Hirakata: From the Kudara-dera Temple Site to Hirakata-shuku and Hirakata Park

In the morning, walk through the Kudara-dera Temple Site, a Special Historic Site built by descendants of the Baekje royal family. Around midday, explore the townscape of Hirakata-shuku, which once flourished with river transport on the Yodo River, and visit the Hirakata-shuku Kagiya Museum. In the afternoon, spend time at Hirakata Park, affectionately known as "Hira-Par." This course combines travel on the Keihan Railway and walking, allowing you to trace the layered eras of Hirakata—an ancient temple, an Edo-period post town, and an amusement park dating back to the Taisho era—all in a single day.

History and Local Charm

Kudara-dera Temple is believed to have been established in the latter half of the 8th century as the clan temple of the Kudara no Konikishi clan, descendants of the Baekje royal family, after they moved to this area from Naniwa. For a period in ancient times, the Kudara no Konikishi clan was a powerful family second only to the imperial house. The Shoku Nihongi records that when Emperor Kanmu went on an imperial hunting excursion to Katano, he conferred court ranks upon members of the Kudara no Konikishi clan.

During the Edo period, four post stations—Moriguchi, Hirakata, Yodo, and Fushimi—were established along the Kyo Kaido road connecting Kyoto and Osaka as an extension of the Tokaido. Hirakata-shuku was one of them, and it also served as a relay point for Yodo River boat transport, where vessels such as the Sanjikkokubune Boat traveled back and forth. Facing the highway, "Kagiya" flourished toward the end of the Edo period as an inn for passengers waiting for the Sanjikkokubune Boat on the Yodo River, and it is even sung of in the "Yodogawa Sanjikkokubune Uta" folk song.

In modern times, the "Hirakata Grand Chrysanthemum Doll Exhibition," which began around the time the Keihan Railway opened, gained popularity for about a century and became synonymous with Hirakata. Hirakata Park traces its origins to the chrysanthemum doll exhibition first held in Hirakata in 1912, and it is regarded as the oldest amusement park in Japan that has remained in continuous operation.

Key Highlights

• ​Kudara-dera Temple Site​​: A national Special Historic Site, and one of only two Special Historic Sites in Osaka Prefecture alongside the Osaka Castle Site. The layout of the temple compound—with the south gate, central gate, main hall (Kondo), and lecture hall (Kodo) lined up in a straight line from south to north, and east and west pagodas positioned inside the cloister—can be clearly seen through the three-dimensionally displayed foundation platforms. Approximately 125 meters of the tsuijibei (mud wall with a gabled roof) that surrounded the temple perimeter has also been reconstructed.
• ​Hirakata-shuku Kagiya Museum​​: A museum opened by the city after dismantling and restoring the buildings of Kagiya. The main building (omoya), dating from the early 19th century, preserves an earthen floor (doma) passage running from the front entrance through to the back exit, which formerly connected directly to the boat landing on the Yodo River. Highlights include a model of the Kurawankabune Boat, which rowed up alongside the Sanjikkokubune Boat to sell rice cakes and gombo-jiru (burdock soup), as well as a 63-tatami-mat grand hall on the second floor of the annex, offering a panoramic view of the Yodo River.
• ​Hirakata Park​​: An amusement park with approximately 40 types of attractions that make use of the undulating terrain. Features include "Elf," a wooden roller coaster known for the characteristic sway unique to wooden structures, and "Sky Walker," a giant Ferris wheel with an apex height of about 80 meters. The roses in the rose garden reach their prime from mid-May to early June, and from mid-October to November.

Recommended Route and Duration

The estimated duration is approximately 7 hours. In the morning, walk about 10 minutes from Miyanosaka Station on the Keihan Katano Line to the Kudara-dera Temple Site. Information boards are available in English, Chinese, and Korean, and you can view AR videos on a smartphone that recreate an impression of the temple at the time of its founding. Be sure to also pay a visit to Kudarao-jinja Shrine, located to the west of the temple site.

From the Kudara-dera Temple Site, Hirakata-shuku is about 2 kilometers to the west. Return to Miyanosaka Station and take the Keihan Katano Line to Hirakatashi Station. The stretch of roughly 1.5 kilometers along the highway, from around Hirakatashi Station to the Kagiya Museum, constitutes the former post town. Walk toward the museum from the direction of Hirakatashi Station along the highway, where historic temples, shrines, and traditional townhouses still remain.

In the afternoon, head about 650 meters south from the museum to Hirakata Park. As you will have half a day in the afternoon to enjoy the park, choosing the attractions you want to ride in advance will allow for a relaxed visit. There are also seasonal attractions, such as a swimming pool in summer, and illuminations and ice skating in winter. On the return trip, it is about a 5-minute walk to Hirakata-koen Station on the Keihan Main Line.

Experience Summary

Feel the scale of a grand ancient temple at the site of the Kudara no Konikishi clan's temple, stand on the earthen floor of a boat-waiting inn and imagine the Sanjikkokubune Boat plying the Yodo River, and conclude your day playing at an amusement park that has continued since the Taisho era. Savor the layered history and attractions of Hirakata along the Keihan Railway in a single day.