Welcome to my guide for every upcoming season in Hirakata! Rest assured and look no further as my blog will tell you exactly what you need and more so you don’t have to worry about planning your activities further.
Every season brings its own colors and Hirakata keeps up with the patterns. So let’s quickly dive into what every season exactly has to offer.
Spring
Each year more people fall in love with Japan. Only in April an estimated 3,692,200 million tourists travelled to Japan. April is known as the busiest time of year, why? The blossom trees are one of the biggest reasons! Sadly what personally bothered me while visiting Tokyo in 2022 was how busy it was, and it has only gotten busier. It is hard to appreciate nature when the place is too crowded. Because of this Hirakata is an amazing place to visit to enjoy the many Cherry blossoms.
Only a 20 minute bus ride from Hirakata station is Yamadaike Park many Cherry blossoms grow here each year, best news? It is less crowded and completely free! This park is on its own already worth visiting as it is known for its beautiful flowers throughout the entire year. It is child friendly with playgrounds and options to picnic and barbeque too.
Hirakata Park,
The oldest amusement park of Japan is fun on its own with the many rides they offer. Turns extra special during spring. As it offers an annual rose festival where 600 varieties will show! There will also be tour guides, musicians and food on theme with rose flavours. It is definitely worth it!
Summer
The summers in Japan can get intense, luckily Hirakata has many ways to make it fun and meaningful nonetheless.
The Hirakata Tanabata Festival.
It is a real Hirakata original that can only be experienced once a year. It is based on ancient folklore which tells The story of Two Star-crossed Lovers. Something really special that brings old traditions into modern day. Although other places like Kyoto and Osaka also celebrate it. Hirakata is known as the birthplace of the Japanese Tanabata legend and folklore. It is perfect for people who are interested in both culture, history and having a simple fun time. So what can you do?
The Amanogawa Yume no Hoshi Festa.
You can customize your own lantern in a workshop and release it onto the river during sunset around 19:30 together with many other people. Outside of that there will be live music and local food stalls.
Hirakata mall
They will also be holding a summer picnic and starlit night. Just on the 6th floor on the rooftop you can gaze at the stars with friends or family while enjoying a picnic, which also offers limited Tanabata foods & drinks.
Both of these events are only on July 4th in Hirakata (15:00 – 20:30) so make sure to be there!
But don’t worry if you can’t make it on time because this festival offers amazing things from 4th till 7th of July with even a follow-up weekend music spin-off.
If you walk through Central Hirakata and the nearby parks during the night you get to see massive amounts of lights which are supposed to look like the Milky Way representing the old folklore story once again. Food stalls and small shops will continue together with live music.
You are getting into the feeling. You keep seeing these colorful paper strips called tanzaku, you wonder what they are and find out you can write your wishes on them , afterwards you tie them to the bamboo decorations that are everywhere around. Doesn’t that sound like a fulfilling night? After the festival ends these wishes will be taken to the historic Hatamono Shrine for a sacred burning ceremony, may all your wishes come true!
Hirakata park
They will also be celebrating with more than just amazing rides. They will have an indoor area where lanterns will be released, carnival games, workshops, water fortunes, live music, special food stalls and even photo stops (ps, if you come dressed in yukata you will get a discount and a special limited surprise). Outside of its festival opportunities Hirakata park will also transform into a water park in the summer with massive water slides and a lazy river from mid July till August.
Autumn
The Suito Kurawanka Fireworks Festival.
It is a festival that was made to celebrate the births of the new born children that year. The number of fireworks represents the amount of children born in the region. There will also be a drone show, the festival takes place on September 20th. The fireworks are best to see at Yodogawa River Park
The Roses at Hirakata Park and Yamadaike Park
Hirakata Park will once again open their gardens with its peak blooming season from mid-October to early November . You can also visit Yamadaike Park that will offer its personal charm this season too. The park often hosts traditional chrysanthemum exhibitions and harvest festivals in autumn. It is also perfect for an Autumn hike with beautiful trees covered in autumn leaves. When the sun goes down while walking the historic paths you can see the moon in the Yamada pond which is truly beautiful!
After such an exhausting hike I personally can’t wait to get myself a drink or sweet treat. There are many cute cafes nearby that are worth visiting. For reference I recommend reading Best Cafés, Coffee Shops, and Bakeries Near Hirakata Station to find out your personal favourites!
Winter
In the winter Hirakata truly can give you that feeling that you might crave of warmth and connection. It offers many magical lightshows, winter sports, and fun inside locations. Now hear me out before you say, what again?! Hirakata park truly knows how to keep it interesting!
Hirakata Park
It has its winter events ready each year. From November till April there will be an uncountable amount of lights everywhere. Light tunnels , gardens filled with sparks and more than 20 different attractions that stay open even in the dark. I personally would love to visit their 80 meter tall farris wheel to see the lights even better. Not much into attractions? That’s fine! They will have an ice rink of 1.200 m² together with a snow park where you can throw as many snowballs as you want, build snowmen and sled down their snowy hills.
You can also go on refreshing hikes for some peace of mind and a beautiful simple adventure. Here are the best day hikes from Hirakata
If you really are getting cold, keep yourself warm and get yourself some well earned presents at Hirakata T-Site for a fun day shopping combined with having a coffee or warm chocolate milk at the huge Hirakata T-site Bookstore.
Some extras for all year-round
Hirakata Shuku Kagiya Municipal Museum
Explore a 400-year-old former boathouse that provides a deep dive into Japanese life centuries ago. They display ancient documents and artifacts. Want to know more about the museum, make sure to check out their Official website for opening times, prices, and events since they often offer special workshops.
Goroku ichi Market
It is a handmade arts & crafts market with over 200 different stalls that sell all kinds of things like clothes, accessories, woodworks and also organic foods. The market adapts together with each season making street performances and stalls change constantly. The market is located from Hirakata park station all the way to Hirakata City station every second Sunday of the month. They provide translation on their official website too, with more information and even some history. Make sure to check it out. Good prices await you!
Excited but scared to explore alone or feel lonely? You never have to feel alone throughout these magical days by visiting OEH Osaka English House where you can meet many people to do these activities with. OEH Osaka English House is perfectly located next to Hirakata Park, and it has many friendly staff members and guests that are willing to show you things anytime. Rated with 4,8 stars on google I promise you it isn’t just words.
written by Senna Chenan
FAQs about Japanese seasonal traditions in Hirakata
Hirakata is a very family friendly city with many schools around, small fun bars and different kinds of restaurants offering a worldwide cuisine. All these things make it full of life.
It is about 33-38 minutes away from Osaka station, going with the Osaka Loop Line while making a transfer at Kyobashi to the Keihan Main Line.
Outside of its special events and activities it is the perfect middle point if you are planning to go to Kyoto, Nara and Osaka while travelling with limited amounts of time, since Hirakata is in the middle of all three.
Hirakata offers better prices and more local experiences since Kyoto is often smothered in tourists together with tourist prices, Hirakata is full of life while not being too overwhelming either.
Outside of a guarantee at meeting new people it also offers special workshops and Japanese classes that you can follow together with mostly other people from the Guesthouse or staff members. You can come while being be reassured that you don’t have to try hard to find people to connect with.
