Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park is located a short walk away from Tsurumi-Ryokuchi Station on the Osaka Metro Nagahori Tsurumi-Ryokuchi Line.

In this 120 hectare space (roughly half of New York’s Central Park) there are various facilities such as a stream that flows between the trees and the tree-lined paths, and a vast lawn, which you can stroll freely.

In addition, there are colorful flowers that bloom every season, making this a very popular attraction.

First, head for the little hill in the northeast part of Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park. Here you can see a windmill on the hill and the seasonal flowers that colorfully surround it. In early July when I visited, it was full of bright yellow and orange summer flowers such as sunflowers and marigolds.

The flowers surrounding the windmill hill are re-planted seasonally. In the spring there are tulips, and cosmos in the fall.

The seasonal flowers blooming in the open air are certainly beautiful, however in this park in which one can appreciate flowers from all over the world, there are also some facilities that you just should not overlook.

The Sakuya Konohana Pavilion is the largest glass-enclosed greenhouse in Japan, and was used as the main pavilion for the Hana-haku Expo.

About 5,500 kinds of plants from all over the world are grown here, and about 300 of them are always in bloom. Divided into 4 parts, including tropical and polar species, you can see a wide variety of plants from around the world in this giant exhibition room.

For those who wish to learn more about the charms and secrets of these plants beyond what you can see walking around on your own, I recommend the free guided Flower Tour! Every day at 11:00AM, 1:00PM, and 3:00PM, they hold a tour with up to 20 people (the required time for the tour is about 30 minutes).

The tour began from the room of tropical rainforest plants. Right there is a pond of lotuses.

Colorful flowers and plants that grow in tropical areas are exhibited In the Tropical Rainforest Plants room.

On this flower tour, not only can you look at the plants, but you can also enjoy a variety of other experiences. Today I was introduced to a lightly sweet miracle fruit that I was able to taste. When you eat this fruit, even sour things taste sweet.

After the Tropical Rainforest Plants room, we proceed to the room of Tropical Flowering Trees, the room of Dry Land Plants, and the Alpine Plants room.

Even on land with little water, you can see many unique plants that are vigorously thriving. I was surprised that there were many more types of plants than I had imagined.

When I visited, the Hualien Exhibition was being held (generally from mid-June to mid-July). Various other events are also held depending on the season, such as exhibitions of roses, orchids, and carnivorous plants. Please check them out if you have the chance.

The tour comes to a close with the description of the Antarctic and Arctic plants. If you have enough time after the tour, you can always go back to look at the flowers once again at your own pace.

There are also 3 BBQ areas in Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park. Amongst them is the one called "Midori-no-Seseragi Higashigawa BBQ Hiroba," which you can reserve by 5:00PM the previous day, and even rent all equipment and utensils, including the stove, table, and even chopsticks.

You can even order various set ingredients for 2 people or more (reservation required 3 days in advance). You can also bring your own favorite food and drink (4 openings per day, 2 hours each).

They will also help prepare and ignite the charcoal so you can start barbecuing right away!

Eating under the blue skies with a breeze gently blowing through the lawn feels great! You will definitely want to try this BBQ, where you can freely and comfortably enjoy a meal without having to bring a thing. Along with this Regular Set, they also offer Premium Sets.

Next to the barbecue area is a campground. Spending a nice night here with family and friends will surely create lots of great memories.

Inside Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park there are sports facilities such as tennis courts and golf courses, as well as cultural facilities such as the Hana Haku Memorial Hall.

There is even a full-scale horse riding area where over 50 horses are raised and competitions are held. You can even experience horseback riding, even if it is your first time.

There is also a tearoom in Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park. Murasaki-tei is a full-fledged tearoom that honored a large number of customers both from Japan and abroad during the time of Hana-haku. Anyone can use it when you book in advance (in order of arrival), and you can enjoy the mountain streams that flow near the tearoom and the lovely view of the Japanese gardens.

Surrounding Murasaki-tei are buildings that symbolize the countries of the world at the time of the Hana-haku. With the structures just starting to show age and the surrounding nature, it creates quite an attractive landscape.

Hana Haku Memorial Park Tsurumi Ryokuchi is a place for the whole family to enjoy, with many available activities in many different facilities. In addition to the magnificent seasonal views of the flowers, there is also a wide lawn area with playground equipment where children can play. A fulfilling leisure spot such as this cannot be fully enjoyed in just one day!

For being in Osaka City, it has a rather attractive relaxing atmosphere. Why not spend some leisurely down time here next time you find yourself in Osaka?

Text by:kurashisa