Nakanoshima-koen Park

Built in 1891, Nakanoshima Park is Osaka's oldest and most central public green space. Over the decades, the park fell into disrepair and became a haven for the homeless, who erected plywood homes wrapped in bright blue tarps. In 2002, Osaka began a long battle with the eviction of the homeless under the guise of so-called improvement work. The full-scale renovation wasn't completed until 2009, but the transformation from a neglected dirt yard into a sprawling green lawn has been impressive.

The rose garden is a special feature of this park. Featuring more than 4000 different varieties of roses of 89 varieties, Nakanoshima Park is the first phase of the Aqua Metropolis Project, which aims to transform the city of Osaka into the 'Venice of the East.' On weekends, visitors flock to the area to lounge in the sunshine, walk together in the shade of the elevated highway, and soak up the riverside beer garden open during the winter months. warmer summer. It's free to enter and the roses bloom from early May to early November. Then when winter arrives the park is closed until early May to allow the grass to rest from constant use during the summer months.