Hattori Ryokuchi Park: Exploring Traditional Farmhouses at the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses

This walking route enters Hattori Ryokuchi Park from Ryokuchi-koen Station on the Kita-Osaka Kyuko Line, tours historic farmhouses from various regions at the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses, and then strolls through the Urban Greening Botanical Garden located in the southeastern part of the park.

History and Local Charm

Hattori Ryokuchi Park is a prefectural park of Osaka spanning the cities of Toyonaka and Suita. In 1941 (Showa 16), plans were finalized for it to be one of Osaka Prefecture's four major green spaces, alongside Tsurumi Ryokuchi, Kyuhoji Ryokuchi, and Oizumi Ryokuchi; it officially opened in August 1950 (Showa 25). Measuring about 33 times the size of Koshien Stadium, the park spreads across hilly terrain endowed with pine groves, bamboo forests, and ponds. Inside this green space, the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses was established in 1956 (Showa 31) as Japan's first open-air museum. Representative farmhouses from across Japan—from Iwate in the north to Amami Oshima in Kagoshima in the south—have been dismantled, relocated, and restored here. In 1983 (Showa 58), the Urban Greening Botanical Garden was also opened to coincide with the 1st National Urban Greening Fair. It is a place right beside urban Osaka where one can encounter traditional living ways and seasonal nature.

Key Highlights

• ​Hattori Ryokuchi Park​​: The circular flower bed, measuring about 150 meters in diameter, is the symbol of Hattori Ryokuchi Park. There are more than 10 ponds within the grounds, including Yamaga-ike Pond, and the bamboo forest in the northern area has been selected as one of the "100 Selections of Japanese Nature to be Preserved in the 21st Century" under the name "Bamboo Forest of Senri Hills." The park is bustling with visitors enjoying cherry blossoms in spring and autumn foliage in fall.
• ​Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses​​: This open-air museum features 12 historic buildings, including National Important Cultural Properties and Prefectural Tangible Cultural Properties. All of the farmhouses date from the Edo period, and visitors can also view their interiors. You can compare architectural styles born from regional climates and customs, such as a Hida-Shirakawa Gassho-zukuri farmhouse relocated from heavy-snow Shirakawa Village in Gifu Prefecture, a Nambu Magariya connecting the main building (omoya) and the stable (umaya) in an L-shape, and a stilt storehouse (takakura) from Amami Oshima.
• ​Hattori Ryokuchi Urban Greening Botanical Garden​​: A botanical garden featuring a camellia hill, herb garden, four-seasons garden, lawn plaza, as well as streams and ponds. The Flower and Green Consultation Center with a greenhouse is a 1983 building designed to span a terrain slope of nearly 5 meters. Around mid-February, many camellias native to Japan bloom, followed by Western varieties reaching their peak.

Recommended Route and Travel Time

The recommended duration is about 3 to 4 hours. Enter Hattori Ryokuchi Park right near Ryokuchi-koen Station on the Kita-Osaka Kyuko Line, and it is about a 5-minute walk to the East Central Plaza. To reach the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses, head west from the station's west exit for about 1 kilometer, which takes around 15 minutes on foot. The museum's main gate is the "Kawachi Fuse Nagayamon," relocated from the estate of a village headman in Higashiosaka City. Touring the entire museum grounds while inspecting each farmhouse takes about 90 to 120 minutes. If you are short on time, simply viewing the exterior of the farmhouses allows a visit in about 30 minutes. The museum has designated closed days, so check official announcements before your visit. After leaving the museum, walk about 1 kilometer south-southeast through the park to the Urban Greening Botanical Garden. From the botanical garden back to Ryokuchi-koen Station is roughly a 10-minute walk. Please note that pets such as dogs and cats are not permitted inside the botanical garden.

Experience Summary

Step off a city train directly into sprawling greenery to stroll among residences adapted to local conditions by people of the Edo period, from the Gassho-zukuri of snow country to the stilted storehouses of southern islands. It is a relaxing half-day journey where you can also enjoy seasonal scenery throughout the year, from daffodils, cherry blossoms, and autumn foliage surrounding the old houses to camellias in the botanical garden.