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Nature's Enclave in a Japanese Metropolis
Written by Vlad Jecan 
Photo:
image by Flickr user A Posh Sentinel
The insane architecture you see above is the aftermath of a baseball stadium being abandoned in Osaka Japan; a new opportunity revealed itself and brought a bit of green regeneration to the urban jungle.
Judging by the ticket sales, people Osaka didn’t seem to care too much about baseball, so in 2003 the stadium was abandoned. Notwithstanding this, being situated near the Namba Train Station (the first stop from Kansai Airport) has its advantages: it is a place of great economic importance and the site therefore couldn’t go to waste. After several ideas and plans, the site’s owner, Nankai Electric Railway finally decided to convert the area into an amazing rising garden complex: the Namba Parks.
Within the park lie an array of towers (some over 30 meters high), a commercial center, as well as gardens, trees and waterfalls. The sloping park connects with the street, giving cars and passers-by comfortable access to the complex. Below the park there are also various restaurants, as well as a shopping mall with eight floors of gardens, which would probably drive me insane! It is a good place to shop though, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Probably the most intriguing thing about the complex is the eclectic fusion of the urban and the natural: jagged and curved architectural lines blend into the soft, organic foliage. This is urban renewal at its best.
In the evening the whole park takes on a different appearance. Looking out of a balcony, above the city of Osaka with a drink in one's hand, perhaps it is easier to appreciate the fusion of urban sprawl and nature.
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Comments
Kobayashi (not verified) says:
Jun 27th, 2008 at 6pm
Great architecture, great idea to have a lot of green on a building instead of around it. It safes precious space.
Brad (not verified) says:
Jun 27th, 2008 at 6pm
That is so dang beautiful, and such a great idea. I would love to go visit Japan just to see this. Thanks for sharing.
Marilynn (not verified) says:
Jun 27th, 2008 at 7pm
Wow it's so beautiful and innovated, especially located in such an urban area. I wish there was something like this in LA, that would be cool. Great for photography too.
Christian (not verified) says:
Jun 27th, 2008 at 7pm
For clarification, The Hanshin Tigers built a new stadium.
Mo (not verified) says:
Jun 27th, 2008 at 7pm
I saw that view firsthand from my hotel room at the Swisshotel a few months ago. It's quite a breathtaking scene, and seeing this picture brings back some great memories. Thank you!
dude (not verified) says:
Jun 27th, 2008 at 7pm
People in Osaka love baseball, they just didn't care much for that particular team (Nankai Hawks, now located in Fukuoka). Plus the team was sold and left well over a decade ago.
Phil (not verified) says:
Jun 27th, 2008 at 8pm
The place has about as much greenery as your average Simon mall, it's the architecture that's really quite interesting. The greenery is impressive when compared to the rest of the city, though, as other than Osaka castle there's very little greenery in the whole of the city.
I'd say the Dotombori area would be much more interesting for visitors. And Den-Den town right next to Namba Parks would be ideal for anyone interested in Japanese media and electronics(Sofmap is awesome!)
Matt (not verified) says:
Jun 27th, 2008 at 8pm
That is truly remarkable. If a stadium is abandoned in the US we either blow it up or allow it to become a blight. This is an excellent example of what a little bit of creativity can do.
Nikki (not verified) says:
Jun 28th, 2008 at 12pm
Not true, there are some amazing areas of green space in Osaka. Not least (as already mentioned) is Osaka Castle park, several square kilometres of beautiful greenery where you can completely forget you are even in a city. Then there is Nagai Stadium Park, where the World Cup was held a number of years ago, houses a natural history museum in the midst of a large and beautiful botanic garden surrounding a lake covered in water lilies. At night the park becomes a place for people to practice instruments and various martial arts, even throughout this the entire park remains very peaceful and serene.
Time Tracker (not verified) says:
Wow! It's a slice of paradise in the midst of an urban jungle. Very cool!