Northern Osaka is the area which consists of cities adjoining Kyoto and Hyogo, such as Toyonaka, Suita, Ikeda, Minoh and Takatsuki. In about an hour from central Osaka city, you can visit The Expo Park, well-known for The Tower of the Sun (Taiyo-no-to) or enjoy natural resources such as beautiful ravines, waterfalls and hot springs. The world's famous instant noodles and domestic whisky and wine are produced in this area as well.
The Tower of the Sun
"The Tower of the Sun" can be easily spotted; just look for the golden face that is looking towards the southern sky. It is one of Okamoto Tarou's works that was designed as a symbol to represent the Japan World Exposition '70. Under it spreads 26 hectares of land which is known as the "Expo Park". Within the park you can enjoy a variety of beauty that nature has to offer during each of the four seasons at "The Japanese Garden" or "The Natural and Cultural Gardens (Shizenbunka Park)", or learn about the different cultures from around the world at "The National Museum of Ethnology". You can surely spend an exciting fun-filled day here.
Enjoy Osaka's Natural Resources
Leave the exciting city behind for a relaxing moment in a natural environment. In just an hour, you can reach the "Settsu-kyo Ravine", an area rather close to the residential area, but soothes you from the summer heat with its clear stream and the sight of fireflies floating in the night sky. It is said that Toyotomi Hideyoshi loved the fresh green verdure and autumn colors at the "Meiji-no-mori Minoh Quasi-national Park". At the park you can watch the water flowing down the famous waterfall or relax in the hot spring and try some autumn colored maple-leaf-tempura. If you are lucky, you may even bump into some monkeys.
Why is everything in Osaka so delicious?
Tennouzan, located in northern Osaka is known for the crucial battle between Akechi Mitsuhide and Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi. Kansai's best spring water comes from this area and is referred to as "The Water of the Imperial Villa" (originally comes from the ruins of the Imperial Villa of the retired Emperor Gotoba). We can enjoy nature's blessing from world-class whisky and beer produced here. At the "Suntory Yamazaki Distillery" you can join a guided tour and learn about the manufacturing process and even taste some whisky. Also ASAHI has a brewery nearby too.
Another amusing spot is "The Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum". Not only can you look around the factory, but you can even blend spices to make your very own original instant noodle.
The history of Nose Highway and Hokusetsu area
The Nose Highway runs from Osaka through Ikeda to Tamba and Kameoka. In the Edo period, this road was used to transport chestnuts, rice, charcoal, silver, copper, sake and clothes produced in Ikeda. "Ruins of the Ikeda Castle" and the traditional cityscape still remain. At the "Jyoururi Theater" in Nose, you have a chance to observe Jyoururi (Bunraku puppet show) that has been passed on from Gidayu (a style of reciting dramatic narratives) trained in Osaka. If you go a little further you can visit "Katsuo-ji Temple" in Minoh and wish for winner's luck, or pray for better luck at "Nose Myokenzan". Long ago, people used this road to visit both temples as well.
