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JR Osaka Station used to be among the most unattractive major railway stations in Japan, characterized by narrow, crowded corridors and low ceilings. However, since 2011 the station and its surroundings have undergone a major facelift thanks to attractive redevelopments and renovations. This autumn, the largest redevelopment of them all – centered around a massive public park – has started to open in stages, further enhancing the Osaka Station area.
What happened so far
In 2011, a massive roof and surrounding buildings were added to JR Osaka Station, turning it from one of the most unpleasant to one of the most attractive railway stations in Japan. In particular the addition of various new, open spaces lead to an improvement of traffic flows and completely changed the station’s character.
In 2013, the first phase of one of Japan’s largest redevelopment project was completed north of the station. Known as Umekita (for Umeda Kita or “Umeda North”), the redevelopment is turning a large former railway yard north of the station into a new city district with residences, offices, shops, restaurants and parks.
The first phase, which opened in 2013, is known as Osaka Grand Front and consists of a row of four skyscrapers, housing attractive shopping and dining, an InterContinental hotel, offices and residences, as well as attractive outdoor terraces. Several less massive redevelopments, new openings and beautification projects were also completed, including Links Umeda, a shopping complex with a huge Yodobashi Camera shop, adjacent to Osaka Grand Front.
What is happening now
The second and final phase of the Umekita project – known as Umekita 2 – is now nearing completion. Even larger than Osaka Grand Front, this project covers the rest of the former rail yard and is known as Grand Green Osaka. At its center is Umekita Park, which is being called one of the world’s largest parks connected to a major railway station.
In a first step towards the completion of Grand Green Osaka, some surface railway tracks were put underground, and four underground platforms were added to JR Osaka Station in March 2023, allowing more trains to serve the station – most notably the Haruka airport train, which previously skipped the important station due to capacity limits.
And finally, in September 2024, the first above-ground sections of Grand Green Osaka were opened to the public, including the southern part of Umekita Park and parts of the skyscrapers north of the park, which among others house the Canopy by Hilton Osaka Umeda.
The skyscrapers south of the park are still being worked on and are scheduled to open on March 21, 2025 in time for the Expo 2025, including yet another luxury hotel, the Waldorf Astoria Osaka. The entire redevelopment is scheduled for completion in spring 2027.
Also opened this autumn on the opposite site of the railway tracks was the JP Tower Osaka, a 188 meter tall skyscraper, which contains Kitte Osaka, yet another, attractive shopping and dining complex. It is connected to Osaka Station and Grand Green Osaka north of the station via new pedestrian paths, including the station’s new West Exit, which allows for more convenient pedestrian traffic flows.
