With its mix of commerce and culture, Osaka has a number of interesting off-site venues sure to impress your conventioneers. Below, courtesy of the Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau (
www.osaka-info.jp/en), are some of the top picks:
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
Kaiyukan is one of the biggest aquariums in the world--its name means "playing in the sea" and it's designed to make visitors feel up close and personal with our underwater friends. The VIP Room can be used for small receptions.
www.kaiyukan.com/eng/index.htm
Suntory Museum (Tempozan)
This ultra-modern museum on Osaka Bay has an outdoor space perfect for buffet parties. The area, “Mermaid Open Space Park,” faces a statue of the Little Mermaid donated by the Danish city of Copenhagen (where the writer of what's now a Disney classic once lived).
www.suntory.com/culture-sports/smt
Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan has a venue named STAGE 33 for groups that can sit up to 600 people for buffet dining. While mommy or daddy is at a business lunch, the other parent can take the kids for a day of play in the theme park.
www.usj.co.jp/e_top.html
Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine
For a taste of old Japan, Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine is hard to beat. One of the most important shrines in Osaka, the renovated party room in the shrine is best for groups of up to 300 people.
www.osaka-info.jp/en/search/detail/convention_1158010.html
Taiko-en
Built 90 years ago in the traditional Japanese style, the nearly six acres here of traditional Japanese gardens includes a Western-style banquet hall for events.
www.taiko-en.com/e
