The Best Playgrounds in Osaka

Last Updated on September 21, 2024 by Kay

Whether you’re living in Osaka with kids or on a family trip, you might be wondering where the best playgrounds are in the city.

In this article, I’ll share my personal recommendations as a mom living in Osaka about where you can find excellent playgrounds that kids of all ages are bound to love.

Note that although the cost to enter the park may be free, if you go to a park by car you may need to pay for parking.

Northern Osaka

Expo 70 Commemorative Park

Expo 70 Commemorative Park is one of my favorite places to visit in Osaka. It’s not only home to one of Osaka’s most famous landmarks, the Tower of the Sun, but it also has lots of greenery and luscious nature that makes it beautiful to visit during any season.

I’ve come here on many playdates but I especially love to go during cherry blossom season. It’s absolutely stunning and I highly recommend stopping by during this time.

Of course, this is an article about playgrounds, and this park has plenty! My daughter absolutely loves exploring all the different playgrounds, including one that’s basically a pirate ship and another with a huge roller slide. There is so much for kids to do that you can easily spend the entire day here!

This park is also super easy to get to since it’s located along the Osaka Monorail Line (get off at Banpaku Kinen Koen Station).

Cost: 260 yen for adults, 80 yen for elementary and junior high school students, free for children ages 6 and under.

Ogimachi Park

Ogimachi Park is in a great location about fifteen minutes on foot from Osaka Station.

This park has tons of different kinds of slides for kids, which my daughter had a lot of fun with, as well as some animals to ride on and jungle gym equipment.

Cost: Free!

Kids Plaza Osaka

This is an indoor playground that I highly recommend visiting if you have young kids. There is so much to do that I wrote an entire article about it!

I’ve also written an article about indoor activities (including playgrounds) for kids in Osaka, which is great for when the weather isn’t great. So feel free to read or bookmark that as well!

Hattori Ryokuchi Park

Hattori Ryokuchi Park is another massive place with lots of nature, old Japanese houses, a botanical garden, as well as playgrounds.

This is another place where it’s easy to spend the entire day. They have seasonal flowers as well, including cherry blossom trees.

If you’re meeting up with friends, make sure to choose an exact location because the park is so big that you may end up walking fifteen minutes with cranky kids to find your party (not based on my personal experience, of course not…).

It takes about 15 minutes to reach the closest station, Ryokuchikoen Station, on the Midosuji Line from Osaka Station. From there, it’s about a six-minute walk.

Cost: Free!

Saito Rainbow Park

Saito Rainbow Park is located in Minoh (which is another one of my favorite places in Osaka) and offers a lovely view of the city below. The playground equipment is suitable for older toddlers and kids, but the park’s claim to fame is its freefall slide.

I’ll be honest, I’m a bit terrified to let my five-year-old try it out so we haven’t been yet but if you have an older child, they will likely really enjoy it!

Note that this park is a little far from Osaka Station. You have to take a bus for 20 minutes from Minoh-kayano Station.

Cost: Free!

Eastern Osaka

Hanazono Central Park

Hanazono Central Park is a large and lovely park that boasts cherry blossom trees in spring and a large playground year-round. There’s a big roller slide and a children’s hall with an indoor playground and planetarium.

You can also find Pokemon manholes here, so keep an eye out for them!

Hanazono Central Park is located less than an hour east of Osaka Station and is easy to get to by train.

Cost: Free!

Southern Osaka

Oizumi Ryokuchi Park

Oizumi Ryokuchi Park boasts two playgrounds for kids, Oizumi Ryokuchi Kaiyu Land, which has a huge pirate ship playground similar to Expo 70, Wanpaku Land, and Adventure Land, which has a huge roller slide and a big concrete slide. The park also sometimes holds events where kids can play in bouncy castles.

This park is quite difficult to get to without a car so I wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t have one or don’t live nearby.

Cost: Free!

Tonboike Park

Tonboike Park is the perfect place for nature lovers. After all, the name means “Dragonfly Pond” in English! It has seasonal flowers, animals such as ducks, and a massive playground. They also have a little observation deck that’s perfect for kids.

This park is located about 1.5 hours from Osaka Station by train.

Cost: Free!

Hamadera Park

Hamadera Park has it all — a playground, a waterpark in summer, go karts, and an antique train that kids can ride!

Kids might also enjoy the colorful rose garden.

You can reach Hamadera Park by train from Osaka Station in less than an hour.

Wrap-up: The Best Playgrounds in Osaka for Kids

I really loved writing this article on my favorite Osaka playgrounds so I hope it’s been helpful for you! I’ve found that the playgrounds here are quite large and nice, so if you were ever disappointed by playgrounds anywhere else in Japan, make sure to give these playgrounds a try!

Know a playground that should be on this list that I missed? Then feel free to contact me and share!