The Osaka Museum of Housing and Living invites you travel back 200 years to learn about Osaka`s development and experience the bustling atmosphere in Naniwa Osaka. They have two floors of exhibits; on the 9th floor sits a life-sized reproduction of a town in Osaka in the 1830s where you can stroll through a variety of shops and sample their merchandise e.g. toy store, cabinet maker, cosmetics, doll shop, bathhouse, fabrics among others; and the 8th floor holds miniature scale models of Osaka during the Meiji, Taisho and Showa Periods (1868 – 1950).
Before strolling through the 1830s town we highly recommend you register to wear a kimono as this is a popular activity. Wear a kimono and take photos in front of merchant shops and homes from the 1830s. Kimono registration is on the 9th floor from 10:00 – 16:00 and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Purchase your ticket from a machine, hand it to the staff and state your size (must be at least 110 cm to wear a kimono). When it`s your time, select the kimono you`d like to wear, the staff will help you dress then, explore the floor (kimonos are worn over clothing). The Kimono fee is 500 JPY per person / 30 minutes.
Exploring the museum is also fun for kids. Little A enjoyed weaving through the small corridors and entering homes as well as sampling toys from long ago. After experiencing the store fronts 
and homes we moved to the 8th floor which `A` enjoyed the most. The 8th floor holds detailed dioramas that depict Japanese housing and lifestyle during the Meiji, Taisho and Showa Eras (1868 – 1950). Their 1912 Tsutenkaku and Luna Park replica as well as their 1921 Tenjin-Matsuri and 1927 Shinsaibashi-suji replicas light up and move depicting scenes from morning to night. The six other scenes depict the 1877 Kawaguchi Foreign Settlement where streets are lined with Western-style building and stores; the Kitasenba area in 1932 when the Sakai-suji street had become a major artery in Osaka; the 1935 
New Town depicting suburban expansion and modern row townhouses; the 1938 Karahori-dori shopping street; the 1948 Shirokita Bus Settlement which was a type of temporary housing provided for residents who lost their homes to fire after the Second World War; and the 1953 Furuichi-Housing Development, the beginning of the Planned Housing Complexes. Visiting the museum shouldn`t take more than 2 hours. A great indoor activity.
The Osaka Museum of Housing and Living Details:
Address: 1-32 Otemae 4-Chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka City. 8th Floor (〒530-0041大阪市北区天神橋6丁目4-20)
Phone: 06-6946-5728
Fees: Adults 600JPY; High School and University Students 300JPY; Junior High School and under FREE
Hours: 10:00 – 17:00 (LO 16:30). Closed Tuesdays. If Tuesday is a National Holiday, closed Wednesday. Also closed December 28th – January 4th.
Access: Exit 9 or 2 of the Tanimachi 4-Chome Station on the Tanimachi and Chuo Lines.
Website: http://konjyakukan.com/
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The Museum of Housing and Living – Experience Old Osaka 200 years ago
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