1,000 m of shop-lined concourses

Direct access to 3 subway lines

Textiles, fashion and gourmet galore!

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,000 m of indoor concourses lined with 600 stores
Textiles, fashion and gourmet galore!

History of the Semba Center Building

Early Development of the Semba Neighborhood

When Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the unifier of Japan, built Osaka Castle in the last decades of the 16th century, a castle town rapidly developed. Large numbers of samurai and vassal bands settled in the area, and merchants from nearby towns were ordered to relocate to Semba. Boatmen’s inns, restaurants, money changers, and dry goods and hardware stores sprang up one after another, and Semba began to flourish as a center of politics, business and commercial distribution.

Origin of the Name

The name Semba is written with characters meaning “boat place.” The most widely accepted explanation is that it came from the many wharves in the neighborhood, as canals formed the main transport network at the time.

From Boats to Vehicles

In the early 19th century, areas along east-west canals developed as additional routes for transporting goods to Osaka Castle, using wagons and horse carts. Eventually Horikawa and other canals were filled in to make roadways, and as north-south roadways were widened, Osaka acquired its regular grid of arterial streets.

Redevelopment

Amid the urbanization and rapid economic growth that followed the Second World War, Semba, near the heart of the city, found itself on the route planned for a main east-west highway. Negotiations to relocate the neighborhood’s dense wholesale district stalled due to high land prices, and the solution that emerged was to integrate a large building into the highway structure and sell space to businesses, thereby avoiding division of the neighborhood and lowering the overall construction costs. The Semba Center Building opened in 1970 during Expo Osaka, the Japan World Exposition.

Exterior Refinishing

After more than 40 years of service, the brown brick exterior walls were covered in 2015 with decorative aluminum panels, including large flat displays that light up the Semba area at night.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Open

Stores & Offices

9:00 - 18:00

Restaurants

* Business hours vary according to store/restaurant.

9:00 - 22:00

Closed

the third Sunday of every month, Aug. 13-15, Dec. 30 - Jan. 3

Wheelchair accessible toilets

All 3 floors in Bldg. 3, 4 and 9

FLOOR GUIDE

Bldg. 10 Bldg. 4 - 9 Bldg. 1 - 3
4F office
3F office office
2F office Textile wholesales, Shopping office
1F Shopping Textile wholesales, Shopping Shopping (Lentree Semba)
B1F Restaurants Textile wholesales (Shopping,Restaurants) Imports wholesales(Osaka Hakurai Mart)
B2F Restaurants Restaurants(Bldg. 4 Umaimon Street, Bldg, 9) Restaurants(Joy Semba 50)

Q and A

Q1. Can I get things I purchased ships?

A1. Some stores offer shipping. Ask directly at the stores you visit.

Q2. Do stores and restaurants take credit cards?

A2. Most stores and restaurants accept JCB, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, etc.Ask directly at the stores you visit.

Q3. Is there anywhere I can keep my bags?

A3. Coin lockers are found on the 2nd floor of Bldg. 2.

Q4. I'm looking for products to sell in my store. Do stores operate as suppliers?

A4. Yes, they do. But, conditions and terms differ according to store, so ask directly at the stores you visit.

Q5. Is there anywhere to eat?

A5. Yes, there are about 120 restaurants on sublevel 2 of Bldg. 2, 3, 4 and 9, and sublevel 1 of Bldg. 10.

Q6. Can I find Japanese souvenirs?

A6. You can find yukatas, towels and lots more.Search stores to see what is offered.

ACCESS

The Honmachi Station on the Midosuji Subway Line, Honmachi and Sakaisuji-Honmachi Stations on the Chuo Subway Line, Sakaisuji-Honmachi Station on the Sakaisuji Subway Line are directly connected to the building.

If coming by train
About 10 min from Osaka-Umeda

Take the Midosuji Subway Line from Umeda Station to Honmachi Station. Take Exit 10.

About 15 min from Shinosaka Station

Take the Midosuji Subway Line from Shinosaka Station to Honmachi Station. Take Exit 10.

About 15 min from JR Tennoji Station

Take the Midosuji Subway Line from Tennoji Station to Honmachi Station. Take Exit 10.

 

If coming by taxi
Tell the driver to go to Honmachi Subway Station.

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