Nagai Park

Hello everyone! I am saying hello again after a while- I have been so busy lately that I did not have the energy to write, let alone think about writing. But these days I am relaxed again, so I thought about sharing another article.

This article is still about my spring trip in Japan, and although we are already into autumn, I feel it is a shame if I don't share about this place as it is a very nice place to go to.

Nagai Park is located in Osaka, and it is said that if you want to go to a place that is not so frequented by tourists, this is the place to go. More locals can be seen in this park, and it seemed that way when we went.

Nagai Park can be reached through the Midosuji line and you can get off at Nagai Station. You can see the entrance of the park right outside the station. The park boasts a botanical garden, and getting into the botanical garden requires a 200 yen entrance fee, which is totally worth it. There is also a museum of natural history inside, as well as a tennis court, a rubber baseball stadium, two athletic stadiums and a sumo court!

The park also has an outdoor and an indoor swimming pool, and a hostel as well! So if you want a place away from the crowds, this is the place to come to. One can definitely have their green fix without going too far out of the city as it is only 30 minutes from Umeda.

As with all parks in Japan, anyone can have hanami or picnic on the grounds, whether inside the park which is free of charge by the way, or inside the botanical garden where there is a fee.

You can easily stay in the botanical garden the whole day as there is so much to explore! All I can say is that you can take thousands of pictures, or you can just appreciate nature and you'll be completely satisfied.

The cherry trees inside the botanical garden are much older than the ones at the entrance of the park, hence they have more flowers and more pretty for pictures. We hardly saw any tourists like us when we went, and we were quite happy with that.

The botanical park has different areas, and depending on what direction you choose, you see a different thing to appreciate.

I can easily say that no matter what time of year you go to this place, you will never be disappointed. There is always something to see and admire.

It was nice seeing swans on the pond, as well as turtles and quite a number of big fish.

I would have loved to see the lotus flowers in bloom, but I still took a picture of the dried ones including the rainbow colored bridge.

Pink blossoms are not quite as numerous as the white ones, so whenever I see one, I make sure to take a picture. :-)

The path with spring flowers was also very nice, I just couldn't time my pictures as to when there was no one walking. There were quite a number of people in the park, that's why.

The lake looks so serene, with not a single disturbance so the reflection of the trees in the water is very clear.

The park is also used as an events place for weddings and other events, I just had to steal a picture of this couple getting married there that day.

There are of course families, friends and other groups of people enjoying spring by having picnics and just relaxing at the park.

The building at the back is Osaka Museum of Natural History- unfortunately, it was already closed by the time we were done exploring the gardens.

The whole park is a photographer's paradise, if I may say so myself.

One family even brought a hammock with them and just attached it to the trees. Talk about relaxing at a public park to the fullest. :-)

These trees were adorned with colorful pieces of garments at their trunks, making for a nice picture.

These young baseball players were out for a run. I'm sure they will grow up into strong baseball players.

This carriage reminded me of my visits to Central Park in New York. This is just  bigger.

I loved this area of the gardens the most. Some of the trees were quite old, as can be seen by their trunks. And again I loved seeing the reflections in the water.

I stood on this trunk pretending to be the Lorax, if you know that book by Dr Seuss. :-)

Loved smelling the rosemary bushes as well. I wished I could've brought home some. Ha ha.

If you ever go to Osaka and get tired of the touristy places, this is surely one place I highly recommend. You can bring your own food, but there are also stalls that sell snacks and drinks, so you are covered in the food department.

I will be travelling again soon, this time for early winter in Seoul, so stay tuned for more travel adventures! In the meantime, you can check out other adventures here.