Osaka
Overview
Yen |
34.695487, 135.499053 |
Japanese |
Osaka is Japan's second metropolis by population size and economic importance. While the city ranks considerably below Tokyo in terms of overall international significance and attractiveness to multinational corporations, Osaka metropolitan region hosts manufacturing and research and development clusters of global importance.
Places to Go
Nakanoshima Park
Nakanoshima Park is a waterfront park nestled between the Dojimagawa and Tosaborigawa rivers. The park, about 1.5 km in length and 10.6 ha in area, is an urban oasis filled with greenery attracting a lot of citizens. Osaka's first public park, it was established in 1891, incorporating the city's first beer garden, and providing citizens with sophisticated recreation and relaxation opportunities, together with a cafe also built in the park. At that time, the park had high-quality restaurants as well, such as Western restaurant Ginsuiro and Japanese restaurant Seikaro. In addition, behind the place where Osaka City Central Public Hall now stands, there was a Noh stage Suiryukan, where Kongo school Noh plays were acted regularly. In the park was also the Hotel Jiyutei, the only hotel at that time accommodating overseas guests. It is also said that located next to the hotel was a hot-spring bath house, Naniwa Onsen. Currently, the park features the above-mentioned rose garden, where rose blossoms are at their peak in mid-May and mid-October. At the end of every year, the park is illuminated and attracts many visitors. Nakanoshima Park has been designated as one of the 100 most scenic greenery spots in Osaka for its beautiful scenery against a background of many neighboring classical buildings, including Osaka City Central Public Hall and Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library.
Osaka Castle
Osaka Castle opened in 1931 and covers an area of 106.7 hectare. Osaka Castle is colorfully embellished. You can see about 600 cherry trees, including someiyoshino in Nishinomaru Garden. About 95 kinds of Japanese apricot flowers,1250 trees in total bloom in Ume Grove, and in Omoide-no-mori (Grove of Remembrance), you can enjoy beautiful autumn colored leaves. The scenery, which changes from season to season, attracts many visitors throughout the year. Although the castle park is located in the center of the city, it is a place of recreation and relaxation familiar to Osakans.
Tokyo Disneyland & Disneysea
The Tennoji Zoo opened in January 1915 as the third zoo in Japan. It has remained popular ever since then with citizens as a place for recreation, culture and learning. Having expanded considerably over the years, the zoo currently houses about 1,000 animals of 230 different types in an area of about 11 hectares. As a welcome oasis in the midst of the metropolis of Osaka, the zoo now attracts more than 1.5 million visitors annually. The Tennoji Zoo, in addition to reproducing as closely as possible the original habitats and environments of animals, also serves as a kind of “ecological exhibition” to introduce to the public how these animals live.
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