Grand Green Osaka Park: Umekita no Mori Opens 20 November
The green space itself is called Umekita Park (うめきた公園). It sits inside Grand Green Osaka, a new district on the north side of JR Osaka Station. South Park, the open lawn, has been open since 2024. North Park is the quieter, wooded half, and Umekita no Mori is its centrepiece.
You can visit the park today and walk straight in from the station. The new forest adds water, shade and a direct walkway between the two halves. If your trip falls after 20 November, you get both. If it falls before, South Park and the winter lights are already there.
What opens at Umekita no Mori on 20 November
The new area is about 9,000 square metres of North Park’s later-phase section. That section covers about 1.0 hectare in total. The table below lists what the developers say goes into the part that opens first.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Area opening on 20 Nov 2026 | About 9,000 sq m (about 0.9 ha) |
| Water features (pond and waterfall) | About 1,400 sq m |
| Waterfall | About 10 m wide, about 3 m high |
| Stone-walled landform | About 3 m high |
| Tall trees | 165 trees of 22 species |
| Shrubs | About 3,000 sq m, 83 species |
| Lawn | About 2,600 sq m |
| Cherry trees | 23 trees of 6 kinds |
| Hirameki no Michi walkway | 350 m, full length |
| Opening around spring 2027 | About 1,400 sq m |
Water is the centre of the design. The plan includes about 1,400 square metres of water features, a pond and a waterfall. The waterfall is about 10 metres wide and about 3 metres high, a nod to Osaka’s history as a city of rivers.
A stone-walled landform about 3 metres high wraps around the space. The developers say it screens out the views and noise of the city around it. Inside, you hear birds, water and leaves while standing in front of one of Japan’s busiest stations.
The planting in the opening area counts 165 tall trees of 22 species. It adds about 3,000 square metres of shrubs of 83 species and about 2,600 square metres of lawn. Native trees such as enoki and mukunoki lead the mix. Maples and katsura trees bring autumn colour, and irises and azaleas flower in season.
There are 23 cherry trees of 6 kinds, including Edo higan, Yamazakura and Oshimazakura. The Grand Green Osaka Umekita Park map says cherry blossoms appear above the waterfall in spring.
On signs and maps, look for うめきたの森 (Umekita no Mori), which means ‘Umekita forest’. The walkway is ひらめきの道 (Hirameki no Michi), roughly ‘path of ideas’.
Hirameki no Michi runs 350 metres between the north and south blocks and opens along its full length. It crosses the road that splits South Park from North Park. Once it opens, you can walk the whole park at second-floor level without waiting at a crossing.
A cafe-restaurant looking over the forest is also planned, provisionally named AOI NAPOLI OMBRA. Its operator, Balnibarbi, describes an Italian cafe built around a wood-fired pizza oven, with takeaway food for park visitors. The name may still change.
The announcement above is Osaka City’s press release of 23 April 2026. In Japanese, it states that the open area of North Park grows by about 0.9 hectares on 20 November.
One part of the forest stays closed. About 1,400 square metres of Umekita no Mori open only with the full park, planned for around spring 2027. Osaka City says the opening area may change with construction progress. The developers add that visitor services are still under consideration. We checked these details on 11 October 2026 against the Grand Green Osaka developer JV press release on Umekita no Mori and the Osaka City press release on Umekita Park opening area.
Grand Green Osaka timeline: 2024 to 2027
Grand Green Osaka has opened in stages since 2024. The table below sets out each date and whether it is fixed or still planned.
| Date | What opens | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Sep 2024 | Advance opening: South Park and part of North Park (about 3.5 ha), plus the North Building hotel and shops | Done |
| 21 Mar 2025 | South Building grand opening | Done |
| 20 Nov 2026 | Umekita no Mori (about 0.9 ha) and Hirameki no Michi; more than nine-tenths of the park open | Decided |
| Around spring 2027 | Full park opening, including the last 1,400 sq m | Planned |
| Fiscal 2027 | Full town opening of Grand Green Osaka | Planned |
The advance opening on 6 September 2024 covered all of South Park and part of North Park. The UR West Japan press release on Umekita Park expansion puts that first area at about 3.5 hectares. UR built the park’s base together with Osaka City.
The North Building opened on the same day with the hotel Canopy by Hilton Osaka Umeda and the SHOPS & RESTAURANTS mall. The Grand Green Osaka advance opening press release, 6 Sep 2024 lists both, along with the JAM BASE innovation centre.
The photo above shows the Grand Green Osaka buildings and the park beside JR Osaka Station. The South Building followed with its grand opening on 21 March 2025. The developers say about 28 million people in total visited between the advance opening and their April 2026 release.
Two different nine-tenths figures appear in the official releases. UR says more than nine-tenths of Umekita Park will be open after 20 November. The developers say about nine-tenths of Grand Green Osaka as a whole will be open on that date. One counts the park, the other counts the whole district.
What remains has no fixed day yet. The full park opening is planned for around spring 2027. The full town opening of the district is planned for fiscal 2027.
The illustration above shows the four stages in order, from the first lawn in 2024 to the full park in 2027. Behind the project is a joint venture of 9 companies led by Mitsubishi Estate. It works with Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City and UR.
Visiting Umekita Park now: hours and park rules
You can visit Umekita Park today. It is open 24 hours a day, except shops, toilets and some other facilities, which keep their own hours. Osaka City also lists the park as always open.
The park covers 45,000 square metres, about half of the roughly 91,000-square-metre district. The Grand Green Osaka concept and facility overview calls it one of the world’s largest urban parks directly connected to a major terminal station.
The park map describes a sloping lawn beside a shallow reflecting pool. Together they work as an outdoor theatre for events.
A large roof by the architects SANAA stands at the station end. Its three sections run about 120 metres from north to south and hold cafes and an event space. Nearby is VS., a museum whose design Tadao Ando supervised. MIDORI LOUNGE offers free seating with a cafe if you need a break.
The park has a short set of rules. The illustration below shows four things the rules ask you not to do.
Here is the full list for visitors.
- There are no rubbish bins, so take your rubbish home.
- Smoking is allowed only at the designated smoking areas.
- Tents may not be brought in.
- On the lawn, carry your suitcase instead of pulling it.
- Drones may not be flown without the park manager’s permission.
- There is no car park or bicycle parking inside the park.
The suitcase rule matters for travellers. Many people cross the park on the way to or from Osaka Station with luggage. Lift your case over the grass and roll it only on the paths.
Getting to Grand Green Osaka from Osaka Station and Kansai Airport
The park is directly connected to JR Osaka Station. Osaka City’s park page gives a 7-minute walk from Osaka Station. It gives a 9-minute walk from Umeda Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line.
The photo above shows JR Osaka Station, where most visitors start. The quickest way in is the station’s Umekita Underground Gate, which opened in March 2023 and leads straight to the park.
Other nearby stations are Hankyu and Hanshin Osaka-Umeda, and Osaka Metro Umeda, Higashi-Umeda and Nishi-Umeda. If you arrive by Shinkansen at Shin-Osaka, the JR Tokaido Line reaches Osaka Station in 4 minutes.
To reach the North Building at second-floor level, the Grand Green Osaka JAM BASE access page gives this route.
- Start at the Atrium Plaza by the Central North Exit of JR Osaka Station.
- Take the 2nd-floor deck into Grand Front Osaka’s South Building.
- Walk through to the 2nd floor of Grand Front Osaka’s North Building.
- Cross the Grand Green Osaka north connecting bridge into the North Building.
From Kansai Airport, JR trains to Osaka Station take about 65 minutes on the Kansai Airport Rapid Service with no change. The Haruka limited express takes about 45 minutes.
Visitors with a foreign passport can buy a HARUKA One-way Ticket to Osaka for 1,800 yen. The limousine bus to the Osaka Station area also costs 1,800 yen. Our Kansai Airport to Osaka Station guide compares the train and the bus.
The illustration above sums up the time from each starting point. For local trips, an IC card covers almost everything. Osaka Metro accepts ICOCA, Suica, PASMO and other nationwide cards. Osaka City Bus charges a flat 210 yen for adults. Our guide to IC cards in Osaka explains where each card works.
Umekita winter illumination: 4 Nov 2026 to 28 Feb 2027
The lights start on Wednesday 4 November 2026. The Champagne Gold Illumination in UMEKITA covers Grand Front Osaka and Grand Green Osaka. It runs to Sunday 28 February 2027, every day from 17:00 to 24:00.
This winter the lit area reaches into North Park and the ginkgo avenue of Umekita Green Place. The organisers count 156 decorated trees and more than half a million LED bulbs, the most so far. The lights have been a winter event here since Grand Front Osaka opened in 2013.
The photo above shows Grand Front Osaka at night with champagne-gold lights on the trees. The lights come on before Umekita no Mori opens, so the first weeks show South Park and the streets only. After 20 November the glow extends into the new forest area.
The Grand Santa Parade in UMEKITA is on Tuesday 22 December 2026. Workers and visitors dress as Santa Claus and walk through the area. They hand out presents and pick up litter along the way. About 650 Santas took part last year. Details and sign-up are due in early November on the official websites.
Both districts also plan Christmas events under the shared banner UMEKITA WINTER. Grand Green Osaka plans GRAND GREEN HOLIDAY 2026, and Grand Front Osaka plans GRAND WISH CHRISTMAS 2026. Their dates are still to come.
The Grand Front Osaka and Umekita winter illumination 2026 press release says the lit area and times may change without notice. For other lights and events in the city, see Osaka in November and Osaka in December. Our guide to Christmas in Japan covers markets and what stays open.
Fitting the park into an Osaka trip
The park sits right beside Osaka Station, so it fits around a train change. The chart below compares the travel times from the sections above.
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Osaka Station to park (walk) | 7 min | |
| Umeda, Midosuji Line (walk) | 9 min | |
| Shin-Osaka to Osaka (JR) | 4 min | |
| Kansai Airport (Haruka) | 45 min | about |
| Kansai Airport (Rapid) | 65 min | about |
Arriving from Tokyo, you reach Shin-Osaka by Shinkansen. Osaka Station is then 4 minutes away, and the park is a short walk from there. Our Tokyo to Osaka guide lists the Nozomi times and fares. Drop your bags at your hotel or a station locker first, since the lawn rule asks you to carry cases.
Heading on to Kyoto, the JR Special Rapid leaves from Osaka Station itself. A morning walk through the forest before the train costs you almost no time. Our Osaka to Kyoto guide compares the Special Rapid with the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka.
Timing your visit is simple. Before 20 November, you see South Park and, from 4 November, the evening lights. From 20 November, you also get the waterfall, the forest and the full walkway. Late November is when Osaka’s ginkgo trees turn yellow, according to our Osaka autumn leaves page.
The document above is page 3 of UR’s press release. Its drawings show the pond and the waterfall, and cherry trees seen from Hirameki no Michi. Come back around spring 2027 for the cherry trees above the waterfall. The last part of the park is also due to open then.
Because the park never closes, an evening walk works well after dinner in Umeda. The lights stay on until 24:00. For a full day of sightseeing by subway, compare the OSAKA AMAZING PASS, which covers all Osaka Metro lines and most Osaka City Bus routes.
FAQ
When does Umekita no Mori open at Grand Green Osaka?
Umekita no Mori opens on Friday 20 November 2026. That day adds about 0.9 hectares to Umekita Park, including the waterfall and the full Hirameki no Michi walkway. About 1,400 square metres stay closed until the full park opening, planned for around spring 2027.
Is Umekita Park open at night?
Yes. The park is open 24 hours, except shops, toilets and some other facilities. From 4 November 2026 to 28 February 2027, the winter lights are on every day from 17:00 to 24:00.
How do I get to Grand Green Osaka Park from Osaka Station?
Use the Umekita Underground Gate of JR Osaka Station, which leads straight to the park. Osaka City gives a 7-minute walk from Osaka Station and 9 minutes from Umeda Station on the Midosuji Line. From Shin-Osaka, take the JR Tokaido Line to Osaka Station in 4 minutes.
Can I bring a suitcase or a drone into Umekita Park?
You can bring a suitcase, but carry it on the lawn instead of pulling it. Drones may not be flown without the park manager’s permission. There are no rubbish bins, so take your rubbish home.
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