Osaka Umeda Twin Towers South

A 38-storey, 188-metre mixed-use tower completed in February 2022 in Umeda 1-chome, Kita Ward, Osaka. Developed by Hankyu Hanshin Real Estate and designed by Nihon Sekkei and Takenaka Corporation, the tower houses Hanshin Department Store Umeda's main branch on its lower floors and offices above. Together with the adjacent North tower, it forms the Osaka Umeda Twin Towers.

Use

Office tower

Area

Osaka City, Kita Ward

Completed

2022

Floors

38 above ground, 3 below

Height

188 m

Developer

Hankyu Hanshin Real Estate

Architect

Nihon Sekkei / Takenaka Corporation

A New Tower for Umeda’s Southern Gateway

In Umeda 1-chome, Kita Ward, Osaka — directly connected to Hanshin Umeda Station — the Osaka Umeda Twin Towers South was completed on 25 February 2022. The tower rises 38 storeys above ground with three basement levels, reaching a height of 188.9 metres. Hankyu Hanshin Real Estate took the lead on development; Nihon Sekkei and Takenaka Corporation jointly handled the design, with Takenaka Corporation also acting as general contractor. Construction started in July 2015 under the working title “Umeda 1-chome 1-ban-chi Plan” and was completed approximately six and a half years later.

The building divides clearly between a commercial lower portion and an office upper portion. The lower floors contain the Hanshin Department Store Umeda main branch — one of the anchor department stores of the Umeda commercial district, rebuilt and significantly expanded within the new structure. The upper floors house office tenants, adding to the business floor area of what is already one of Japan’s densest commuter hubs.

Twin Towers at the Gateway to Umeda

On 1 April 2022, the adjacent Umeda Hankyu Building — which houses the Hankyu Department Store Umeda main branch — was renamed Osaka Umeda Twin Towers North, and the two towers were jointly branded as the Osaka Umeda Twin Towers. The pairing brings together two of Osaka’s major department stores under a single architectural concept, with the towers standing side by side at the southern entrance to the Umeda district. Both the Hankyu and Hanshin department stores are flagship stores of the Hankyu Holdings group, so the twin branding reflects a genuine corporate as well as physical relationship.

Seen from the platforms of Osaka Station or from the elevated approach roads, the two towers frame the gateway into central Umeda with a scale that matches the volume of people passing through the area each day. The South tower, being newer, provides the sharper edge of the pair — its curtain-wall facade contrasting with the more articulated elevation of the older North building.

Summary

Osaka Umeda Twin Towers South is a 38-storey, 188-metre tower completed in February 2022 at the heart of the Umeda district in Kita Ward, Osaka. Developed by Hankyu Hanshin Real Estate, it houses the Hanshin Department Store on its lower floors and offices above. Since April 2022, it has been paired with the adjacent North tower under the Osaka Umeda Twin Towers name — giving Umeda’s most-used station precinct a clear and consistent landmark at both ends.

Related: Osaka Umeda Twin Towers North | Grand Front Osaka

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