Museums & Facilities

This is a must-visit attraction to learn about two historical Sakai figures, grand tea master Sen no Rikyu and poet Yosano Akiko. It is affectionately called "Risho no Mori" in Japanese, using characters from the two figures' names. Sakai tourist information is also available here.
Hours: 9:00-18:00 (Tea ceremony experience: 10:00-17:00)
Closed: 3rd Tuesday of the month. (excl. public holidays, closed the next day), New Year holidays
Admission: Adult: 300 yen, high school students: 200 yen, free for junior high school students and under
*free for pre-schoolers, Sakai residents aged 65 and over, and those with disabilities (proof required)

• Ryu-rei teicha with Japanese sweets (tea ceremony with tables and chairs): Adult: 800 yen, high school students: 700 yen, junior high school students and under: 600 yen

TEL: 072-260-4386
URL: https://www.sakai-rishonomori.com/en/

A tea making experience for individuals held once every month. You are welcome to join even if it’s your first time. In an authentic tea room you will be instructed by tea masters from the three major Sen family schools. The experience will be held in Japanese however they may use translation apps and there are documents in English and Chinese available. If space is available, feel free to join on the day!
Date/time: June 21st (Sun), July 19th (Sun)
Both days: ① 10:00~ ② 11:30~ ③ 13:00~ ④ 14:30~ ⑤ 16:00~
Location: Tea room
Fee: Adults 1,000 yen, high school students 900 yen, junior high school students and below 800 yen
Capacity: Each time 20 people (first-come first-served)
To apply: Click here to visit the reservation site (Japanese only)

Sakai City Museum is home to exhibitions occupying about 1,330 square meters of gallery space that introduce the ancient, medieval, premodern, and modern periods of the city's history. Information is also available in video form, and the museum holds special exhibitions focusing on selected themes a few times a year.
Hours: 9:30-17:15 (Doors close at 16:30)
Closed: Monday (open if public holiday) and New Year's holiday
Admission: General 200 yen, high school and university students 100 yen, elementary and junior high school students 50 yen
*Free of charge for junior high school students and younger living or studying in Sakai, Sakai residents aged 65 and over and those with disability status (proof of status required)
*Admission fee is subject to change for special exhibits
Access: Mozu station (JR Hanwa Line)
Address: 2 Cho, Mozusekiun-cho, Sakai-ku
TEL: 072-245-6201

Sakai City Museum Special Exhibition ‘Parade of living things: a grand gathering of creatures in vessels and on paper’. Focused on the theme of living things, this exhibition presents ceramic artifacts discovered in Sakai’s old moat area alongside paper craft creations by contemporary artists. Please enjoy the timeless perspective on animals passed down through generations, along with the beauty of forms created from familiar, everyday materials.　
Date/time: June 27th (Sat) ~ September 6th (Sun)

The Sakai City Mihara Museum of History combines a hall where visitors can exchange ideas while experiencing culture and art with a gallery designed around the theme of "master craftsmen." Exhibits explore two of the Mihara district's mostimportant historical legacies: the medieval Kawachi metal casting tradition and the Kurohime-yama kofun, a burial mound where 24 sets of iron armor were excavated.
Hours: 9:00-17:15 (Doors close at 16:30)
Closed: Monday and days following national holidays
Admission: 200 yen (500 yen for special exhibitions)
*Free of charge for junior high school students and younger, Sakai residents aged 65 and over, and those with disability status (proof of status required)
Access: Daiho bus stop (Kintetsu bus)
Address: 281 Kuroyama, Mihara-ku
TEL: 072-362-2736
URL: https://www.mc-mihara.jp/
Days of closure: Every Monday (if a public holiday falls on this day, Tuesday will be the day of closure)

Touch and explore the creatures living in the Ishikawa River basin of the Yamatogawa River system, including large carp, crabs, turtles, and more! Free of charge. Canceled in case of severe weather.
Date/time: July 26th (Sun), 13:30-15:30
Location: By the terrace on the Mihara Furusato Park side

When the Sophia Sakai Planetarium's gigantic dome-shaped 18-meter diameter screen comes to life, the audience feels as if they have been lifted gently into space. Attractions at this family-oriented facility include a family hour for toddlers and children of early elementary school age as well as opportunities to view celestial bodies at its observatory, which has a 60-centimeter telescope.
Planetarium basic information
Address: 1426 Fukaishimizu-cho, Naka‑ku, Sakai City
TEL: 072‑270‑8110
Nearest station: About 800m northwest of Fukai station on the Nankai Semboku line
Hours: 9:00-18:00 (varies depending on programme schedule)
Closed: Every Monday (open if Monday is a holiday), year‑end/New Year holidays, and temporary closures
Admission: Adults - 600 yen (2‑show ticket: 800 yen and 3-show ticket: 1,000 yen), ages 4 through junior high school: 250 yen (2‑show ticket: 400 yen 3-show ticket: 500 yen)
All tickets are sold from 9:00 at the ticket machine on the 2nd floor.
Free admission for children 3 and under, persons with disabilities and their caregivers (with disability certificate, copies acceptable), and Sakai City residents aged 65 or older (with ID, copies acceptable).
To visit the website, click here.

A journey through the nocturnal world accompanied by the music of Sakanaction.
Screening period: Until June 19th (Fri)
Reservations can be made on the website above. Please check the website for the projection schedule.
This collaborative work with the popular band Sakanaction lets you fully experience both music and the starry sky. Inside a dome transformed into a full‑immersion art space, fantastical visuals blend with some of Sakanaction’s iconic songs, such as “Music,” “Goodbye,” and “Eureka”, surrounding the entire dome. The work has been highly praised overseas, earning two awards. As you listen to the music, you find yourself transported from nighttime Tokyo to the starry sky and finally to outer space. It’s a special experience only a planetarium can offer.
Having the chance to actually experience it myself, I found that the music and visuals wrap around you and envelop you in this immersive experience. What I found especially interesting was how seamlessly the ocean imagery blended with the starry skies. This connection felt fitting, as the ocean theme reflects the “sakana” (fish in Japanese) in the band name “Sakanaction”. Furthermore, the sound of waves paired naturally with the constellations above, some even resembling fish, creating a quiet sense of harmony between sea and sky. If you haven’t seen it yet, don’t miss out!

Based on the idea that toys encourage children to play and that playing one way that children create their own culture, this giant children's museum features a spaceship design. Children love this world of fun, complete with a Toy Spaceship where kids can play with unusual and old-fashioned toys.
Hours: 10:00-17:00 (Doors close at 16:30)
Closed: Monday (however open if a public holiday and closed the following day)
Admission: Adults 1,000 yen, junior high school and elementary school students 800 yen, children age three and older 600 yen, children age three and younger free
Access: Izumigaoka station (Semboku Rapid Line)
Address: 1-9-1 Chayamadai, Minami-ku
TEL: 072-294-0999

Sakai Botanical Center is dedicated to responding positively to the desire of citizens to increase the amount of greenery and flowers in their daily lives. The Center maintains a greenery consultation room and Greenery Hall as well as several beautiful gardens, including a greenhouse and a four-season garden.
Hours: 9:30-17:00
July & August 9:30-18:00
December to February 9:30-16:30
Closed: Monday (however open if a public holiday and closed the following day), and New Year's holidays
Admission: Free
Access: Mozu station (JR Hanwa Line)
Address: 1-4-3 Higashiuenoshiba-cho, Sakai-ku
TEL: 072-247-0310

The traditional industries of Sakai all gathered under one roof. There are areas where you can see, learn about and experience for yourself Sakai's traditional knives, incense, chusen wazarashi commodities (made of bleached cotton and dyed in a traditional method), rugs and carpets, processed kelp products, bicycles and Japanese confectionary, as well as a shop where you can buy finest examples of each craft, in addition to Sakai's other local specialties. There's also the Sakai Hamono Museum within the facility, where they exhibit and sell a variety of rare and professional-quality knives.
Hours: 10:00-17:00
Closed: New Year's holiday
Admission: Free
Access: Myokokujimae station (Hankai Tramway)
Address: 1-1-30, Zaimoku-cho Nishi, Sakai-ku
TEL: 072-227-1001
URL: https://www.sakaidensan.jp