Now that it’s the end of summer, you must be thinking about how you can enjoy the end of it to the fullest. I know exactly what you need! A nice, fun, artistic picnic day at a park! Here is how you can enjoy your picture-perfect summer picnic in Osaka.
Like I said, I know what you’re thinking. Is summer really ending? Especially here in Japan where it’s still blazing hot! The very first day of fall and the beginning of autumn equinox is September 22 at 9:43 PM. Summer is coming to an end and the weather will eventually get cooler. Why not enjoy the heat a little more and have a picnic?
(Even if you’re reading this at a different time or season, like in Winter, that’s okay! Use these tips next time or do an indoor picnic!)
As you know, Junko is no stranger to my blogging adventures~ She’ll be in this adventure article too! You can check out some of our past adventures here by looking at these articles:
It’s no secret that I love hanging out with her, so imagine how excited I was when she was also excited about having a picnic together.
We ended up going to the park around 5:45 PM. Our goal was 5PM, but between cooking and me being slow, we fell behind schedule. Usually, the sun sets around 6:10 PM, so we were worried about burning daylight Turns out that it was actually the perfect time to go. It was cooler outside and there was a small gust of wind by that time. Plus the view from the park was wonderful and watching the sunset as we ate was absolutely breathtaking.
Make sure to go later at night when it’s cool outside!
I want to link to the park that we went to. It’s beautiful and really set the atmosphere for us as we ate. Of course, if you’re not around this area, I will have two different (and popular) parks around the main areas in Osaka for you to check out linked below ;).
This is article is in perfect timing because the new UmeKita area just opened around Umeda and now everyone is going there. (Actually, the very next day, after our picnic Junko and I met up and sat in the new park together haha)
1)Ogimachi Park (where Junko I went for our picnic)
Some people say I’m a little bit extra or over the top, I just say that a little extra decor and pizzazz can go a long way. Here are some items that I recommend for you to have a smooth picnic experience.
Extra
Here is the menu that we had for our picnic along with the recipes that were used. I want to give a special shout out to my Tanabe mama, Maako-chan. Maako-chan makes the most amazing meals every time I go “back home” to Tanabe to visit. Last time I was in town, she made many dishes, including the food I’m linking below! It was soooooo good! I HAD to ask her for the recipes to make for Junko. Or in this case, WITH Junko because I was really slow at cooking haha. I really recommend these recipes if you want to feel full or just eat something super yummy.
Here was our picnic menu:
The Ingredients:
・Sliced pork
・Boiled string beans
・Sliced boiled carrots
Cooking Process
1)Sprinkle salt and pepper on the pork, then roll the beans and carrots in it.
2)After rolling, dip them in flour, then in a beaten egg.
3)Finally, dip them in bread crumbs (panko flakes), then fry in oil until cooked.
<I recommend using more than a sprinkle of salt or sprinkling more after you fry it. For some reason, mine didn’t taste as good as Maako-chan’s even with the salt I added :(>
(You can also make a miso paste to dip the veggie porks into)
Wonderful recipe as is~
I typically make banana bread every couple of months. I use this recipe all the time! I HIGHLY recommend it. My big sis in Tanabe says it’s best to eat the bread/ freshly made dessert after 12 hours. Something about the ingredients really having a yummy flavor after that time.
We couldn’t have been more pleased with how everything turned out. After we sat down, put on some background K-pop music, and started eating, it really felt like we were in a movie as we talked and laughed together. Truly, it is one of my new favorite memories!
One thing that Junko and I were both extremely excited about was “painting”. I sent her an Instagram video of two girls painting at the park, but the fun part about it was that they switched canvases every three minutes, so they ended up painting on each other’s canvases. It’s a combination of teamwork that has extremely hilarious results. Junko and I both stated that we were terrible painters when I brought up the idea, but that we were excited to try. You can check out the end results below.
Something that Van Goh would paint, right? Why does it look like a children’s fairytale book? Either way, it was fun.
<You can see some of the fun we had here! (Tiktok video)>
A few more activities /games you can do at the park are:
As you know, I’m all about my magical movie moments. I’m so happy to include this as one of them. I’m so incredibly thankful to Junko for spending time with me and for planning a picnic with me, to Maako-chan for the love she always puts into her food and the recipes she shared with me, and to life for such lovely moments that it blesses me with. Make sure to take advantage of the weather and the beauty of nature by having your own picnic soon!
