My Town: Osaka

Since early spring this year, I have been trying to commute by bicycle on sunny days, both to be carbon neutral and to improve my health. The route starts from "Hotarumachi" in Fukushima, where I currently live, to "Osaka Amenity Park" in Temmabashi, where I work, and runs from west to east along the greenway in the center of Nakanoshima along the Dojima River and Tosabori River, and then runs north along the cherry blossom-lined Okawa River from Temmabashi, a length of about 5 km, allowing you to enjoy the "water city of Osaka." It is a very comfortable ride, and I feel the joy of being involved in the urban development at the start and end of this route, as a design organization, in the project to shape the skyline of central Osaka.

When I first started, the temperature was low and I had to take a lot of precautions against the cold, but compared to commuting by subway or bus, I still started my day feeling a much fresher breeze. As the seasons changed, I was able to enjoy the magnificent continuous cherry blossoms, the vibrant new greenery, the gorgeous blooms of various rose varieties in the Nakanoshima Rose Garden, the chirps of cicadas celebrating midsummer, and events such as Tanabata and Tenjin Festival. While this bicycle commute leaves behind memories of each season, it also soothes and cheers the heart, allowing me to fully feel the change of seasons even in the city. I am looking forward to the scenery that each season will bring.

On a nice day, you can take a little walk around Osaka Castle Park and enjoy Osaka Castle, which retains the grandeur of Hideyoshi's power, or go a little further to the Kema Drainage Area and enjoy a 7km long walk through cherry blossoms while overlooking the flow of the Yodo River. You can fully enjoy the diverse sequences of Osaka's world-famous waterfront urban space.

The Seine and Paris, the Thames and London, the Willamette and Portland, and Osaka, the Water City. There are too many cities in the world that boast the charm of their waterfront spaces to mention. Each city asserts its own history, geographical conditions, potential, and identity, and competes with each other to combine water, greenery, history, architecture, and art, which are the source of the charm of their spaces and landscapes. Osaka, the Water City, has also borne fruit through the tireless efforts of many people, including the prefecture, city, and Tadao Ando, and you can feel its potential being polished day by day. In the future, what is necessary for Osaka to shine in the world of tomorrow in the most Osaka-like way is the presence of people who pour their love and passion into this city as they do for the Hanshin Tigers.

My commute route is also constantly evolving, with new ideas and facilities being constantly created thanks to the wisdom and passion of many people. Just in the past two months, an open-air cafe has been built in the plaza with a panoramic view of Nakanoshima Public Hall, designed by Shinichiro Okada and Kingo Tatsuno, a beer garden has been built facing the rose garden, and a new waterfront greenway has been developed in conjunction with the open space on the south side of City Hall, providing a delight for users.

We hope to further enhance the charm and potential of Osaka, and to spread the charm of Osaka, the water city, throughout Japan and the world, by working hard every day to think of this city and pour our love and passion into it through urban development. Everyone, we encourage you to try out cycling around Osaka, the water city, at least once!