How many times have you been to Osaka?If you've already seen all the sightseeing spots in the city, such as Osaka Castle, Tsutenkaku, Shinsaibashi, and USJ, you might as well pull your itinerary to the suburbs of Osaka and arrange a day round trip!Within a two-hour drive from downtown Osaka, you can reach popular spots such as Minoh Falls, Mt. Inumaki, Kishiwada Castle, and Sayama Pond, so you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and immerse yourself in the unpretentious natural scenery
Mt. Minoh Takianji Temple.
Start planning a day trip to the suburbs of Osaka!
Osaka City is surrounded by a wide range of attractions, and Hirakata Park, a popular spot for parents and children, is less than an hour north by trainIt takes about an hour by car to reach Minoh City, which has Minoh Quasi-National Park and Minoh WaterfallTo the south, there are Sakai City and Kishiwada City, all of which are easy to reach by train for about 50 to 60 minutes, and Sennan Rinku Park near Seisei Airport is also a must-see spot in the suburbs before and after your flight.
Have you been to all of Osaka's top 10 suburban attractions?
If you want to take on the challenge of the advanced version of the attraction, we recommend going to Sayama Pond and Tomita Rinji Uchimachi to explore the historical and cultural landscapes of Minami Osaka, or to visit the hot spring town of Mt. Inunaki, Mt. Ikoma on the border between Osaka and Nara, or Koyasan in Wakayama Prefecture for a refreshing hiking and training trip
【Basic】Beginners must go to the outskirts of Osaka
Minoh Park: A famous place to escape the summer and enjoy the autumn leaves of Kansai's first waterfall
Known as the first waterfall in Kansai, Minoh Falls is located in the beautiful Meiji no Mori Minoh Quasi-National Park in the city of Minoh in the north of OsakaIn the summer, Minoh Park is a cool and refreshing place for Osaka people, and in autumn, the valley is dyed with maple red, so you can take the train to Hankyu Minoh Station and visit the waterfall attractions such as Saie-ji, Taki-an-ji Temple, and Katsuo-ji Temple along the way
Hirakata Park: Parents and children must visit the amusement park, zoo, and rose garden for one time
Hirakata City is located between Osaka and Kyoto, and can be reached by Keihan Railway, making it a great place to get off the train. Hirakata Park, Osaka's oldest surviving amusement park, is very popular with parents and children, and there are dozens of wonderful attractions in the vast park, including roller coasters, sky swings, merry-go-rounds, Ferris wheels, theater performances, etc., as well as a water park in summer and an ice rink in winterThere is also an indoor zoo where you can see cute grass and mud horses, sheep, capybaras, etc., and there is a beautiful rose garden next to the zoo, which is very dreamy when it blooms in April and June every year
Sakai City: One of the three ancient burial mounds in the pilgrimage world.
1. Visit the hometown of the tea saint.
Sakai City is a town located in the south of Osaka, and it is recommended that you take the Hankai Railway, the only 100-year-old streetcar in Osaka, to explore the major attractions along the way, such as Tetsupao Town and Myokokuji Temple, which is a great place to take a leisurely stroll, and we also recommend visiting the Sakai Akino Sho, a cultural and tourist facility that showcases the lives of two famous people from Sakai City: the tea saint Sen no Rikyu and the poet and Akiko YosanoDon't miss the Mozu Kofun Group, which is home to one of the world's three largest mausoleums, the Imperial Nintoku Mausoleum Kofun, which is a spectacular keyhole mausoleum unique to Japan from the sky, and although the kofun is not open to visitors, visitors can also visit the Sakai City Hall Observatory to enjoy its magnificent appearance.
Kishiwada City: Don't miss the thrilling Kishiwada Float Festival
Located close to Kansai Airport, Kishiwada is a small town with a strong historical atmosphere, and since the Edo period, Kishiwada Castle has developed as a bustling castle town, and in 2017 it was selected as one of Japan's 100 Best CastlesThe oppressive force and speed displayed by the gorgeous Shenshan car dragged by manpower in high-speed corners always make the audience's blood boil, and it is worth seeing.
Sennan Rinku Park: Enjoy open-air BBQ at a coastal camping cabin!
Sennan Long Park, which opened in 2020, is a coastal resort facility with a view of the coastline from Kansai Airport in the middle of the sea. The glamping area in the park is planned with a series of single-family cabins, allowing residents to enjoy a relaxing private vacation, and can also go to the open-air barbecue area to enjoy a BBQ meal, while enjoying the sea view and sunset, which is very leisurely. There is also a super easy to visit Osaka Rinku Premium Outlets near the park, which gathers all kinds of boutiques, clothing, and accessories, and those who want to buy as much as they want are right here!
【Advanced】Recommended spots in the suburbs of Osaka
Mt. Ikoma: Explore a mountain amusement park full of Showa style and a historic trail
Mt. Ikoma straddles Osaka Prefecture and Nara Prefecture, and has been located on the route of the two places since ancient times, such as the historical ancient road opened in the eighth century AD, Dark Ridge (Dark Pass) was included in the "100 Best Roads in Japan";Mt. Ikoma is also a place where the gods gather, and there are temples of all sizes, including Hozanji Temple, which was the center of worship for ancient Osaka merchants. In addition, Ikoma is also home to Japan's first commercial cable car, the Ikoma Cable Line, which is famous for its funny carriages of bulldogs and three-haired cats, and along the way, you will pass through the Showa-style Mt. Ikoma Upper Park, which has the oldest surviving flying tower facility in Japan, and you can also enjoy the endless scenery of the Osaka Plain
Tomita Rinterauchi Town: A charming castle town lined with old houses
Tomita Rinji Uchimachi is the only area in Osaka Prefecture that has been designated as an important preservation area for traditional buildings, and there is a road leading to the mountain gate of Tomita Hayashikoshoji Annex in the center of the town, which is 400 meters north-south and 470 meters east-west. Many old houses have also been converted into bakeries, handicraft workshops, grocery stores, kaiseki restaurants, exotic restaurants, etc., and the historical and cultural landscape of the fusion of old and new is very charming.
Sayama Pond: Beautiful cherry blossom lakeside promenade, museum built by Tadao Ando
Built in the 7th century, Sayama Pond is Japan's oldest reservoir-style reservoir with a history of more than 1,400 years, and is still a popular place for citizens to enjoy the park, with more than 1,300 cherry blossom trees planted along the promenade around the pond. The Sayama Pond Museum next to Sayama Pond is the work of architect Tadao Ando, with the iconic Shimizu mold as the main body, deconstructing the space into points, lines, planes, and minimalist aesthetics of black, gray and white, full of poetic changes of light and shadow are amazing.
Inuming Mountain: A hot spring town like a paradise
Mt. Inunaki Located in Izumisano City in the southern part of Osaka Prefecture, the hinterland is centered on the Shichihotaki Temple, a Shugendo temple in Katsuragi 28juku, and the hinterland is full of babbling streams, spectacular waterfalls, lush forests, and magnificent rocksVisitors can take the train to Izumisano Station, transfer to a bus to Mt. Inunaki, and visit the hot spring inn Minamitei to enjoy the famous Inunakiyama OnsenThen you can walk to Qibaolong Temple, Xingshi Waterfall, Gohonmatsu and other scenic spots, so that the Phytoncide in the deep mountains can heal the body and mind.
Koyasan: An ancient place of spiritual practice where the gods gathered
Koyasan belongs to Wakayama Prefecture, and according to legend, in 816 AD, the eminent monk Kobo Daishi Kukai came here to practice and founded the Koyasan Shingon sect head temple Kongobu-ji Temple, and the deepest part of the temple is Okunoin Temple, where Kobo Daishi is still practiced today. At present, there are more than 100 temples in Koyasan, including dozens of lodging houses, which provide tourist accommodation services, and also have spiritual activities such as meditation and scripture copying, which is a very unique cultural experience!
Osaka and its surrounding areas have very different customs and customs, so it's worth exploring them in depth, so the next time you visit Osaka, you might want to take your trip out of the bustling city and head to the suburbs to experience the atmosphere and charm