Momogaike Park, Public park in Abeno ward, Osaka, Japan
Momogaike Park is a district park in Momogaikecho 1-chome, Abeno ward, Osaka, covering 71,448 square metres. It consists of the pond Momogaike, a walking path around it, and a children's playground. Peach and cherry trees are planted in the grounds, and the park can be seen from the windows of JR Hanwa Line trains passing just to its east.
The pond was long called Momogaike and appeared in Edo-period records as 百ヶ池; by the Meiji and Taisho eras the writing 股ヶ池 had become standard. Osaka City opened the park on 25 October 1933, choosing the character 桃 for its simpler form. It is regarded as Japan's first park completed through land readjustment under city planning.
The park's name shifted from Momogaike to the homophone 桃ヶ池 in 1933, when the city opened it as a planned park. The adjacent Momogaike Myōjin shrine keeps the older spelling 股ヶ池明神 and mixes Buddhist and Shinto elements: Fudō Myōō, Jizō, Shōtoku Taishi and Kōbō Daishi are all honoured there. The shrine was a filming location for the NHK Osaka morning drama Teppan.
Momogaike Park lies in Momogaikecho 1-chome, Abeno ward, Osaka. The nearest stations are Minami-Tanabe on the JR Hanwa line, about 500 m north; Showa-cho on the Midosuji subway line, about 500 m east; and Tanabe on the Tanimachi subway line, about 400 m west. The park covers 71,448 square metres, with the pond, surrounding promenades and a children's play area.
The pond's central island is known locally as "Hebijima" (Snake Island); legend holds that Prince Shotoku buried a giant serpent he had slain on the pond's floating island, and the Orochi mound stood there until the early Showa era. The adjacent Momogaike Myojin shrine, founded in the 1780s, keeps this story alive.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,070 contributors worldwide.