Friday 3rd November 2017. 14:30 Minoo Osaka.Today was yet another public holiday, which I completely

Friday 3rd November 2017. 14:30 Minoo Osaka.Today was yet another public holiday, which I completely forgot about until late last night, so it came as a nice surprise. I decided to get some fresh air away from the city and head to Minoo Park.Minoo Park (箕面公園, Minō Kōen, also spelled Mino or Minoh) is a forested valley on the outskirts of Osaka, just north of the urban sprawl. During the fall, it is one of the best places in the Kansai Region to see the autumn colours in a natural setting, as opposed to the attractive fall foliage found at temples and gardens. The colours are usually best in the second half of November.Similar to Tokyo’s Mount Takao, Minoo Park is the closest spot to the busy metropolis of Osaka to find a spacious natural recreation area. The park can be reached in less than 30 minutes from the downtown Umeda area. Another similarity, Takao and Minoo were both given quasi-national park status in 1967 to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the Meiji Period (1867-1912).Minoo Park is famous for its waterfall but unfortunately when I arrived and had walked through the village, the rest of the walk leading up to the waterfall was closed off due to damage and fallen trees on the path caused by the typhoon a few weeks ago. It was still beautiful and made for a lovely afternoon out of the city. I also saw my first ever Japanese Giant Hornet but of course I didn’t get close enough to take a picture lol. -- source link

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