Minoo Park (also known as Minoh Park) is a stunning area in the suburbs of Osaka, Japan. Known for its autumn colours, beautiful temples, nature trails and waterfalls, Minoo Park is the perfect spot to escape the crowds of Osaka.
It’s fair to say that after a few days exploring busy cities such as Osaka and Kyoto, the crowds can become a little overwhelming. Thankfully, Minoo Park offers an easy and peaceful day trip from Osaka. It shows off some of Japan’s stunning nature and offers a different perspective to this fascinating country.
Minoo Park can be visited all year round, but it’s particularly popular in the autumn as its Maple trees turn red, gold and brown. With its convenient location, Minoo Park is a must-visit on any trip to the Osaka and Kyoto area.
In this post, I’ve shared the best things to do during a day exploring Minoo Park.
Note: Minoo is also known as Minoh. For the purpose of this article, I’ll be referring to it as Minoo.
How to get to Minoo Park
Thankfully, getting to Minoo Park is straightforward. It’s a simple day trip from Osaka, and even Kyoto. Once you’re at Osaka station, it’s a 30-minute train ride.
To get to Minoo Park from Osaka, you’ll want to catch the Hankyu Takarazuka Line from Osaka-Umeda station. Once you get to Ishibashi Handai-mae, swap to the Hankyu Mino Line.
If you’re heading to Minoo park from Kyoto, it’s the same journey, you’ll just need to get to Osaka first. This line isn’t owned by Japan Rail, so if you have JR Pass this unfortunately won’t work. It cost me 280 Yen when I did the journey (Nov 23).
In total, the journey took me 30-minutes from the time I got to Osaka-Umeda Station.
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How long to spend in Minoo Park?
If you want to thoroughly explore the park, I’d plan to spend a few hours there. You could walk to the falls and back in around 90-minutes, but there’s so many beautiful spots on the way you’ll likely find it takes you much longer.
I left Osaka at 9am, and got back to the city around 2pm.
Things to do in Minoo Park
What I loved about Minoo Park was not really having a plan and seeing where the paths took me. It’s a big space with lots of smaller trails going in all directions.
There were staff handing out English maps at the station which made navigating the park a bit easier.
Here are some of the best things to do in Minoo Park:
Visit Minoo Falls (Minoh Falls)
Minoo Falls is without a doubt the most famous attraction in Minoo Park. This towering waterfall is 33 meters high and is known as one of Japan’s top 100 waterfalls.
While Minoo Park itself isn’t overly crowded, the waterfall sometimes can be. There’s a nearby car park meaning it’s possible to drive to the falls, rather than walk through the park.
To get to the falls, keep to the main path in the park. It’s just under 3km each way and is very well sign-posted.
Admire the autumn colours (or cherry blossoms)
Minoo Park is famous for its autumn foliage. By mid-November, the park lights up in orange, red and gold as its maple trees change colour. It’s incredibly beautiful and had the best autumn colours I witnessed in Japan.
You won’t need to walk far to find the autumn colours. As soon as you step foot in the park, the streets are lined with gorgeous trees and their magical colours.
Although the park is known for its autumn colours, it’s also home to cherry trees which bloom come spring. It’s a brilliant spot to witness the amazing cherry blossoms while still escaping the crowds.
If you’re visiting Japan in November, make the most of the beautiful colours by creating a Japan autumn itinerary.
Hike up to the observation deck
One of the best things to do in Minoo Park is to hike up to the observation deck. I barely saw anyone else on this track. The observation deck offers unrivalled views of the park with the city on the horizon. It’s incredibly beautiful and peaceful.
The hike itself took me about 20 minutes. It’s very steep with lots of steps, but it’s doable for anyone with reasonable fitness. At the top, you’ll find the observation deck with amazing views of the park and Osaka.
The observation deck isn’t well sign-posted. Walk past the Insect Museum and just before the Shoutengu Saikouji Temple, you’ll see a bridge which you walk across. Follow the footpath and climb up the never-ending steps.
I did see a few monkeys in the trees, but they didn’t bother me. There are signs warning you not to feed them.
Visit a temple
Minoo Park is home to several beautiful temples which are open to explore.
Ryuanji Temple
The most impressive temple in Minoo Park is arguably the Ryuanji Temple. You’ll find this Buddhist temple about a 20/30-minute walk from the station into the park.
The Ryuanji Temple is hard to miss. It’s on the main path and there’s a beautiful red bridge which takes you over the river into the temple grounds. It’s a glorious spot to admire the autumn colours too.
You can enter the temple for free.
Katsuo-ji Temple
This is another impressive temple in Minoo Park and is known for its stunning setting. You’ll find this temple just beyond the Minoo Falls.
Shoutengu Saikoji Temple
The Shoutengu Saikouji Temple is where “Daikokutenn”, God of Wealth, is worshipped. You’ll often find people praying there during your visit. The temple is on the main path to the falls and hard to miss.
Try a traditional snack
Minoo Park is known for its maple trees and here, you’ll also be able to experience eating them… sort of. A popular street food in Minoo is called momiji tempura. This is basically deep-fried maple leaves. There are several places to find this inside the park. I tried some close to Minoo falls. It’s an interesting taste and worth trying.
You’ll also find plenty of vendors selling traditional Japanese street food inside the park itself.
Walk through the giant Himeiwa
Okay… this is a random one but stay with me. This is a giant rock which towers over one of the hiking trails in Minoo Park. If you walk through it, it’s believed to bless you with children.
To find the rock, walk back on the left-hand footpath when returning to the stations from the waterfall.
It is just a rock, but it’s on a peaceful walking track so worth going to see.
Head to the Insect Museum
Minoo Park is home to one of the “Three Treasure Houses of Insects”. The museum is full of information about insects in Japan and those found in Minoo Park. If you’re travelling with children, this could be a fun option.
Enjoy the nature and natural beauty
Minoo Park is the perfect place to go and explore without any plans. I loved wandering the many trails and seeing what I could find. If you’re tired of the crowds in Osaka, a trip to Minoo is possible with little planning.
There’s several walking paths which take you off the main path by the river. I’d recommend walking on the lefthand side on your way back to the station from the falls. It’s much quieter and very serene. Just watch out for the monkeys, I had no problems but they have been known to grab food.
Here are some other ideas for easy day trips from Osaka.
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