Osaka is a sports paradise!
Osaka is one of the most sports-conscious cities in the world. It has top-class facilities for an extremely wide range of different sports, and legions of residents, young and old, that eagerly use those facilities. It also hosts an endless series of sports events every year. This is the place for games...
If sport is your passion, come to Osaka!
The city of Osaka has long had an official policy of striving to be a genuine sports paradise. It's a policy whose primary aim is to ensure that all citizens can enjoy all kinds of sports at all kinds of venues at any point in their life to suit their lifestyle and personality. The secondary aim is to foster the dreams and techniques of top athletes. It is because of this policy that the city has constructed so many sports facilities: sports clubs, stadiums, parks, fields and more. If you're an avid athlete…welcome to paradise!
Tennis
Osaka has several superb venues for tennis. The most famous is the Utsubo Tennis Center in Utsubo Park, with a newly-built center court and a gallery of 5,000 seats, where many important matches, including international tennis championships, take place. Tsurumiryokuchi Park also has popular tennis courts.
Swimming
Swimmers can do laps at the Osaka Pool, which has a 50-meter official competition pool, a 25-meter pool and an official diving pool all under one roof. Swimmers can also use pools in Tsurumiryokuchi Park and in the Namihaya Dome. Or they can enjoy a seaside swim at the Nanko Swimming Resort.
Cycling
Not only are there great places to ride throughout the entire city, there's also a special bicycling road in Northern Osaka. From the north edge of Tenjimbashi Bridge, along the Okawa River to the east, the road will take you 4.4 km over Temmabashi Bridge to Kemabashi Bridge. If you continue along the Yodogawa Riverbank to Torikai-Ohashi Bridge, the total length of the course is 12.5 km.
Riding
Equestrians can practice at riding clubs in either the Tsurumiryokuchi or Hattori Ryokuchi Parks.
Jogging
Joggers can pick from one of many parks, including Nagai Park and Osaka Castle Park. Or they can jog through picturesque settings along the many rivers that flow through Osaka. There's no nicer city in which to run.
Martial Arts
Martial arts training is available at the Osaka Shudokan, located just outside the Otemon Gate in Osaka Castle. And at many other dojos too.
Other Sports
Golf, boating, water-skiing, backpacking…just about any sport you're interested in can be found in Osaka. The city truly is a sports paradise. In addition to the numerous baseball fields, sporting grounds, tennis courts, and pools in the city, sports facilities at most of the municipal schools are also available for public use. And community sports centers, featuring heated pools and training facilities, are being developed for each of the 24 wards.