The Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library, with its bronze circular roof in the center and four towering stone pillars at the front entrance of the main building, has the appearance of a temple. While the exterior of the library is in the well-proportioned Renaissance style, the interior is in the Neo-Baroque style, with its many curves and ornate decorations. The gently curving staircase in the main building and a pair of elaborately designed columns convey these characteristics.
Completed in 1904, the library was built after SUMITOMO Kichiemon Tomozumi (1865-1926), the 15th head of the Sumitomo family, an Osaka conglomerate, donated the library building and book purchase funds to Osaka Prefecture, and in 1922, both wings of the building were extended. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the library's opening, a poem by the poet KAWAGUCHI Jun is inscribed on a monument by the front side of the building, expressing the hopes of the people of Osaka who entrusted the library with their lives.
「The tree of wisdom planted in the middle of Naniwazu has passed 50 years and become a large tree.」
Address | 1-2-10, Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka City |
Opening hours | Monday-Friday 9:00-20:00, Saturday 9:00-17:00 |
Closed | Sundays, national holidays, second Thursdays in March, June, and October, and year-end and New Year holidays |
Note | Guided tours are available every Saturday (11:30am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm). The tour lasts about 40 minutes. Accepted on a first-come, first-served basis 30 minutes prior to each tour (no advance reservation required). Capacity is limited to the first 10 people for each session. Participation fee: 500 yen (with original goods) |
Official Website |