Written by Aarohi Narain
This is a dreamy detour into a forest blooming with fifty shades of hydrangea.
What happens?
The Hydrangea Festival at Expo ’70 Commemorative Park is the kind of rainy season ritual that makes you forget about soggy socks. Tucked into the park’s western edge is the Hydrangea Forest, a dedicated ajisai garden that bursts into color each June. You’ll find around 50 different varieties of both lacecap and mophead hydrangeas, including some affectionately known as shichihenge, or “seven transformations”, hinting at their color-shifting qualities.
Feeling poetic? The park hosts a hydrangea-themed haiku contest. Entries will be shared online and in the park newsletter, as well as displayed in the garden itself, so you may spot your words among the blooms.
Schedule 2025
The park is closed on Wednesdays. Note that the last entry is 4:30 p.m.
Tickets 2025
The festival itself is free but you’ll need to pay an admission fee to enter the Natural and Cultural Gardens and the Japanese Garden. Admission is ¥260 for adults and ¥80 for kids.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.- 441 m from Banpaku-Kinen-Kōen Station Osaka Monorail Main LineOsaka Monorail Saito Line
- 1.0 km from Handai-byōin-mae Station Osaka Monorail Saito Line
- 1.1 km from Kōen-higashiguchi Station Osaka Monorail Saito Line
