Children's library
Nakanoshima Children's Book Forest
Tadao Ando's concrete children's library curves along the Dojima River on Nakanoshima, with windows set at a child's eye level and shelves of children's books, stories and manga to read on the spot.
The story
Nakanoshima is a quieter side of Osaka, an island of cultural institutions set along the river. Across the water from the red brick Osaka City Central Public Hall, the Children's Book Forest opened in July 2020. Ando's building curves along the Dojima River in his signature fair-faced concrete. A large green apple sculpture stands at the top of the entrance steps. Just past the entrance, a long, narrow horizontal window frames the outside at exactly a child's eye level. Inside, the spaces range from intimate nooks for solitary reading to large tables for communal discovery, with views of the river and nearby buildings. The shelves hold children's books alongside some titles for adults, including manga such as Akira, Slam Dunk and Fullmetal Alchemist. The third floor has seating for settling in with a book, and kindergarten groups visit too.
Good to know
TAGGG AI- ✦Reservations are accepted but not required, and only a limited number of walk-ins are admitted daily, so arrive before opening without one.
- ✦The booking website is in Japanese, so allow time to translate it, and arrive a few minutes early to queue.
- ✦After browsing the shelves, head up to the third floor, where there is seating to settle in and read.
