\uff3bContents\uff3d<\/h2>\n\n- Okawa Perks<\/a><\/li>\n
- Sakura River Cruises<\/a><\/li>\n
- Conveniences<\/a><\/li>\n
- The Trees<\/a><\/li>\n
- A Little History<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
\u25a0Okawa Perks<\/h2>\n
Sakura pink paints a line down both sides of the \u014c River with big city buildings in the background. The scenery is gorgeous and throngs of people are drawn to the riverside for picnics and strolls under the flowering cherry trees.
\n![\"riverside](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/okawa-view-sakura-e1650263808690.jpg\")
\nIt is such a popular place that rows of food stalls are set up during sakura season. Grab a dish of yakisoba<\/em> (fried noodles), snack on baby castella<\/em> (bite-sized cakes), or pick your favorite french fry seasoning on some steaming hot fries.
\n![\"cherry](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/okawa-sakura-stands02.jpg\")
\nThere are so many foods to choose from and the set-up is just like what you\u2019d see at a Japanese festival. Even the game stands were here! For a few hundred yen, see how many bouncy balls you can scoop out of the water and win a prize.
\n![\"japan](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/super-ball-okawa.jpg\")
\n(Pro-tip: Bring cash if you\u2019re planning to patronize the food stands.)
\nPacking a picnic is great, but for something easy, fresh, and hot, definitely eat here. Some of the stands even have tables and tatami mats set up for customers to relax and enjoy their meals.
\n![\"osaka](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/okawa-sakura-yakisoba-stand.jpg\")
\n![\"baby](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/baby-castella-2-e1650265737939.jpg\")
\n![\"minion](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/minion-bananas.jpg\")
\nThere are two parks along the river, Kema Sakuranomiya Park<\/a> and Minamitenma Park on the North side of Tenmabashi. Technically speaking, the whole riverside is a sprawling green park, but if you\u2019re looking for slides, swings, and a few park benches\u2014these are the spots to go.
\n![\"Minamitenma](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/tenma-minami-park-okawa-sakura.jpg\")
\nThe riverside is also dotted with patches of green grass, so even if it\u2019s crowded when you arrive, just walk a little further and you\u2019ll find a place to lay down your tarp. Unlike small local parks, you do not need to arrive hours early to claim a spot. The riverside stretches for so long, you will find a place to sit.
\n![\"cherry](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/okawa-sakura-picnic.jpg\")
\nAnd, did I mention you can see Osaka Castle? Yes, you can see Osaka Castle! It\u2019s not the up-close view you would get from the castle gardens, but there are a handful of spots where you can peer beyond the river and glimpse the castle keep. I recommend the west bank near Kawasaki Bridge.
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Osaka-Castle-Okawa-sakura.jpg\")
\nThis is also a great spot for ya-zakura<\/em> (night-time sakura viewing)! Normally, the trees are lit from below, creating a stunning evening look for the pink blossoms and extending picnic hours. Sadly, the evening cherry-tree light up has been cancelled each season since the beginning of Covid (current as of 2022). One can always hope for next year!<\/p>\n\u25a0 Sakura River Cruises <\/h2>\n
Since the sakura trees are spread along the banks of a river, take in the beauty from a boat! You\u2019ll get a fresh perspective and it\u2019s a convenient way to see the whole length of the park.
\n![\"suijobus](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/okawa-sakura-cruise01-e1650251708675.jpg\")
\nTake your pick of the amphibious Osaka Duck Tour<\/a>, the luxurious Himawari<\/a>, the cozy Camome<\/a>, or one of the many many others<\/a> that ferry guests up and down one of Osaka\u2019s most breathtaking cherry-tree sites.
\n![\"aquamini](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Aquamini-Okawa-sakura-e1650252169590.jpg\")
\nOne of my favorite things to do in the city is cruise in a covered yakatabune<\/em>. These traditional Japanese river boats are great for special occasions. Sit down to a sashimi dinner and drink sake in style. Most boats will have their own karaoke set-up. So you and your party can entertain each other with song and laughs as you cruise Osaka\u2019s waterways. Most yakatabune require you to rent the whole boat, so if this is for you, it will require a small budget.
\n![\"himawari](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/himawari-okawa-sakura-e1650252229444.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\u25a0 Conveniences<\/h2>\n
Since the \u014ckawa runs right through the middle of the city, it\u2019s so easy to get to! Choose from one of three nearby stations that will put you within a 5-minute walk of the river. <\/p>\n
Tenmabashi Station on the Osaka Metro
\nSakuranomiya Station on the JR Osaka Loop Line
\nOsakajokitazume Station on the JR T\u014dzai <\/p>\n
And there are a handful of public bathrooms in the park. They are not luxurious by any means, but they do exist…
\n![\"public](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/okawa-park-bathrooms-e1650252742312.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The terrain is a little different on each side of the river, but for the most of the length there is a dirt\/gravel path and a paved walkway\/cycle path. So don\u2019t be deterred if you\u2019re in a mobility device or you\u2019ve got a stroller.
\n![\"Osaka](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/okawa-sakura-walkway-e1650252835264.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\u25a0The Trees<\/h2>\n
The \u014ckawa is lined with some 3,000 Somei-yoshino cherry trees plus approximately 1,800 Yama-zakura<\/em> (mountain cherry) and Sato-zakura<\/em>\u00a0trees. Somei-yoshino are probably what you imagine when you think of cherry-blossoms. They are a very pale pink ornamental species that was first cultivated in the later half of the Edo period (1603\u20131867). The pale pink or white flowers appear before any foliage so they are easily distinguished from Yama-zakura, which bloom at the same time as fresh.
\nSato-zakura produce voluminous double blossoms in rich pink hues and the blossoms pop when the leaves have already sprouted. So you get a nice pink\/green juxtaposition.
\n![\"yoshino](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/yoshino-cherry-sakura-e1650252611307.jpg\")
\n\u25b2 Somei-yoshino blossoms
\n![\"double-blooming](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/yaezakura-2.jpg\")
\n\u25b2Double blossoms<\/p>\n\u25a0 A Little History <\/h2>\n
Hanami<\/em> (flower-viewing) has a long history in Japan that can be traced back to at least the Nara period (710\u2013794) when the emperor and other nobility would compose poems exalting the beauty of the spring flowers, especially Japanese plums (ume<\/em>). With time, things change and cherry blossom popularity surpassed the plums during the Heian period (794\u20131185).
\n![\"plum](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/plum-tenmangu-e1650264330607.jpg\")
\n\u25b2Plum blossoms
\nBoth sides of the riverbank near Sakuranomiya have been popular destinations for cherry-blossom viewing since at least the Edo period (1603\u20131867). Unfortunately, the trees on the east bank sustained considerable damage during the 1885 flooding of the nearby Yodo River, but have since recovered.
\n![\"okawa](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Okawa-sakura-river.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSkip a few centuries and here we are today, and the \u014c River parks are full of families, couples, and business acquaintances together under the cherry trees to picnic, snap photos, and drink while taking in the beauty of spring. <\/p>\n
If you\u2019re familiar with the Japanese calendar, you\u2019ll note that April is the start of the new school and business year. So it\u2019s seen as a time of transition and growth. People compare the quickly fleeting flowers to the impermanence and beauty in life. And since the blooms coincide with graduation ceremonies and the start of the new year, graduates and new students often pose in front of the trees to commemorate the occasion. <\/p>\n
![\"sakuranomiya](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2022\/04\/okawa-stand-from-above-e1650252983393.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Side-note: The trees along \u014ckawa usually bloom in late March to April. It is also worth noting that The Japan Mint<\/a> is also in this neighborhood and opens its cherry promenade for only one week every year. <\/p>\n
\u25a0Okawa Perks<\/h2>\n
Sakura pink paints a line down both sides of the \u014c River with big city buildings in the background. The scenery is gorgeous and throngs of people are drawn to the riverside for picnics and strolls under the flowering cherry trees. Since the sakura trees are spread along the banks of a river, take in the beauty from a boat! You\u2019ll get a fresh perspective and it\u2019s a convenient way to see the whole length of the park. Since the \u014ckawa runs right through the middle of the city, it\u2019s so easy to get to! Choose from one of three nearby stations that will put you within a 5-minute walk of the river. <\/p>\n Tenmabashi Station on the Osaka Metro And there are a handful of public bathrooms in the park. They are not luxurious by any means, but they do exist… The terrain is a little different on each side of the river, but for the most of the length there is a dirt\/gravel path and a paved walkway\/cycle path. So don\u2019t be deterred if you\u2019re in a mobility device or you\u2019ve got a stroller. The \u014ckawa is lined with some 3,000 Somei-yoshino cherry trees plus approximately 1,800 Yama-zakura<\/em> (mountain cherry) and Sato-zakura<\/em>\u00a0trees. Somei-yoshino are probably what you imagine when you think of cherry-blossoms. They are a very pale pink ornamental species that was first cultivated in the later half of the Edo period (1603\u20131867). The pale pink or white flowers appear before any foliage so they are easily distinguished from Yama-zakura, which bloom at the same time as fresh. Hanami<\/em> (flower-viewing) has a long history in Japan that can be traced back to at least the Nara period (710\u2013794) when the emperor and other nobility would compose poems exalting the beauty of the spring flowers, especially Japanese plums (ume<\/em>). With time, things change and cherry blossom popularity surpassed the plums during the Heian period (794\u20131185). Skip a few centuries and here we are today, and the \u014c River parks are full of families, couples, and business acquaintances together under the cherry trees to picnic, snap photos, and drink while taking in the beauty of spring. <\/p>\n If you\u2019re familiar with the Japanese calendar, you\u2019ll note that April is the start of the new school and business year. So it\u2019s seen as a time of transition and growth. People compare the quickly fleeting flowers to the impermanence and beauty in life. And since the blooms coincide with graduation ceremonies and the start of the new year, graduates and new students often pose in front of the trees to commemorate the occasion. <\/p>\n Side-note: The trees along \u014ckawa usually bloom in late March to April. It is also worth noting that The Japan Mint<\/a> is also in this neighborhood and opens its cherry promenade for only one week every year. <\/p>\n
\n
\nIt is such a popular place that rows of food stalls are set up during sakura season. Grab a dish of yakisoba<\/em> (fried noodles), snack on baby castella<\/em> (bite-sized cakes), or pick your favorite french fry seasoning on some steaming hot fries.
\n
\nThere are so many foods to choose from and the set-up is just like what you\u2019d see at a Japanese festival. Even the game stands were here! For a few hundred yen, see how many bouncy balls you can scoop out of the water and win a prize.
\n
\n(Pro-tip: Bring cash if you\u2019re planning to patronize the food stands.)
\nPacking a picnic is great, but for something easy, fresh, and hot, definitely eat here. Some of the stands even have tables and tatami mats set up for customers to relax and enjoy their meals.
\n
\n
\n
\nThere are two parks along the river, Kema Sakuranomiya Park<\/a> and Minamitenma Park on the North side of Tenmabashi. Technically speaking, the whole riverside is a sprawling green park, but if you\u2019re looking for slides, swings, and a few park benches\u2014these are the spots to go.
\n
\nThe riverside is also dotted with patches of green grass, so even if it\u2019s crowded when you arrive, just walk a little further and you\u2019ll find a place to lay down your tarp. Unlike small local parks, you do not need to arrive hours early to claim a spot. The riverside stretches for so long, you will find a place to sit.
\n
\nAnd, did I mention you can see Osaka Castle? Yes, you can see Osaka Castle! It\u2019s not the up-close view you would get from the castle gardens, but there are a handful of spots where you can peer beyond the river and glimpse the castle keep. I recommend the west bank near Kawasaki Bridge.
\n
\nThis is also a great spot for ya-zakura<\/em> (night-time sakura viewing)! Normally, the trees are lit from below, creating a stunning evening look for the pink blossoms and extending picnic hours. Sadly, the evening cherry-tree light up has been cancelled each season since the beginning of Covid (current as of 2022). One can always hope for next year!<\/p>\n\u25a0 Sakura River Cruises <\/h2>\n
\n
\nTake your pick of the amphibious Osaka Duck Tour<\/a>, the luxurious Himawari<\/a>, the cozy Camome<\/a>, or one of the many many others<\/a> that ferry guests up and down one of Osaka\u2019s most breathtaking cherry-tree sites.
\n
\nOne of my favorite things to do in the city is cruise in a covered yakatabune<\/em>. These traditional Japanese river boats are great for special occasions. Sit down to a sashimi dinner and drink sake in style. Most boats will have their own karaoke set-up. So you and your party can entertain each other with song and laughs as you cruise Osaka\u2019s waterways. Most yakatabune require you to rent the whole boat, so if this is for you, it will require a small budget.
\n<\/p>\n\u25a0 Conveniences<\/h2>\n
\nSakuranomiya Station on the JR Osaka Loop Line
\nOsakajokitazume Station on the JR T\u014dzai <\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n\u25a0The Trees<\/h2>\n
\nSato-zakura produce voluminous double blossoms in rich pink hues and the blossoms pop when the leaves have already sprouted. So you get a nice pink\/green juxtaposition.
\n
\n\u25b2 Somei-yoshino blossoms
\n
\n\u25b2Double blossoms<\/p>\n\u25a0 A Little History <\/h2>\n
\n
\n\u25b2Plum blossoms
\nBoth sides of the riverbank near Sakuranomiya have been popular destinations for cherry-blossom viewing since at least the Edo period (1603\u20131867). Unfortunately, the trees on the east bank sustained considerable damage during the 1885 flooding of the nearby Yodo River, but have since recovered.
\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
![\"cherry](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2021sakura-spot-osaka.jpg\")