2018 was my first Spring in Japan. I heard that Kema Sakuranomiya Park is the go-to place to do hanami (花見 or flower viewing) so even when I was alone, I still went there.
Hanami is best enjoyed with a group, having a picnic party under the trees. They say canned beer and cherry blossoms go well together hence, this party.
At this time, I was still so new in Japan, and aside from my coworkers, I knew no one in Osaka. But I was so excited to see the cherry blossoms so alone I went to see them. I wasn't that lonely on my own. I kinda learned to be independent and enjoy my own company. I was with my camera at this time so I wanted to take my camera for a walk. I bet my camera was happily taking all these cherry blossoms.
Kema Sakuranomiya Park is home to a bunch of sakura trees, along the river. At that time, it was kinda cold and I was still getting used to it. I didn't care about my fashion sense because I didn't really bring a lot of clothes with me from my home country. And I still didn't get my salary at this time so pardon my weird fashion sense, this was what I could come up with at that time.
The best thing about this park is that it's free to be here. There are no entrance fees to enjoy these beautiful cherry blossoms. I saw a lot of families and friends enjoying their time under the trees. It's also a wide stretch along the river, so you can stay anywhere without really bumping elbows with other people.
And because it's near the river, you could smell the water and watch as the boats passed by. I think they're tour boats, not ones for fishing. That costs a few thousand so I didn't bother to dig more about it.
Some people were playing volleyball in the sandy area. It was a sight to see but I was too shy to watch so I didn't stay long. Some kids were playing near the water, though this water wasn't for swimming. Someone had to guard them so they wouldn't go far in the river, avoiding accidents.
I enjoyed every bit of the park. There were some areas where you could enjoy silence, probably read a book or something. I also enjoyed the company of these birds who I think were always hungry. 😄
The park stretches til the Osaka Castle grounds. It was getting dark at that time and I was planning to go somewhere else so I had to leave and decided that Osaka Castle would be for another time. Well, that was really fun strolling around the park.
The next year I went back but with my phone. I'm still deciding if I should share those photos taken by my phone so you could probably compare photos with my camera vs my phone..? I don't know. What do you think? Should I share them?
Sorry, I didn't edit the photos I took with my camera. 🙏
Since the pandemic, I haven't been back to this place. But I bet the trees, the birds, and the park were all still beautiful as it was when I last came.
Thanks for reading!
See you around! じゃあ、またね！
All photos are taken using my camera unless stated otherwise.