12‏/10‏/2013

Nagai Botanical Gardens

Paradise in Osaka

By John Carter

Community writer

The small forest helps you forget you are in middle of Osaka

This cosmos garden was a popular place for photographers and painters alike

If you enter the garden through the building that houses the café you can enjoy this greenhouse on the second floor

This interactive area also facilitates the study of botany

The museum has its own library where you can study botany from a huge selection of books

In the middle of the herb garden was this small seating area where you can enjoy the smell of lavender in the shade

The Bamboo grove provides shade on a hot day an a charming place to take a stroll

The stunning lake in the middle of a small forest was a beautifully serene area

When visiting the Osaka Natural History Museum I was pleasantly surprised to discover a botanical garden encompassing the building. At just an extra 100 yen to the entry fee of the museum there’s really no excuse not to visit. It’s possible to enter through the front gate and this may seem the easy option though I suggest entering using the building that houses the café and gift shop. Here you’ll find a small museum, library that offers a large variety of botany books and magazines as well as a small greenhouse room with a display of tropical plants. I actually stopped for a spot of lunch at the café before heading out to the garden. The grounds are monumental in size. With its own small forest, bamboo grove and other specialty areas such as a peony garden its hard to believe you are in the centre of Osaka while strolling amongst the flowers. The best part of such a place is it has something to offer no matter the season. From spring blossoms to summer flowers the garden can be enjoyed all year round.