaka, making it ideal for sightseeing and accessing key city attractions.
- JR Yumesaki Line: Serves the western area of Osaka which includes Universal Studios Japan and the port district.
- Yamatoji Line: Unites Osaka with the historic cities of Nara and Tennoji.
- Hanwa Line: Provides access to Kansai International Airport and destinations along the scenic coastal areas of Wakayama.
JR Osaka Station connections
As JR Osaka Station serves as a central hub, you can also find convenient connections to multiple train and metro lines along with bus transportation, such as:
- Bus interchange and bus terminal for local and regional routes.
- Osaka Metro access via the Yotsubashi Line at Nishi-Umeda, the Midōsuji Line at Umeda, and the Tanimachi Line at Higashi-Umeda.
- Hankyu Railway lines, including the Kobe Main Line, Takarazuka Main Line, and Kyoto Main Line, accessible at Umeda Station.
- Hanshin Main Line at Umeda, connecting Osaka with Kobe and other nearby destinations.
- JR Tozai Line at Kitashinchi, linking JR Osaka Station to key locations across the region.
These connections give JR Osaka Station easy access to Osaka’s attractions, neighboring cities, and regional transport networks.
Limited express trains at JR Osaka Station
With limited express trains, it is also easier to reach scenic regions, cultural landmarks, and other key transport points.
You can use the following services whether you are a commuter or a long-distance traveler:
- Limited Express Thunderbird: Connects Osaka to Tsuruga, providing a fast route along the Hokuriku Line.
- Sleeper Limited Express Sunrise Izumo/Sunrise Seto: Operates from Takamatsu/Izumoshi to Tokyo, available only for Tokyo-bound travel.
- Limited Express Hida: Travels between Osaka and Takayama via the Tokaido and Takayama Lines.
- Commuter Limited Express Biwako Express: Links Osaka with Kusatsu and Maibara, which is perfect for commuters along the Sanyo Line.
- Commuter Limited Express Rakuraku Harima: Connects Osaka with Himeji, a popular destination for its iconic castle.
- Limited Express Super Hakuto: Runs from Kyoto to Tottori and Kurayoshi via the Chizu Express Chizu Line, serving the San’in region.
- Limited Express Hamakaze: Connects Osaka to Kasumi, Hamasaka, and Tottori through the scenic Bantan Line.
- Limited Express Kounotori: Operates between Shin-Osaka and destinations like Fukuchiyama and Kinosaki-Onsen.
- Limited Express Haruka: Provides direct service from Yasu and Kyoto to Kansai Airport, passing through Osaka and Tennoji.
- Limited Express Kuroshio: Links Kyoto, Wakayama, Shirahama, Kushimoto, and Shingu along the Kisei Main Line.
Osaka Station City: Shopping, food, and facilities
Within Osaka Station City, you will find restaurants and shops such as Yodobashi Camera and the Hankyu and Hanshin department stores. On both the north and south sides buildings housing restaurants, shops, and entertainment opportunities.
These areas are connected by a bridge called Toki no Hiroba—translated Time and Space Plaza—spanning the railway tracks.
In both the north and south buildings, you can also find luxury hotels and coin lockers. Find out more about what you can find in these buildings below.
North Gate Building
The North Gate Building contains a shopping complex as well as unique green spaces that are distinctive of modern Japan. The Lucua shopping complex houses hundreds of shops scattered across twelve floors. It is also home to restaurants, a multiple-screen movie cinema, and an athletic club.
The building’s roof is occupied by the Tenku no Noen, or Sky Farm. By taking the stairs from the eleventh floor, visitors can enjoy a relaxing break among blooming fruit and vegetable plants.
Or, you may enjoy the terraces on the tenth and eleventh floors—the Kaze no Hiroba, or Wind Plaza, and the Yawaragi no Niwa, or Healing Garden.
South Gate Building
The South Gate Building contains the JR Hotel Granvia Osaka, recreational areas, a medical clinic, and the Daimaru Department Store, seventeen floors of shops and restaurants.
One store of note to animation fans is the Pokemon Center. Three terraces spanning the fifteenth to seventeenth floors make up the Taiyo no Hiroba, or Sun Plaza, complete with a patio restaurant and spectacular views of the Umeda skyline.
The South Gate Building houses the JR Hotel Granvia Osaka, recreational areas, a medical clinic, and the Daimaru Department Store with seventeen floors of shops and restaurants.
Access to Osaka Station City
Main article: Osaka loop line and getting around Osaka
If arriving in Osaka via Shinkansen at Shin-Osaka Station, transfer to a non-Shinkansen JR line to Osaka Station. The stations are located only three to four minutes apart. Namba Station can be accessed using either of the subway lines, with an arrival time of approximately eight minutes.
You may exit the station and enter Osaka Station City via the gates on the ground floor, and you can access any platform from the ticket gates. Bus and taxi services are available.
Also, there are coin lockers on the 1st and 3rd floors of the main station building.
If you take advantage of all these attractions and luxuries, your time in Osaka is certain to be a vacation to remember.