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Hannan City, the southernmost city in Osaka, is a peaceful town surrounded by sea and mountains. In one corner of the city is the oldest sake brewery in Osaka Prefecture, with a history of over 300 years since its founding. Giuseppe, a native of Italy, visited the city in search of sake that incorporates the rich culture of Hannan and fresh seafood.
Guide
As the deputy editor of the Weekly Osaka Nichi Nichi Shimbun, she is responsible for numerous interviews. On her days off, she goes out with her children and experiences things from a mother's perspective. With the information-gathering skills of a professional editor and the real-life experiences of a mother, she introduces a wide range of spots that parents and children can enjoy.
A big adventure at Harvest Hill! A thrilling aerial walk up to 8 meters for parents and children
This is an experiential theme park where you can spend the whole day enjoying nature, from athletics to treasure hunting and even interacting with animals!
Harvest Hill is an experiential agricultural park located in Minami-ku, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture. The vast park, covering 350,000 square meters, is divided into a town area and a village area by a suspension bridge, and is decorated with flower fields that change color with the seasons. You can encounter colorful scenery whenever you visit, with tulips in spring, sunflowers in summer, and cosmos in autumn.
There are plenty of activities to keep children entertained, including interacting with sheep and capybaras, an aerial walk athletic course, grass sliding, and a colorful Ferris wheel. You can also enjoy gourmet food unique to this place, such as homemade sausages and soft serve ice cream. Play, eat, and experience. This is a spot where the whole family can spend a full day.
The first place we went to was the aerial athletics course "Ora! Woo! Tan!"
This athletic facility is characterized by the fact that it has courses to suit different levels. The "Low Ground" for beginners has two courses, beginner and intermediate, set about 1.4m above the ground, so even small children can try it out safely.
If you're looking for a thrill, we recommend the High Ground. This is a full-scale ride that takes you up to 8m above the ground and involves completing 10 different activities. It's a thrilling course that requires you to use your sense of balance to the fullest, and even adults will be on the edge of their seats. There's also a quick jump from a height of 6m and a 33m-long zip line, allowing you to experience the exhilaration of a walk in the air.
Naturally, we chose the "low ground" course, which is aimed at beginners. My child is more of an indoor type, and although he has a strong sense of curiosity, he is a bit nervous about heights. After discussing it together, we decided to start with the course, which is about 1.4 meters above the ground.
Although it's aimed at beginners, it's still tall enough for children. Once you're standing on it, it's quite scary, and even crossing the bridge can be nerve-wracking. The tension makes you feel like you've jumped into a world of adventure.
Although he complained along the way, saying things like "It's scary" and "I can't do it!", he somehow managed to reach the goal! And at the end, he smoothly slid down the zip line and completed the mission in an exhilarating way.
After safely completing the athletics course, we thought we could take a short break, but then my son discovered "Jewel Hunter" and his excitement skyrocketed. He was full of energy, no sign of fatigue.
Here, children use tools to dig in the sandbox, and if they find a gem, they can take it home. It's like the adventure continues from the athletics area, and when it's their turn, they sit down in the sandbox and dig, dig, dig... They look so happy, engrossed in their work in silence.
He got a container full of gems and was overjoyed, saying, "Maybe there's a rare stone in there!"
Next up is the "grass slide." Here, you can slide down one of Japan's largest courses, with a total length of 40 meters and a maximum slope of 20 degrees, for 15 minutes! You'll feel a sense of exhilaration.
Cross the suspension bridge to the "village area" where you will be greeted by flower fields and animals.
In the village area, you can enjoy interacting with animals.
Popular activities include interacting with capybaras and feeding sheep and goats. The sheep in particular have a voracious appetite, and are popular for peeking their heads out from between the fences to beg for food. This is an experience that even children can enjoy, so it's definitely recommended for families.
My son timidly and hesitantly fed the bird and gently stroked its head. The food was gone in an instant, and the bird begged for one more. Laughter echoed all around, and before we knew it, we had lost track of time.
Finally, take a stroll on the water in a swan boat on a pond surrounded by nature. Enjoying the scenery while leisurely rowing is the perfect way to end a day of fun.
The park's famous train runs through it, allowing you to travel leisurely while admiring the scenery. There are also plenty of other vehicle-based activities, such as "go-karts" that run on an 850m-long course, the uniquely shaped "funny bicycles," and a "mini-shinkansen" that looks just like the real thing.
If you get hungry, take a break with some homemade frankfurters or soft serve ice cream. If you want a full meal, there's a 60-minute buffet restaurant. With plenty to do and eat, you can spend the whole day here.
Whether you have an energetic child who loves to run around or a laid-back, indoor-type child, there are plenty of areas in the park for them to enjoy at their own pace, so you can rest assured!
Other recommended spots in Osaka for parents and children to enjoy
Dive into a dinosaur's mouth! The dynamic roller slide at Wanpaku Kingdom
Located in Hannan City, in the southern part of Osaka Prefecture, bordering Wakayama Prefecture, Wanpaku Kingdom is a park where you can have fun to your heart's content with play equipment that makes use of the mountain slopes. The highlight is the Roller Express.
This approximately 200m long roller slide slides down a steep slope of up to 32 degrees, and as you pick up speed you'll feel the thrill of cutting through the wind. At the finish line, a giant dinosaur modeled after the Paleozoic carnivorous Dimetrodon awaits, and when you jump into its mouth, a "Grrr!" will ring out. Children will cheer with delight and have a lot of fun.
Also, when you reach the summit, which is about 210 meters above sea level, you will come across the three-story wooden observation tower "Wanpaku Fort," from which you can get a panoramic view of the cityscape of Hannan City and Osaka Bay.
At the foot of the mountain, you can spread out your lunch or play ball at the "Wanpaku Square," and at the nearby "Waterside Square," you can splash around in clean water pumped up from the river.
No height or age restrictions! Take a walk in the air at Maishima Seaside Athletic
Maishima Seaside Athletic, located in Maishima, Konohana Ward, Osaka City, is an aerial athletic course approximately 200 meters long and located approximately 6 meters above ground.
There are 13 different items, including a zip line, that will allow you to enjoy a stroll through the air. Every step will make you feel nervous and excited. This is a course that will stir your sense of adventure.
There are no height or age restrictions, and the youngest person to have tried it so far was a 2-year-old. Participants must be able to properly wear a harness and helmet, and must weigh up to 120 kg. Athletic shoes are required. One of the attractions of this athletic facility is that it allows you to experience the courage to take that first step.
*Preschool children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Admission is free, so you can spend your time cheering on your family and friends and taking photos.
If you are coming by car, you can use the parking lot in the adjacent barbecue park for 1,000 yen per day.
Don't worry about rainy days! "Bornelund Playville Ama site park" where you can play indoors and outdoors
Bornelund Playville, located in Ama site park in Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture, is a playground for parents and children where children can freely move between indoors and outdoors. The appeal is that you can get moving to your heart's content regardless of the weather.
The "Physical Play Zone" inside the facility combines a soft ball pool with a climbing wall, suspension bridge, and monkey bars. You can use your whole body to play as you climb and cross, and since it's indoors, it's comfortable even on hot or rainy days.
Even small children can feel safe and relaxed trying it out.
In the outdoor "Nature Play Zone," you can feel the wind and the texture of the trees, and enjoy splashing water and getting muddy in the sandbox. There is also a "Science Play Area," crafts area, and a space just for babies, so parents and children can have plenty of fun together.
Take your kids to the heart of the city! Exciting athletics at "PANZA Tenshiba i:na"
PANZA Tenshiba i:na, located in Tennoji Park's Tenshiba, is a facility where you can try out athletics in the middle of the city.
The centerpiece of the facility is the indoor climbing facility "noborun!". Colorful holds cover the entire wall, and with each climb you feel the tension of thinking about your next move, as well as the sense of accomplishment when you reach the top.
The outdoor area, "sorarun!", has an adventure course with a maximum height of 8m, and a playful course for toddlers. In the adventure course, you can wear a special harness and experience the thrill of crossing objects in the air. In the playful course, you can jump and climb inside the net play equipment, moving your body freely and having fun. Another great thing about this area is that you can choose a course that suits each sibling.
The attraction is that you can play indoors or outdoors, regardless of the weather. It's a great spot for parents and children to casually drop in and get some exercise together.
It's like being inside a living creature! "Kids Plaza Osaka" - a "children's town" with mysterious curves
Kids Plaza Osaka, located in Ogimachi, Kita-ku, Osaka, is Japan's first museum for children. One attraction worth noting is the Children's Town on the 4th floor, the "Let's Play Floor."
The space was designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, and is entirely made of curved lines. With maze-like corridors, curved walls, and a series of windows of different colors and shapes, it feels as if you have wandered into a living creature.
The appeal of "Children's Town" is that there are no rules for how to play, and children can enjoy themselves freely. They can move their bodies however they like, climbing walls, crossing suspension bridges, and sliding down long tube slides.
There is also a Kids Street on the floor where children can enjoy pretend play, and the "Try It Floor" where they can try out exhibits using soap bubbles and water, while the "Make It Floor" offers a variety of experiences to satisfy children's curiosity, such as creative activities and computer experiences.As an indoor facility that can be enjoyed regardless of the weather, it is a spot where parents and children can spend the whole day playing and learning.
Enjoy all weather conditions with the giant crocodile exploration playground at Sakai City Big Bang!
Sakai City Big Bang, located in Minami-ku, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, is an all-weather play space with a main building designed to resemble a spaceship, a semicircular children's theater, and a 53-meter-tall tower of play equipment.
It's full of fun, with activities to create, learn, and move your body, and can be enjoyed by people of all ages, from children to adults.
One attraction that really catches your eye is the "Machikane Crocodile Adventure" on the third floor, which has two types of play equipment: the "Machikane Crocodile Skeleton" and the "Live Machikane Crocodile."
The "skeleton" is a giant crocodile with maze-like passageways, nets, and slides built into its body, allowing children to use their whole body to feel like they're exploring. The "living creature" is a 13-meter-long crocodile that children can explore from its mouth to its tail.
The "Tower of Play Equipment," an open-air space stretching from the 4th to 8th floors, is equipped with 17 different types of vertical play equipment, allowing visitors to play dynamically on a scale that would be hard to believe is indoors. It's a popular spot for parents and children, where you can have fun all day, even on rainy days.
Explore the LEGO city! A great parent-child adventure at Legoland Discovery Center Osaka
Located in Tempozan Marketplace in Minato Ward, Osaka City, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Osaka is an indoor theme park where you can play surrounded by over millions of LEGO® blocks.
One of the most popular attractions for children is the "LEGO City Play Zone." It combines a jungle gym, slide, and climbing equipment, allowing children to use their whole body to explore a LEGO city. The attraction is that children can move their bodies to their heart's content as they climb, crawl, and slide.
The museum also houses "Miniland," a recreation of the streets of Osaka, where the changing light effects from day to night will captivate everyone, from children to adults. There are also attractions the whole family can enjoy, such as "Kingdom Quest," "Merlin's Apprentice," and "4D Cinema," so parents and children can have fun together even on rainy days.
Photo: Hiroshi Yamazaki
Edit: Hiroshi Yamazaki
Direction: Ningen Henshusha
