Utsubo Park 靱公園
A floral parenthesis
Located south of the vibrant Umeda district, Utsubo Park is one of Osaka's green lungs. A popular destination for families, sports enthusiasts and... rose lovers.
You will certainly have at heart, when visiting Osaka, to live at the frantic pace of the third largest city in Japan . But between two tastings of takoyaki and a few hectic nights, there's nothing like a break in peace and greenery to recharge your batteries.
A former air base
Utsubo Park is located between Higobashi and Honmachi wards in Nishi-ku Ward . A veritable green lung in the heart of the city, lined with trendy cafes and restaurants.
Before being a park, this slender land (800 meters long by 150 meters wide) was long occupied by Osaka's only fish market , closed in 1931 due to competition from the new central market.
See also: Kuromon Market
Utsubo then becomes an air base; first a training runway for Japanese pilots during World War II, then an American military airport . An aeronautical past of which the park retains only the form today.
Thousands of roses
Utsubo Park is particularly popular for its rose garden , located in the eastern part ( Higashi-en ). Comprised of over 3,000 flowers and over 150 varieties of roses , it is said to be the oldest rose garden in Osaka. A setting conducive to wedding photos, to be discovered from May to October , when the roses are in bloom.
During the summer, the park will allow you to cool off, sitting on a bench in the shade of the pines, or with your feet in the water of the fountain where the children like to have fun.
Utsubo Park Rose Garden, Osaka
inoue-hiro
The Utsubo Park Rose Garden has more than 3000 flowers.
Atsuhiko Takagi (Flickr)
Soon the Olympic Games
To the west of the park ( nishi-en ) is an extensive tennis centre, consisting of 16 hard courts , identical to those at the Australian Open. The center, which will be used as a preparatory training camp for the Tokyo Olympics (2020), has already hosted many international competitions such as the Davis Cup or the Fed Cup. The tennis courts are also accessible to the public , by reservation.
To read: The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
The Utsubo Tennis Center.
Wikimedia Commons
Address, timetable & access
Address
Phone
+81 (0) 6-6941-1144Timetable
15 min walk from Hommachi subway station (Chuo, Midosuji, Yotsubashi lines)Price
Free admissionAccess
Open 24/7
