Expo '70 Commemorative Park

Expo '70 Commemorative Park, known in Japanese as Banpaku Kinen Koen, occupies the sprawling grounds in suburban Suita where Japan hosted Expo '70, the first world's fair held in Asia. After the six-month exposition closed, most of its pavilions were removed and the site was reborn as one of the Kansai region's largest and best-loved public parks: some 260 hectares of lawns, woodland, gardens and cultural facilities that draw families, festival-goers and garden lovers throughout the year.

Rising at the heart of the park is its unmistakable symbol, the Tower of the Sun. Created by the avant-garde artist Taro Okamoto as the centrepiece of Expo '70, this 70-metre concrete figure with its three enigmatic faces, one looking to the future, one to the present and a black sun to the past, has become an icon of postwar Japanese design. Long sealed, the tower's interior was restored and reopened to visitors by timed reservation, revealing Okamoto's towering Tree of Life sculpture within.

The park's quieter masterpiece lies to the north: a large strolling Japanese garden built for the Expo that leads visitors chronologically through the styles of four eras, from ancient and medieval pond gardens to the tea gardens of the early modern period and a contemporary design, all linked by a flowing watercourse. Elsewhere the grounds hold rose gardens, a field of nemophila and poppies in spring, extensive cherry groves, autumn maples, a national ethnological museum and open meadows for picnics.

The visiting experience is spacious and unhurried, and the flat, wide paths make most of the park very accessible for wheelchairs, strollers and older visitors. It is genuinely large, so pick your priorities; a comfortable visit runs to three hours or more, and families could easily spend a full day between the gardens, museums and play areas. A single modest ticket covers both the Natural Culture Park and the Japanese Garden, with the Tower of the Sun interior charged separately.

The best time to visit is spring, when thousands of cherry trees and fields of seasonal flowers bloom, or autumn, when the maples color and the rose garden has its second flush. The park hosts food and craft festivals on many weekends, which add energy but also crowds.

Getting there is easiest by the Osaka Monorail. From central Osaka, ride the Midosuji subway line or JR to a monorail interchange such as Senri-Chuo, then take the monorail to Banpaku-kinen-koen Station, from which the entrance beside the Tower of the Sun is about five minutes on foot. The monorail is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass but accepts ICOCA and other IC cards. The adjacent Expocity complex, with its giant Ferris wheel and aquarium, makes an easy add-on.