This is one of the oldest park in Osaka. It opened in 1934 and is famed for its irises (250 different species). The iris garden is located in the north of the park. Unfortunately, it was closed when we arrived in preparation for the iris festival later that month (we were two weeks early) much to our disappointment. *sigh*
Undaunted, we caught a glimpse of purple irises through the wooden gates and decided to explore the rest of the park.
The first sound that greeted us after alighting the bus just outside the park is the sing-song voice of an elderly gentleman. Under a bridge, a group of elderly citizens were having a karaoke session.
The first sight that greeted us were families, bird watchers, bicyclists, joggers etc. It was obviously a park where locals frequent.
Climbing past a small hill next to the iris garden, we were greeted by another sight. A canal/river? flanked with bridges, teenagers hanging out, couples courting, and amateur anglers patiently waiting for their big catch.
It looked like one of those scenes commonly seen in Japanese soap operas. Deja-vu again.
Getting to the park was an adventure by itself. We approached a travel agency at the Namba subway station (information center closes on Sundays) and after much consultation and searching through websites, the kind lady printed us a beautiful set of directions. Wow, we were impressed by their service.
To get there:
Take the subway to JR Osaka station and hop on bus No. 100. Alight at Shirokita Koen-mae Stop (look out for the sign board above the bus-driver announcing the approaching stops). The journey takes about 30 minutes. In Japan, passengers board the bus from the back door and alight at the front, after paying the appropriate fare. Be sure to remember to take a ticket when boarding and take note of the number. The fare is shown on an electronic board at the front of the bus according to the number of the ticket.
Go here for more information.