Tennoji Park

One of Osaka's showpiece parks

The last time we visited Tennoji Park, the entrance accessed from Tennoji Station was host to a whole bunch of old geezers, scuffing the side walks, smoking and drinking away their time. There are still a few of them there, but the entrance to the Tennoji Park now fancies itself as a bit more classy with it's mini boulevard flanked by coffee shops and al fresco dining options. Not sure which we prefer, to be honest. Still, there are some nice looking places for a spot of lunch or dinner now, and a coupe of decent coffee shops are always welcome. At the time of visiting (this time around) work/construction was still taking place a little further inside from the Tennoji Station entrance. Of course, Tennoji Zoological Gardens and the Osaka Municipal Museum of Art is still here and seemed to be drawing plenty of visitors (for a Wednesday afternoon), and skyscraper Abeno Harukas looms large overhead. Whether you chose to go into any of these facilities and spend your coin, or not, Tennoji Park is a nice place for a stroll, and a bit of people watching, and comes highly recommended for anyone in the city looking to stretch their legs. There are plenty of nice photo ops to be had in these parts, a nice pond to sit by and chill, or you could get more active on the futsal court if that is your want. If you're priced out of the restaurants and coffee shops, there are plenty of vending machines around the park to tide you over for a bit. Look out for the 'Japanese garden' just to the left of the Osaka Municipal Museum of Art if you really want to get a bit of peace and quiet.