Detailed guide to the popular Nakanoshima Park Rose Garden, only a 3-minute walk from Kitahama Station and Naniwabashi Station!

The rose garden is located in the center of Nakanoshima Park, about 500m east to west and about 13,000 square meters wide.  Approximately 310 rose species for a total of about 3,700 roses bloom twice a year, in May and October.The rose garden is divided into two parts, connected east to west by the Rose Bridge. Here, I will not only introduce the rose garden, but also the recommended roses that we were told about at the Ogimachi Park Office responsible for managing the rose garden. We will also answer all of your questions such as “Are pets allowed?”, “Are there toilets?”, “Is access convenient?”

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1. About the Rose Garden

The rose garden in Nakanoshima Park was redeveloped in 2007 and reopened at the end of July 2010. As mentioned earlier, it is located in the center of Nakanoshima Park, from Naniwabashi and Kitahama Stations in the east, it stretches west almost to Temmabashi Station and is bordered by the O River to the north and Tosahori River to the south.

Just stating it’s area is 13,000 square meters does not really impart how spacious it actually is. If I tell you that it is about the same size as the grounds of the Koshien Stadium, you will probably get the idea. Also, even though there are 310 varieties of roses, how many are worth seeing? This too may be difficult to understand. The rose garden in Senri-no-Manshiro Park, which is famous for its rose garden, has about 90 varieties, so you can enjoy about three times as many here.

Furthermore, admission to the rose garden is free and there is no time limit. What do you think? Isn’t the rose garden in Nakanoshima a bit amazing? Now, let us introduce the rose garden in more detail.This rose garden is a beautiful English style garden.  Roses are planted in long rows with pathways between, so you can enjoy your favorite roses from various angles.Each rose has a name tag with both Japanese and English information, so that you can easily identify them.  It makes it easy to find out which kinds of roses you like best.This is a view of the rose garden on the west side (from Naniwa Bridge) seen from the Barazono Bridge introduced below.  You can see Osaka Central Public Hall and Festival Tower in the background.Barazono Bridge connects the east and west sections of the rose garden.This is the east end of the rose garden.The east side is smaller than the west side, but you can see many roses here as well.  You can also see the Kitahama Retro Building in the back.

※Click here for info on the Kitahama Retro Building

[Keihan Kitahama Station] Walk around the retro building!  Next to Nakanoshima Park, the financial center of OsakaLots of foreigners also visit the Nakanoshima Park Rose Garden.

2. Best time to visit

Roses bloom twice a year in Nakanoshima Park, in spring and autumn.

・From mid to late May
・From mid to late October

Full bloom depends on the weather conditions each year.
【Left】
My first visit was in early May, so only about 30-50% of flowers were in bloom.
【Right】
When I visited again in mid-May, many more flowers were in full bloom!Even during weekdays many people enjoy walking around the garden.

The roses in Nakanoshima Park are in full bloom in late May and late October.Roses are in bloom until early June in spring and early November in fall, but at Nakanoshima Park they are pruned late in the season. The time of pruning depends on the climate of the year, but it is best to consider visiting in late May and the end of fall in late October.

Please contact the Ogimachi Park Office for information on the rose garden in Nakanoshima Park.

TEL: 06-6312-8121 (Monday to Friday 9:00 to 17:30, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and December 29 to January 3)

3. What to see

There are many attractions in the rose garden.  I will introduce them one by one.

3-1. Highlights ① Pierre de Ronsard

When I asked the Ogimachi Park Office, what kind of roses I should definitely see, they told me about the “Pierre de Ronsard.”Pierre de Ronsard is a rose that was inducted into the Hall of Fame when the first World Rose Conference in Asia was held in Osaka in 2006.This rose is a vine rose variety and is grown along a trellis.  The flowers are light pink on the outside and darken towards the center.Many visitors take pictures in front of the trellis to remember their time here.

3-2. Highlights ② Look at roses by age

In this rose garden, roses are planted according to  age.  There is an era name on the sidewalk so that you can easily tell which age group you are in.This rose is called “La France.”  La France first appeared in 1867. Roses introduced after this rose are called modern roses, and the roses announced before La France are classified as old roses. There are several theories about this classification system, but it centers around La France.

You can enjoy modern roses at the rose garden in Nakanoshima Park.

3-3. Highlights ③ Colorful and Fragrant roses

You will have a wonderful time taking in all the colorful roses in full bloom. It takes about one hour to take a leisurely stroll around the park and see all the roses. The rose garden is filled with the wonderful fragrance of roses.We asked an Osaka City official who manages this rose garden, and he told us that the best time to enjoy the fragrance is early in the morning. The fragrance fades by the afternoon when it gets warmer.
Osaka City employees are taking care of the roses in the garden. We were told that if you have any questions, you are welcome to ask them.

4. Are there toilets?

There are two toilets in the rose garden.The first is right next to Naniwa Bridge, on the left side of the rose garden.The other is across the Barazono Bridge, past the east rose garden, where the park opens into a wide expanse of grass.Benches like this one are provided in the rose garden. However, it may not be easy to relax on the benches under the arches because people will approach you to take pictures.There is a restaurant called R Riverside Grill and Beer Garden near Barazono Bridge in the rose garden on the west side. It seems that you can take a break while viewing the roses here. However, there is little shade, so be careful on hot, sunny days.

5. Are pets allowed?

Pets can also enter the rose garden in Nakanoshima Park.  You may observe many dog owners having photoshoots or see dogs being pampered as they are pushed along in carraiges. It’s fun to watch all the different people in the garden.

6. Access

The closest stations to the rose garden in Nakanoshima Park are Kitahama Station and Naniwabashi Station on the Keihan Railway.  I will introduce access from both stations.

6-1. Access from Kitahama Station

This is the exit of Kitahama Station.  There is only one exit. Take the exit and proceed to the right.You will see Nakanoshima Park written on a signboard for Exit 26, so turn right here.This is the view of Exit 26 from the opposite direction. As soon as you get aboveground, you will see a lion statue on your right.  This is Naniwabashi.  Cross this bridge and you will see the rose garden on your right.

6-2. Access from Naniwabashi Station

Naniwabashi Station’s platform is on the 4th basement floor.  It may be difficult to climb all the stairs to reach above ground, so it is better to use the escalators. The escalator is near the 6th car.  Coming from Kyoto, the front is most convenient, and from Nakanoshima, the rear is best.Ascending via escalators, you will come to a concourse with exits.This is the exit. There is only one exit at Naniwabashi Station, so there is no need to worry about getting lost. After exiting the exit, turn left. To get to the Rose Garden, use exit No. 4.There is a sign directing you to the rose garden. Use the escalator here.There is another escalator ahead. Ascending this escalator will take you to Exit 4.This is the view after getting out of Exit 4. In front of you is Naniwa Bridge, and the Rose Garden is on the other side of the bridge. However, pedestrians are not allowed to cross the Namba Bridge. Therefore, we will use the connecting passage under the bridge to get to the Rose Garden.This is a view of Exit 4 from the Naniwabashi side. Use the stairs on the left to get to the connecting passageway.This is the connecting passageway. It is hard to tell from the photo, but this connecting passageway has a low ceiling, so be careful if you are tall.After passing through the connecting walkway, you will soon see the rose garden. Thank you for your hard work up to this point. It must have been hard work changing escalators many times. Please take your time and enjoy the rose garden.

7. Nakanoshima Park Rose Garden Information

8. Summary

The rose garden is located in Nakanoshima, the central business district of Osaka. It is easily accessible from the nearest station, making it an easy place to visit. On the east side of the rose garden is a wide lawn where you can relax, and on the west side are retro buildings such as the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, the Osaka City Central Public Hall, and the Osaka Central Library. After visiting the rose garden, why not spend a relaxing time in Nakanoshima Park? We hope your holiday will be a wonderful one.