Keihanna Commemorative Park (けいはんな記念公園)
Keihanna Commemorative Park is located in Seika-cho Town, Soraku-gun County, Kyoto Prefecture
This park opened in April of 1995 commemorating the establishment of the Kansai Science City (the Keihanna science city) and also commemorating the 1200th anniversary of the movement of the capital to the Heian-kyo capital.
Symbolizing the concept of the Keihanna science city aiming at 'harmony with nature,' it is located almost in the center of the city as well. Major facilities of Science City, such as the Kansai-kan branch of the National Diet Library, the Vocational Museum and Keihanna plaza, are located around there.
Its official name is long, 'The Kyoto Prefectural Park Commemorating the Establishment of Kansai Science City,' and descriptions here are made using the general nickname of 'Keihanna Commemorative Park.'
History
July, 1993: The work to construct the park started.
September, 1994: Construction of the major facilities was completed.
April, 1995: The park opened.
Summary
The Keihanna Science City has been newly built in the southern part of Kyoto Prefecture, and such a large-scale development was possible, because unexpectedly few historically important sites were located in the area, although the place belongs to the Kinki region. Keihanna Commemorative Park is a vast park occupying 24.1ha, of which 14.1ha is the area for preserving nature and 10.1ha is the area where facilities for various activities participated in by persons visiting the park are located. The former nature-preserve, where natural forests and Nagaya-ike Pond are effectively arranged, is for enjoying nature, and 'a large lawn area,' 'a valley,' and 'a Japanese garden' (Suikei-en Garden - a water landscape garden) are provided to encourage people visiting there to mingle with each other. Since the symbolic image of this park is 'the moon,' 'Kangetsu-kyo Bridge' (a bridge from where to enjoy viewing the moon) and objects d'art making visitors aware of the moon have been built to make the park a new prominent moon-viewing spot.
It is a vast park full of the natural beauty of satoyama (woods located near human habitats and tended by human beings), but it is also designed so to enable people to feel how the original landscape of Japan used to be, by allowing them to enjoy each of the four seasons, cherry blossoms in the spring, sunlight filtering down through the trees in the summer, autumn leaves in the fall and snowscapes in the winter. With various events held there throughout a year, and many people visiting there to enjoy the seasons, it has become a new sightseeing spot in the Kinki region.
Location
6-1 Seikadai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto Prefecture, 619-0238
Access
By railway
From Hosono Station of JR or from Shin-Hosono Station of Kintetsu Corporation: Get on a route 47 Nara Kotsu Bus Lines Co., Ltd. bus (bound for Gakken Nara Tomigaoka Station) (it takes approx. eight minutes)
From Gakken Nara Tomigaoka Station: Get on a route 47 bus bound for Hosono Station (It takes approx. 15 minutes.)
When visiting Suikei-en Gardens, get off at the "Vocational Museum" bus stop. When visiting the large lawn area, get off at "Keihanna Commemorative Park." Be careful you don't become lost, because the park is so vast.
By car
Using the Keinawa expressway: Exit the expressway at the "Seika Gakken interchange" and drive along Seika-odori Street for approx. 1km to the west. Using national road 163: Drive from the "Inuidani-nishi" crossing for approx. 2km to the north and for 300m on Seika-odori Street to the east. Using Kyoto Prefectural road 22: Drive from the crossing between the Yawata-Kizu road and Seika-odori Street for approx. 2.2km to the west.
(A parking lot is provided adjacent to U-town Keihanna and Kohnan.)