Minoo Waterfall, Osaka’s Best Spot for Fall Leaves!

Minoo Park is easily the most spectacular place to enjoy the fall leaves in Osaka. On top of that, it only takes three dollars from Umeda Station to the park and Minoo Waterfall.

The road to the park is very straightforward. After getting out at the exit, just head north along the road with all the street vendors and souvenir shops. 

First Half of the path to Minoo Waterfall

Once you get to the park itself, it is a short hike through the park to the falls; roughly 3 km, which should only take only about 45 minutes. The trail is a completely paved road with just a bit of elevation so it is a very comfortable walk. Although Minoo Park can be crowded on weekends, during the week the crowds are not that bad.

The most popular food in Minoo is without a doubt momiji tempura. It is only available in Minoo and is quite interesting, as no other Japanese people eat momiji.

To be honest, it just tastes like any other sweet fried snack. The maple leaves themselves do not really have any flavor—but who doesn’t like fried food, right? Since it is so popular, you should definitely try some. There are quite a lot of momiji tempura vendors along the road to Minoo Park. Some stores sell out their around early evening, so make sure to try them sooner rather than later!

In fact, Minoo is historically well known for its exceptional yuzu. You can find some people selling the actual fruit along the road to the park, as well as some yuzu-flavored snacks, like this croquette filled with yuzu and white bean paste.

Ryuanji Temple

On the way to the cascade is the insect museum. Right behind of the insect museum is Ryuan-ji Temple. Supposedly built in 658, this temple is full of history.

It prospered as a secluded Buddhist practice site for many monks and also the first temple to implement a kind of lottery as a means of generating funds.

Oddly, though it is on the path to Minoo Waterfall, not that many people visit this temple.

Last Half of the path to the Minoo waterfall

After Ryoanji Temple, the paved path goes further to the waterfall with beautiful fall foliage on either side of the road. 

Since it is in the mountains, you might feel a little bit chilly. Make sure to bring warm clothes!

Up until about a decade ago, Minoo was actually a very famous place to see wild monkeys. Unfortunately, the monkeys began to make a nuisance of themselves by steal things from the vendors and tourists. As a result, they were pushed back into their mountain. Even still, you can still find several monkeys up on the trees near the waterfall.