OSAKA – Autumn is the best season. The weather turns cool enough for jackets and sweaters and hot cups of coffee, dusk gets longer and shadows deepen, and leaves turn from green into stunning hues of reds and oranges.
Some of our favourite holiday destinations are arguably at their most beautiful during autumn. Korea, with her fiery red autumn foilage comes to mind. As does Japan, where fall colours turn everything – from hyper-modern Tokyo to Imperial Kyoto and epicurean Osaka, with its gorgeous hiking trails – into fairy tale lands.
But there is one more location in Osaka to enjoy the Japanese autumn – a well kept one, and we dare say its the best spot of all.
Suspended 50m above ground, Hoshi no Buranko is a 280m wooden panel bridge that hangs over a thick verdant foliage of trees that make up the Hoshida Enchi Park. When autumn arrives, the canopy turns into a rich and fiery spectrum of red, yellow, and orange that is beautiful to say the least.
Getting to Hoshi no Buranko
Hoshi no Buranko is located within Hoshida Enchi Park, in Katano, Osaka. The nearest train station from Hoshida Enchi Park is Kisaichi Station which lies on the end of the Keihan Katano Line, a tangent train line off the Keihan Main Line. Hirakatashi Station serves as the connecting station between both lines.
Once at Kisaichi Station, it’s about a 40 min walk to the entrance of Hoshida Enchi Park. The route towards Hoshida Enchi and Hoshi no Buranko are lined with beautiful scenery as well so it’d be crime not to take the scenic walk instead of simply driving up to the park. Do note as well that during koyo season, parking lots will be filled up fast due to the larger traffic of people so taking a car may not be the wisest of decisions.
What to do at Hoshida Enchi
Aside from the main attraction that is the suspension bridge, there’s a rock-climbing wall right at the entrance at the park. Unfortunately, those who want to ascend the wall have to go through a one-day safety lecture which is held several times throughout the year. On top of that, it costs roughly 700 yen to climb as well.
Once you see the rock-climbing wall, the famous bridge is not that far ahead. It won’t be before long as you feast your eyes on the extensive suspension bridge. Cross Hoshi no Buranko and you’ll hit an observation deck that will give you sweeping views of the koyo leaves and the nearby cities of Osaka and Kyoto.
Trust us, the hike is worth it as you stand on the deck and take in the natural beauty before you.
Address
5019-1 Hoshida, Katano, Osaka 576-0011, Japan
Opening Hours
Daily 9 AM to 5 PM
Closed on Tuesdays and Public Holidays
Top photo by osaka_bob via Instagram.
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