SAKURA! ROSES! SIMON GRIFFIN
For most of us, April means cherry blossoms! Enjoy some sakura ice cream, with some sakura mochi, drinking sakura tea, and of course not forgetting to look at the sakura. It’s wonderful! No spring would be complete with a stroll under some blossoms while contemplating the metaphor for our transiency of existence that each falling petal represents. However for those of us who have been in Japan a little longer and maybe are looking for something different this year, why not consider switching out the cherry blossoms for roses? Located just a 15-minute walk south from Osaka’s Umeda Station, Nakanoshima is flanked by the Tosabori and Dojima rivers and offers a strange juxtaposition of peace
and tranquility surrounded by the hustle and bustle of one of Japan’s busiest cities. The island houses The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, The Osaka Nakanoshima Prefectural Library, and The Osaka Central Public Hall— the latter being a beautiful example of classic Western architecture. However the highlight for most visitors is the free park and rose garden that fills the eastern end. Just to be clear, I’m no expert on roses, I know nothing about the difference between an ‘Ace of Spades’ and an ‘Anne Frank’, but even I, in my rosy ignorance, can appreciate the sea of colour of over four thousand roses that comes into full bloom each spring. There’s
Photos - Simon Griffin
something oddly satisfying about being able to capture both the Osaka skyline and banks of flowers in a single photo, a sight not possible in most of the city. The roses are all labeled, and arranged by their year of creation, creating a colourful time tunnel back over hundreds of years. Even in the off-season, the gardens remain beautiful and are a popular spot for family picnics and joggers wishing to dodge traffic. So, this spring, if you find you simply cannot stomach one more scoop of sakura ice cream, spare a thought for the forgotten flowers, head to Osaka, and go hunting for the rose between two skyscrapers.
More Information The island is free to enter, and open year-round. Ideal rose viewing season is late April through May. The park is easily reached on foot walking from Osaka/Umeda Station, or just minutes from Yodoyabashi, Oebashi, Naniwabashi or Kitahama stations.
Multicolored Rose
A Busy Summer’s Day
APRIL 2015
Flowers Back by Skyscrappers
LIFESTYLE
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