The dynamic city of Osaka may be known for its wonderfully unique food scene, vibrant atmosphere, and, funnily enough, the running Glico Man sign, but did you know it’s also home to some of the most beautiful cherry blossom scenes in Japan as well?
If you’re reading this, chances are, you’re planning to visit Osaka during the hectic spring season for some cherry blossom viewing. This is obviously one of the most popular times to visit the country, as this natural phenomenon is unique and pretty much a once in a lifetime activity.
To know when the sakura will bloom in Osaka, check this out: Sakura Forecast Japan.
Osaka may seem to be all about the ‘city life’, but if you dig deep (or, just read below!), you’ll find that it’s full of gems where you’ll be able to experience unimaginable beauty.
The cherry blossom season is celebrated with vibrance, cheer, and lots of food and drinks. You’ll find yourself mingling in and amongst locals and international tourists alike. The best way to enjoy the cherry blossoms in Osaka is to picnic the day away under the falling petals, so prepare your picnic mats, stock up on the onigiri, pack some Japanese beer cans, and be off!
The 10 Best Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Spots In Osaka
Here are the 10 places you need to visit to see the beautiful sakura flowers in Osaka during spring:
- Osaka Castle Park
- Kema Sakuranomiya Park
- Daisen Park
- Mount Yoshino
- Expo 70 Commemorative Park
- Kishiwada Castle
- Osaka Mint Bureau
- Satsukiyama Park
- Koriyama Castle
- Akashi Park
1. Osaka Castle Park (obviously)
This gorgeous park located right next to Osaka Castle is one of the most obvious choices for cherry blossom viewing. The castle itself is an absolutely stunning structure during all times of the year, however, during the cherry blossom season, when 3000 cherry blossom trees in the park beside it flourishes, the view becomes magical.
With an expansive ground (aka lots of space to cater to a crowd), a stunning backdrop of the white castle in amongst metropolitan buildings, and thousands of cherry blossom trees, what more of a view could you want? For an even more alluring experience, during the peak of the season, the Nishinomaru Garden within the park lights up around 300 of the trees for night sakura blossom viewing. If you can afford to, we recommend experiencing both sessions!
- Address: 1 Osakajo, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 540-0002, Japan
- Access: From Osakajokoen Station, it is a 20-minute walk.
- Hours: 24/7, 6:00pm – 9:00pm for Nishinomaru Garden
- Price: 350 yen
2. Kema Sakuranomiya Park
The Kema Sakuranomiya Park is situated right alongside the Okawa River which, during the peak cherry blossom season, is lined on both sides with an abundance of blooming flowers. When these petals begin to fall into the river towards the end of the season, it’s a gorgeous spectacle with the river covered in a blanket of pink.
The park itself runs alongside the river for approximately four kilometres and boasts around 4800 cherry blossom trees. There is a promenade at the park that becomes a small, short tunnel of cherry blossoms that you can walk under for a unique viewing experience. During the peak of the season, the cherry blossoms will become lit up at night, and a festival is held there with food and drink stalls setting up alongside the riverbank. Your picnic mat will become quite handy in this situation!
- Address: 1 Chome-10 Nakanocho, Miyakojima Ward, Osaka, 534-0027, Japan
- Access: From Sakuranomiya Station, it’s an easy 2-minute walk.
3. Daisen Park
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For something to appease the entire family, Daisen Park is a great option. The park boasts around 1000 cherry blossom trees which blossom vibrantly during the season. Because of how expansive the park grounds are, even during the busiest time of the season, you’ll find that you’ll still be able to locate your own corner to relax in.
If you want to do a bit more than just laying down underneath the trees and napping, the park itself also includes a children’s forest, a traditional Japanese garden, and a teahouse to explore. 400 of the trees are located around the lake in the centre of the park, which makes it the most popular spot to settle down for a viewing party if that’s what you’re after.
- Address: 2 Chome-204 Mozusekiuncho, Sakai Ward, Sakai, Osaka 590-0802, Japan
- Access: From Mozu Station, it is a 4-minute walk to the park.
4. Mount Yoshino
Viewing the cherry blossoms from below not really what you’re after? Well, if you head to Mount Yoshino during the season, you can capture the 30,000 cherry blossom trees from high above the ground. Mount Yoshino is probably the most popular mountain to visit during the spring season near Osaka due to it being home to a vast number of trees as well as hosting a number of attractions.
From Yoshino Station, you can visit the town and leisurely explore the shops and restaurants there before making your way to the cable car to catch a ride to the top, where you can head to the Hanayura observation point for the most epic views.
- Address: 24 Yoshinoyama, Yoshino, Yoshino District, Nara 639-3115, Japan
- Access: From Yoshino Station, it is a short walk through town.
5. Expo 70 Commemorative Park
As the former site of the World Expo in 1970, the Expo 70 Commemorative Park now serves as a large public park for all visitors. It’s an extraordinarily popular choice for cherry blossom viewing because it actually hosts more than 5000 trees. Its expansive grounds means that it’s actually home to a variety of attractions that can be explored alongside the cherry blossom viewing. This includes a traditional Japanese garden, an aishiyu (footbath), a variety of museums, and even nature trails for those who want to just keep moving.
The park itself becomes an illumination festival at night, which draws hundreds to its grounds to celebrate with food, drinks, music, and dance. It’s a great place to head with a group of friends, pop down a picnic mat and just enjoy the scenery.
- Address: 1-1 Senribanpakukoen, Suita, Osaka 565-0826, Japan
- Access: From Bampakukinenkoen Station, it is a 13-minute walk.
- Hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm, Illumination: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
- Price: 260 yen
6. Kishiwada Castle
Kishiwada Castle is a bit of a hidden hem. It’s more often than not casted in the shadow of the grander Osaka Castle, however, its unique stone walls and intricate castle detailing make those who stumble upon it feel as though they’ve been let in on one of the best-kept secrets of Osaka.
Roughly 170 cherry blossom trees surround this castle on the ground around it. A stunning imagery to look out for here is when the petals fall from the branches into the water of the moat here, looking like a scenario fit for poets to gain inspiration from. Even though it is just as, if not more, stunning than what you would experience at Osaka Castle, its location means it’s always less populated, so if you’re after something relatively off-the-beaten-path, this might be the pick.
- Address: 9-1 Kishikicho, Kishiwada, Osaka 596-0073, Japan
- Access: From Takojizo Station, it is a 7-minute walk to the castle.
- Hours: 10:00am – 5:00pm (closed Mondays)
- Price: 300 yen
7. Osaka Mint Bureau
This is a bit of an unusual one! The Osaka Mint Bureau is the official head office of Japan Mint, a government agency that looks after the supply of coins. Usually a visit here would entail exploring the Mint Museum which allows you to view firsthand the coin production process as well as gain history into the history of coin in Japan, however, during the cherry blossom season, visitors flock to this place for entirely different reasons.
For one week, and one week only, the bureau opens up a 560-metre long path lined with hundreds of cherry blossom trees that have bloomed to their maximum potential. The walkway is spruced up at night with illuminations, making the trip here very worthwhile. However, please note that this is a viewing ground only, so no food or drinks are allowed, and the dates are usually released quite close to the week of opening.
- Address: 1 Chome-1-79 Tenma, Kita Ward, Osaka, 530-0043, Japan
- Access: From Osakatemmangu Station, it is a 10-minute walk.
- Hours: 9:00am – 4:00pm, Night Illumination: Dusk – 9:00pm
8. Satsukiyama Park
Satsukiyama Ryokuchi is located only 20-minutes north from the city centre, but it may be worlds away from the peace and calm you feel when you’re strolling around this park. The park grounds itself is so huge, it actually boasts multiple hiking trails to complete, Satsukiyama Zoo, and miles of lawn to picnic on. During the year, it is a popular destination for families to visit on the weekends to spend quality time together.
At this park, you’ll be able to witness roughly 35,000 cherry blossom trees in all their glory. We recommend heading there and completing one (or two) of the hiking trails or visiting the Satsukiyama Zoo during the first half of the day, settling down on the lawn for the afternoon to relax and unwind and celebrate the beautiful spring season with your friends and family, and then taking a stroll through the park at night when the blossom become illuminated with lanterns.
- Address: 2 Chome-5 Ayaha, Ikeda, Osaka 563-0051, Japan
- Access: Take the train from Osaka-Umeda Station to Ikeda, and it is a 15-minute walk from there.
9. Koriyama Castle
Koriyama Castle is still relatively off-the-beaten path. It’s a reconstructed structure located just over an hour away from Osaka City, and it looks as though it belongs in a historic Japanese movie. There are around 800 cherry blossom trees which line the waterside of the moat running around this castle, giving it a rather fantasy-like look. There are several ways you can view the cherry blossom here: from above in the castle ruins looking down at the ground, walking underneath alongside the water, and capturing them from the outside framing the castle itself.
The grounds surrounding the castle can only be described as atmospheric, and if you visit during the night event, when the grounds are lit up with lanterns, it will genuinely feel like you’ve been thrown back centuries to Old Japan.
- Address: 2-255 Jonaicho, Yamatokoriyama, Nara 639-1011, Japan
- Access: From Kintetsu-Koriyama, it is a 11-minute walk.
- Hours: 24/7, Night Illumination: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
10. Akashi Park
This park was actually built around the ruins of the Akashi Castle; however, some might say that the main attraction would be not the castle itself, but all the activities you can do around the park itself! The remains of the castle do not include its main keep unfortunately, however, the gorgeous watchtowers still stand tall and proud, making them wonderful backdrops for photos taken in the park.
During the peak spring season, it is especially stunning. There are around 1000 cherry blossom trees which bloom across the park. Given the ample space across the lawn, you can pick anywhere to picnic and still have your own space. The park also provides plenty of activities to participate in, such as playground equipment, rowboats, and even swan boats to pedal around the water in! Highly recommended if you’re after a romantic date option.
- Address: Japan, 〒673-0847 Hyogo, Akashi, Akashikoen
- Access: Take the train from Osaka-Umeda Station to Sanyo-Akashi Station, and it is an 8-minute walk from there.
Visiting Osaka during the cherry blossom season is a great option for individuals, groups, families, and couples, because there are just so many possibilities of cherry blossom viewing spots to choose from. From deep within the city to on the outsides of Osaka city, you’re spoilt with options, so you get to decide what you want to do! We hope you enjoy the hanami season and get some amazing pictures, wherever you choose to go!
For more cherry blossom spots in Japan, check out these blog spots: Sakura Tokyo & Sakura Kyoto.