Eiraku Dam
The area around Eiraku Dam is planted with 700 flowering sakura trees, including the Yoshino cherry species. There’s a two-kilometer circuit built around the dam’s pond, perfect for strolling or jogging. Additionally, the whole area around the dam is part of the Okuyama Ameyama Natural Park, which features a number of open spaces, squares, and hiking courses. Even after the cherry blossom season passes, many people come here to get in touch with the beauty of nature and the changing seasons.
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Expo ’70 Commemorative Park
The Expo’70 Commemorative Park was built on the site of the Japan World Exposition 1970. The Expo’70 Commemorative Park is about 260 Hectares. In the huge park, there are a part of facilities of the Expo’70, such as the Japanese Garden and the Japan Folk Crafts Museum, Osaka. The current site of theme pavilions is forests and seasonal flower gardens . The park is also known as a cultural park embracing natural environment. The park has five main areas; the Japanese Garden, the Natural and Cultural Gardens, cultural institution area, sports and recreation area, and parking area.
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Kema Sakuranomiya Park
A riverside park boasting water, greenery and cherry trees, which is built on the river terrace between Kema Araizeki (overflow weir) and Temmabashi Bridge. Incorporating classical buildings such as the Mint, Water Square and walking trails, the park is a good place for strolling and jogging. It is known as a cherry blossom-viewing spot for its magnificent 4,500 cherry trees.
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Meiji-no-mori Mino Quasi-National Park (Mino Waterfall)
A natural park (quasi-national park) of arresting scenic beauty with 100- to 600- meter high mountains in the northern part of Mino City. In the park a long gorge runs through forests from the magnificent Mino Waterfall, about 33 m high and 5 m wide, forming a habitat for 980 species of plants and over 3,000 species of insects. Located in precious natural forests in Osaka Prefecture, the park is the western starting point of the Tokai Natural Trail. Visitors can enjoy seasonal changes in the scenery, such as cherry blossoms in spring, trees covered with ice and hanging icicles in winter and especially the brilliantly colored leaves late in fall. The Mino Mountains are an ancient sacred site of Mountain Buddhism, where there are old temples, including Ryuanji Temple (otherwise known as Mino Temple), an important training center said to have been established by En-no-gyoja, the founder of Shugendo. Mino Insect Museum, which is located on the way to the waterfall, is also well known. At the museum visitors can see not only about 10,000 samples of insects, but also over 200 live butterflies of about 30 species, and learn about their year-round ecology.
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Nagai Botanical Garden
Nagai Botanical Garden, which has an area of 24.2 ha, is an oasis surrounded by greenery in the big city of Osaka. There are about 1,200 species of plants in the garden, and the garden is a recreational area where visitors can enjoy viewing various seasonal flowers in eleven separate garden including camellia, dogwood, peony, rose, Japanese iris, hydrangea, herb, etc. and on large flowerbed.
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1-23 Nagaikoen, Higashisumiyoshi Ward, Osaka, 546-0034, Japan
Osaka Castle Park
An extensive park with a total area of 105.6 ha, located in the center of Osaka. In the Osaka Castle Park are several historic structures including the castle tower, in addition to the Nishinomaru Garden with some 300 cherry trees, an ume (plum) orchard boasting 1,270 ume trees in 100 varieties, and other spots where visitors can enjoy seasonal flowers. The Osaka Castle Band Shell and Osaka-jo Hall are popular venues for music concerts. Sports facilities, such as a kyudo (Japanese archery) ground and the Shudokan gymnasium, are also located in the park. The spring/autumn potted plant market, the night cherry blossom viewing in the Nishinomaru Garden, and other annual events are held in the park.
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Tempozan Park
In this park, you'll find Mt. Tempo, the smallest mountain in Japan with a height of only 4.5 meters. It was created in the 1830s by piling up sediment dredged from construction on the Ajigawa river. In 1958, the mountain opened as a park. There is also a monument of Meiji Emperor's review place that he watched the new government warship in the first year of the Meiji period nearby. The mountain has been registered with the Geographical Survey Institute.
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Tennoji Park
Park for historical, cultural & scientific experiences Erika Arceo By Erika Arceo Community writer Tennoji Park is a good place to stroll for a couple of hours. It is an extensive botanical garden which features historical, cultural, and scientific experiences. The park includes a traditional Japanese garden called Keitakuen, the Osaka Municipal Museum of Art, Tennoji Zoo and the Chausuyama Burial Mound. The area is suitable for some family bonding time or if you’re simply looking for a place closer to nature within the city.
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Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park
Tsurumiryokuchi Park is located at the site of The International Garden and Greenery Exposition 1990, a world exhibition that featured the beauty of flowers. After the Expo, the site was turned into a memorial park which was designed to have flowers in bloom in every season. The park is 123 hectares in area, and has a large central pond. A windmill, the symbol of the park, stands on a hillside, while tulips, salvias, cosmos and other flowers blossom in every season. The park features grass fields, farms and rice paddies, and forests and ponds where you can observe insects, thousands of ducks and about 100 species of wild birds. There is also a Japanese garden with a tea ceremony house in Hanamizuki Hall, and the International Garden which uses a variety of soils from different parts of the world. In addition, the park has streams and playground equipment where children can play, a camping and barbecue site, a horseback riding ground, an all-season swimming pool and a sports center, among other recreational facilities and nature observation and experience sites.
