Visit The National Museum of Ethnology

The National Museum of Ethnology, also referred to as “Minpaku”, is Japan’s largest research institution dedicated to the humanities, including archaeology, linguistics and the arts. The facility is located on the former Expoland grounds.

Several times a year, the museum puts on special events. Recently, they hosted visitors from various Oceanic cultures, who performed ritual dances and instructed museum visitors on how to make traditional teas.

The National Museum of Ethnology houses thousands of artifacts in their permanent and temporary exhibits, gathered from cultures around the world. The institute also boasts a large audio, film and photographic archive.

Access to the Expoland grounds, where the museum is situated, is closest to Bampaku-kinen-koen station, on the Osaka Monorail Line.

From downtown Umeda, you’ll either have to ride the Midosuji Subway Line to Senri-Chuo Station, or the Hankyu Takurazuka Line to Hotarugaike Station, before transferring to the monorail service.

Speaking in Kansai Dialect: Honma

Learning Japanese invariably means learning ‘standard Japanese’, or the way formal Japanese is spoken in places like Tokyo. But here in the Kansai region, folks have their own way of talking. This dialect, often called Kansai-ben or Osaka-ben, is worth taking note of if you’re planning on visiting the region.

Learning Kansai-ben will help you break the ice with the locals, and probably earn you some street cred in the process.

The word “honma” is a real staple of the Kansai dialect, and can be used in almost any circumstance.

Honma ni? - really?

Honma ya! - really!

Honma kainaa - you must be joking

Honma ni kirei ya nen - it’s really beautiful

Honma ni atsui naa - it’s really hot

You cannot overuse this term, so use it liberally in any conversation. Your Japanese listener will certainly appreciate your efforts to speak Kansai-ben!

Osaka Castle Sunset Concert

If there ever was a time that you should visit Osaka-Jo, it would be this month.

Every Friday at sunset during July and August, the Osaka Municipal Symphonic Band performs their Sunset Concert. This has been an on-going summer tradition for 60 years, and is an excellent way to spend a summer evening. Admission is free.

Then, on August 27th and 28th, Osaka Castle plays host to an “Evening of Wind-instrument Music” performed by Osaka University of Arts students. This music event, starting from 6pm, is accompanied by 20,000 lit candles. The event has been put on to raise donations for the victims of this year’s tsunami, and is a worthy cause for your attention.

Getting to Osaka Castle from Umeda is easy. Board the JR Loop Line from JR Osaka Station, and get off at Osakajo-Koen Station.

Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks 2011

One of Osaka’s biggest and most spectacular fireworks events (hana-bi) takes place on August 6th. If you are in town on this Saturday evening, you will definitely want to catch the Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks show.

Started in 1988, this event has become incredibly popular among residents of the region. The fireworks are lit on the banks of the Yodogawa (Yodo River), where you can expect massive crowds to turn out for this event -- a spectacle in and of itself!

The show officially starts at 7:50 PM, and concludes at 8:36 PM. (Japanese timing is precise!)

There are many locations where you’ll be able to catch the fireworks. The far side river bank near Hankyu Juso Station may be the best vantage point, but some of this space is taken up by paid seating.

Within Umeda, facing the river, you should be able to glimpse most of the action without much effort. Just make sure to remind yourself to be outside when the show begins.