Aside from being part of the sprawling Champagne Gold Illumination – where some 480,000 LEDs bathe the entire Umekita area in a warm, luminous glow – Grand Green Osaka is rolling out its own celebrations for the year-end season.
The festivities centre around Umekita Park, where light, sound, fragrance and hands-on experiences come together to create an urban holiday wonderland. Grand Green Osaka’s dining outlets have even set up food trucks to surround the park, adding even more joy to the festive atmosphere.
The star attraction here is the Dome, a giant transparent half-sphere measuring six metres tall and 11 metres wide. Inside, you can escape the winter chill with mulled wine and hot chocolate, unwind with board games and books, and take part in workshops to make Christmas ornaments, room diffusers and more.
Nearby, the reflecting pool hosts the Kagaribi, a bonfire-inspired installation that lights up at dusk. Its flame-like illumination ripples across the water, and with the accompanying sound effects of crackling fire, this mesmerising sight is sure to help warm the senses.
Over at the Pop-Up, an event space with weekly changing activities, Umekita Onsen Ren Wellbeing Park (the massive wellness centre located in the adjacent Grand Green Osaka South Building) has set up a limited-time footbath infused with the soothing aroma of yuzu. It’s another cosy spot to relax and warm up within Umekita Park.
The programme at the Pop-Up changes weekly. The footbath runs until Saturday December 13. Then, from December 19–25, twelve new food trucks will take over to usher in Christmas week.
