Tempozan Ferris Wheel

The Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel is a Ferris wheel in Minato Ward, Osaka City, measuring 112.5 meters in height and 100 meters in diameter. It opened in July 1997. Located next to Kaiyukan Aquarium within the Tempozan Harbor Village, one of Osaka’s major leisure complexes, it once ranked among the largest Ferris wheels in the world. From the gondolas, visitors can enjoy panoramic views—east to Mount Ikoma, west to the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge, south to Kansai International Airport, and north to the Rokko Mountains. The ride lasts about 15 minutes, and on clear days you can also see Universal Studios Japan nearby. Because the wheel displays the next day’s weather forecast across its entire structure, it is also used by local residents as a kind of weather bulletin board. Riders can choose between one of 56 standard gondolas or a “see-through cabin” with a transparent floor. Three gondolas have extra-wide entrances (about 94 cm, roughly 20 cm wider than usual), allowing wheelchair users to board without transferring. During the ride, commentary is played in both Japanese and English.