Suita: Art, Cultural Heritage and Designed Landscapes

A trip to Suita can bring together a wide range of interests: art associated with the 1970 World’s Fair, a residence designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan, an unusual museum and a designed landscape. These topics offer different ways to explore the area, rather than focusing the trip on just one kind of discovery. When choosing a destination, it helps to consider whether you are more interested in a striking work of art, historic architecture, a museum with a distinctive theme or the design of nature.

Art and architecture with a story of their own

The Tower of the Sun was designed by Taro Okamoto for Expo ’70 in Japan and has three symbolic faces. Its connection to this specific event gives the structure a clear historical context, while the three faces provide a distinctive artistic motif. If you enjoy looking beyond individual buildings to consider their design, this offers a special place to start. Inside the tower is also the restored Tree of Life, which was opened to the public in March 2018. The tower and the Tree of Life thus offer two different perspectives: the exterior artwork and a restored work inside.

The former Nishio residence offers another architectural perspective. It comprises a Sukiya-style main house, a tea house, a greenhouse and an extension in a Japanese-Western style. The listed buildings and design styles are clearly distinct: the main house is described as a Sukiya-style structure, while the extension combines Japanese and Western influences. The tea house and greenhouse add two more types of buildings to the ensemble. On December 8, 2009, the residence was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Architecture enthusiasts can therefore explore not just one style, but the various elements of a significant residence.

A museum with two themes

Duskin opened the Duskin Museum in 2015 at the company’s founding site in Suita. It features an exhibition on Duskin’s cleaning expertise as well as a museum dedicated to a particular sweet. This combination differs from a visit focused solely on a work of art or historic architecture: here, corporate knowledge and a sweet-themed exhibit sit side by side. If you are looking for cultural discoveries on your trip, the museum offers its own distinctive thematic approach. You can take its two subjects into account as separate interests when planning your trip, without reducing them to a single theme.

From forest to open landscape

The Natural and Cultural Garden reveals another side of Suita: its designed landscape. After the World’s Fair ended, a natural forest with various trees and plants was recreated on an artificial ground platform. Both the artificial foundation and the recreated forest are part of this description; this is a landscape whose creation is linked to the period after the World’s Fair. The design also incorporates contrasting features. In the western section, the forest was developed into a satoyama landscape, while the eastern section was laid out as open grassland. The woodland and open area are therefore clearly distinct features of the garden. When deciding whether to visit, this contrast may matter if you are particularly interested in designed nature and want to experience different types of landscape.

More destination pages: Moriguchi, Kanan, Kawachinagano, Takaishi, Minoo, Ōsaka, Ōsakasayama and Shijonawate.

For the broader travel overview: Ōsaka Prefecture.