Osaka｜Watch the Most Beautiful Sunset from the Great Roof Plus the Best Viewing Angles of Osaka Expo

At Osaka Expo, besides exploring the pavilions, souvenir shops, and restaurants, don’t miss the stunning sunset view from the Great Roof in the evening.

The location is just behind the East Entrance, heading towards the USA Pavilion. There is an escalator that takes you directly to the Great Roof observation deck. At 12 meters high, equivalent to a four-story building, you can overlook the core exhibition area. Whether it’s the USA and France pavilions on the left or the Ireland pavilion with its golden ring on the right, the setting sun casts a golden light, giving the pavilions a unique glow. It’s definitely the most romantic experience.

This is the largest wooden structure in the Guinness World Records, built with cypress and cedar wood on Yumeshima Island, covering the Osaka Expo area. The designer is Sou Fujimoto, one of Japan’s most talented modern architects. He graduated from the University of Tokyo and still teaches there. He also designed the Taiwan Tower, which was canceled in Taichung, and the new landmark in Tainan, Nan Cheng Alley, is also his work.
With a circumference of 2 kilometers and an outer height of up to 20 meters, the skywalk is positioned at 12 meters high. If you have some free time between pavilion visits, take a stroll here, enjoy the sea breeze, and appreciate the pavilions from this elevated perspective—it’s a special angle. Because of my love for wooden architecture, after buying some food, I especially enjoyed sitting in the seating area under the Great Roof, admiring the strength and beauty of Japanese construction techniques while cooling off and resting.

Chatting with a volunteer, I learned that nearly 30,000 cubic meters of wood were used for the Great Roof, with one-third coming from Fukushima. After the nuclear disaster, the Tohoku region developed its forestry resources to revitalize the area, and the Osaka Expo also carries a message of support for Tohoku. Of course, all the wood has passed strict radiation inspections, so there’s no need to worry.

📍Address: 1 Chome Yumeshimahigashi, Konohana Ward, Osaka, 554-0043, Japan
🚗 Osaka Metro Yumeshima Station, a three-minute walk from the East Entrance.

Post by 旅行中的野馬 | Jun 27, 2025