A Cozy Winter Evening at Japan’s Tallest Building

● Winter Scenes From Abeno Harukas

It’s still cold outside and the air is clear, so we took a trip to the top of Abeno Harukas for some fresh views of the city!

Abeno Harukas is located right outside of Osaka Metro’s Tennoji Station, or a mere 4-minute walk from Abeno Station. Its observatory, Harukas 300, is at the top of this tallest building in Japan, 300 meters above ground♪

Built in 2014, Abeno Harukas is a famous landmark and undoubtedly one of the top tourist destinations in Osaka. The elevator to the observation deck left from the 16th floor and took us all the way to the 60th floor in no time, where the Abeno Bear (Harukas 300’s mascot) welcomed us.

The observation deck that takes up the entire 60th floor is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase a magnificent view of the city as the sun goes down and the darkness envelopes the city. You can see Osaka and beyond with recognizable landmarks peeking up from the sprawling landscape. There’s Tsutenkaku Tower, Osaka Castle, and even the big red Ferris wheel in Umeda.

From such a high place, you can even see the surrounding mountains and the sea. The way the city sparkles from up here, it’s like no other nightscape we’d ever seen. It is a perfect spot for a date night on a crisp winter night.

● Heliport Tour♪

Words cannot describe the next place we visited. We’re talking about the very tippy top of the building!

You can take a tour that leads you up to the heliport, where you’ll find yourself standing out in the open air 300 meters above ground.
The wind was chilly, but it didn’t bother me at all. I mean, how often do you get to go to a heliport? Standing atop Abeno Harukas was definitely one-of-a-kind experience.

In the clear, crisp air of the heliport, Osaka looked like a galaxy with tiny glittering stars, a view completely different from the view from inside.

● Winter Only Event: Kakomu de Kotatsu

As we returned to the observation deck, we noticed couples in hanten winter jackets seated at kotatsu tables enjoying a cozy moment with drinks and dinner. It was part of the winter-only event, “Kakomu de Kotatsu”, literally “Sit Around the Kotatsu Table”.

These knee-high kotatsu tables are a common sight during winters in Japan, and they keep your legs toasty with built-in heaters and warm blankets to drape over your lap. It’s so comfortable that, if you’ve experienced kotatsu once, you’d know that it’s virtually impossible to get up from the table once you sit down. (lol)

The “Kakomu de Kotatsu” event highlights the tradition of kotatsu combined with winter comfort foods of Japan and the spectacular view of the city from Harukas. And the kotatsu tables at “Kakomu de Kotatsu” are horigotatsu tables—they come with a recessed floor underneath the table so you can sit on the floor and stretch out your legs as if you’re sitting in a chair. Imagine you can sit comfortably on the floor without your legs falling asleep!

● Hotpot Dinner & A View♡

I invited Lee and Yun, my friends from South Korea, to join me at Kakomu de Kotatsu♪

While dinner at the highest point in Osaka is a fancy affair, the kotatsu setting of “Kakomu de Kotatsu” makes it such a comfortable, cozy experience at the same time. It’s like having dinner and drinks at your best friend’s home, just with an amazing view✨

For dinner, you can choose from three course menus—Kiwami Dashi Oden Set, Kiwami Dashi Shabu Shabu Set, and the Luxury Plan Shabu Shabu & Oden. All are warm and hearty, the ultimate winter comfort food of Japan.

We wanted it all and ordered the Luxury Plan Shabu Shabu & Oden♪The course comes with assorted smoked appetizers followed by 5 types of oden, shabu-shabu (which includes all-you-can-eat meats and veggies for 90 minutes!), udon noodles, and mikan mandarin oranges. It was a lot of food!

We started our dinner with a toast.
The Luxury Plan Shabu Shabu & Oden comes with all-you-can-drink bar (includes alcohol beverages) for two hours and we were there to enjoy ourselves fully♪

Some would argue oden is the best comfort food during the winter months in Japan. Using simple dashi broth made from kombu and bonito, various ingredients are stewed in a clay pot and served family style.

Our assorted oden included daikon radish, hard-boiled eggs, fishcakes, konnyaku, and fried tofu—all deliciously flavored. As I took a bite of daikon radish, the flavor of the dashi broth permeated my mouth and warmed my whole body. We paired oden with sake, a special, perfect companion.

Luxury Plan Shabu Shabu & Oden

Luxury Plan Shabu Shabu & Oden

A shabu-shabu hotpot followed the yummy oden.
This hotpot is prepared with two types of soup. Everyone gets the “kiwami-dashi” (literally, ultimate dashi broth) and, for the second choice, you can choose from sesame soy milk-based soup, spicy mapo hotpot soup, and rich miso-based soup.

With shabu-shabu, you briefly cook the meat in the broth then dip it in the sauce—think ponzu citrus based soy sauce or goma dare sesame sauce—as you take the bite. We liked the contrast of the spicy, rich mapo soup and the gentle flavor of kiwami-dashi.
Sitting at the kotatsu table was so comfy, we just relaxed and enjoyed the drinks and each other’s company♪

Luxury Plan Shabu Shabu & Oden

“Kakomu de Kotatsu” brings together the warmth of home and the best view of Osaka, creating a romantic date night for couples or a fun New Year’s party for friends and families.

This winter, don’t miss out on your chance to get cozy and warm with a nabe hotpot dinner and kotatsu heated table while marveling at the view of Osaka 300m above ground! (And don’t forget to make a reservation!)

Abeno Harukas “Kakomu de Kotatsu”

【Access】	Near Tennoji Station Exit No. 10 on Midosuji/Tanimachi Lines About 4 mins walk from Abeno Station Exit No. 1 on Tanimachi Line
【Address】	1-1-43 Abenosuji, Abeno-ku, Osaka
【Google Map】	https://maps.app.goo.gl/vbQDPVTxxhkqF4RB9
【Dates】	Monday, October 28, 2024 – Monday, March 31, 2025
【Hours】	Weekdays: 4:00 pm – 9:45 pm Saturdays/Sundays/Holidays: 11:30 am – 9:45 pm ※Last order at 9:30 pm ※Event dates and time may change without advance notice. ※Event will take place rain or shine but may be cancelled without advance notice in case of inclement weather.
【Price】	（All pricing includes tax and admission to Harukas 300 Observatory） ◎Kiwami Dashi Oden Set (includes one drink) ・Adults ￥3,980 ・Junior- and High-school Students ￥3,260 ・Elementary School Students ￥2,810 ・Toddlers ￥2,630 ◎Kiwami Dashi Shabu Shabu Set (includes all-you-can-eat and drink) ・Adults ￥7,800 ・Junior- and High-school Students ￥7,080 ・Elementary School Students ￥6,630 ・Toddlers ￥6,450 ◎Luxury Plan Shabu Shabu & Oden（includes shabu-shabu and all-you-can-drink and eat） ・Adults ￥9,800 ・Junior- and High-school Students ￥9,080 ・Elementary School Students ￥8,630 ・Toddlers ￥8,450 ※Price is per person. ※Menu may change depending on market availability. ※Please confirm the event details on Harukasu 300 Observatory’s official website.
【Accepted Payment Methods】	Credit cards, E-money, QR code Payment
【Reservation】	https://www.tablecheck.com/ja/shops/skygarden300/reserve
【Walk in】	Walk ins are accepted on a limited basis and dependent on availability. Please visit SKYGARDEN 300 on the 58th floor to check availability.