Enjoy Summertime Leisure at Osaka Expo ’70 Commemorative Park!
Summer is here! Osaka’s summers are plenty hot, but Osaka Expo ’70 Commemorative Park has plenty of ways for you to enjoy your summer! The park features many different varieties of trees and flowers, so you can also enjoy the beauty of nature. This article will introduce the many events and activities you can enjoy at the Commemorative Park.
“Expo ’70 Commemorative Park” is a cultural park built on the site of Asia’s first World Expo, held in 1970. One of the main sights of the vast park is the “Tower of the Sun,” a landmark that has become a symbol of the park that was designed by Taro Okamoto. The park also features seasonal flowers and other hands-on experience facilities.
Open to the Public Again After 48 Years! The Interior of Osaka Expo ’70 Commemorative Park’s “Tower of the Sun”!
Taro Okamoto designed the “Tower of the Sun,” a structure that stands about 70 meters tall, as part of the theme for the Japan World Expo (Osaka World Expo). The interior of the tower is now being revealed for the first time since the Osaka World Expo, 48 years later!
Must-See Spots in the Tower of the Sun (1): Sun of the Underworld
Besides the 3 faces in the exterior of the Tower of the Sun, there was a 4th sun face in the Underground Exhibition Room in the Theme Pavilion. However, no one knew what happened to it after Expo '70 ended.
In conjunction with the opening of the tower's interior, this face has been reconstructed as Sun of the Underworld!
With a radius of 3 meters and a total length of about 11 meters (including its corona), you can feel the full impact of this giant Sun!
Images of the Expo '70 Underground Exhibition Room are displayed on projection mapping in this room.
Must-See Spots in the Tower of the Sun (2): The Tree of Life
From the Prologue Space at the Sun of the Underworld, proceed further inside and the 41-meter-high Tree of Life will appear. This tree is an expression of respect for life and the throbbing power that gives birth to it.
Various models of living things are displayed on the branches and trunk of this tree.
At the base are protists such as amoebas and sea lilies, and further up the tree are fish and reptiles. At the top of the tree, models of mammals such as macaques and Cro-Magnon humans are displayed to represent the progress of life's development.
If you climb the stairs, you can look at them up-close.
This work of art is so creative! It's hard to imagine it was made 48 years ago.
※Advance reservations are necessary to enter the Tower of the Sun. For enquiries, please go here:
Summer Fun at Expo ’70 Commemorative Park #1: Evening Illuminations of the Expo Park
This is an annual event held at Expo ’70 Commemorative Park during the summer evenings. The “Plaza of the Sun” is filled with mirror balls that illuminate the night sky, while the “East Road” area will become a glimmering path lit with sparkling lights. The “Expo Park Evening Illuminations” event pulls the whole park into a beautiful fantastical world. Enjoy the lovely atmosphere with family and friends.
- Dates
- August 4th (Saturday) through 14th (Tuesday), 2018. ※Closed Wednesdays and in case of inclement weather
- Hours
-
17:00-21:00 (Entry until 20:30)
※Entry after 16:30 is only available via the central entrance, Japanese garden gate, and east entrance. - Admission
- Free
※All photos shown are concept art
Summer Fun at Expo ’70 Commemorative Park #2: The Sunflower Festival and Eight Flower Views of Summer
Around 10,000 sunflowers across 22 different varieties are in full bloom during the Sunflower Festival, held August 12th (Sunday). Among the various colors and shapes of sunflowers are ones named after world-famous artists such as Matisse and Monet.
The “Eight Flower Views of Summer” are a collection of beautiful and relaxing summer flowers and plants in the Expo Commemorative Park. The site takes up about 7,800 square meters for eight themed gardens, such as the “Path of Invitations” and the “Summer Wind Terrace.” Each garden features a different perennial plant, annuals, and around 40 varieties of mid-sized flowering bushes and shrubs, so you can enjoy the summer flowers to their fullest!
There are also many other summer events held at the Commemorative Park other than the ones introduced in this article, including flower-viewing events when each variety reaches its peak!
Basic information on Expo '70 Commemorative Park
- Address
- Senri Bampaku Koen, Suita City, Osaka
- Access
- 5 minutes on foot from Bampaku-Koen Station on the Osaka Monorail
- Hours
- 9:30 am - 5:00 pm (Last admission 4:30 pm)
- Closed
- Wednesdays (When it falls on a National Holiday, the park will be closed the next day. However, there will be no closures in October or November.)
- Admission
- Adults 250 yen, elementary and junior high school students 70 yen
- URL(English)
- www.expo70-park.jp/languages/english/