Hirakata Park

Summer is in full swing, and what better a way to cool off than relaxing in a pool? Hirakata Park’s water park, The Boon, is now open for the season. Running from July 19 to August 31 and open daily from 10am to 4pm, The Boon has four different pools. The Donbura is much like a lazy river, the Siesta offers panoramic views of the entire park and the surrounding neighbourhood, and the Nagisa is similar to a beach and shallows, with a gentle sloped bottom that has a maximum depth of 120cm. There’s also a children’s pool with playground equipment fitted with splash buckets and slides, plus four water slides, one of which is the longest in all of Kansai. Tickets include admission to the rest of the park and cost ¥2,900 for adults and ¥1,700 for children aged 2 to 12. Water slides require an additional ticket, which costs ¥1,000 and can be purchased from a ticket machine in the pool area. Paid rest areas with lounge chairs and parasols can be reserved in advance on the website, with prices starting at ¥5,000.