4 of the Best Running Routes in Osaka to Get Your Miles in

You might not know this based on my name, ‘Big Body’, however, Big Body has always been a runner at heart. It started back in my sophomore year of high school when I was nicknamed ‘Taco’, thanks to a love for 89-cent tacos from Taco Bell and a portly frame. I think based on my bodacious thighs and round face, “Double Stuffed Burrito” may have been a more fitting nickname. Several soccer teammates of mine started a running club so that I could slim up and ask my high school crush to semi-formal. 

The running club’s name? G.T.S. – Get. Taco. Sexy. We would run 5 km, two to three times per week, with the membership swelling from just several of us to over 10 runners at our peak. It worked and I stuffed my slightly less plump frame into an off-the-rack suit from Men’s Wearhouse to boogie the night away with my Catholic school queen. Since then, I’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship with running, logging anywhere from 0 to 2500 kilometers per year (at one point, going two years without any movement) – after which I resembled the love child of a Bulgarian powerlifter and John Candy.

I moved to Osaka at the height of my runner’s journey and was eager to see what the city had to offer. From my first night run around Osaka Castle to the interweaving, scenic paths along Osaka’s riverside, lush and manicured parks, and historic, vibrant temple runs, I was hooked. Osaka’s sheer number of accessible running routes (in and around the city), geared towards novices, seasoned runners, and everyone in between lays an inclusive foundation for one of the best running communities I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing.

This isn’t an article that lays out the route down to every turn and marker. However, I’ll provide as much information as possible (including my Strava maps). Here are four of the best runs in Osaka that were a part of my daily routine while living in ‘Japan’s Kitchen’.

Pale Ale Travel Note: Even though I’m an American, I’m using kilometers as my unit of measurement as it is the most universal, and also, even in the U.S., we use it for local and national races (ex. 5Ks and 10Ks). Also, please take note of some of my ridiculous titled runs that I would hurriedly put into my Strava App.

Osaka Castle: The Inner & Outer Perimeter

• Address: Osaka Castle Park, 1-1 Osakajo, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 540-0002, Japan
• Getting There: Temmabashi Station, Morinomiya Station, Ōsakajōkōen Station, & Tanimachiyonchome Station – all cover the four corners of Osaka Castle Park.
• Length: Outer Perimeter (4 km), Inner Perimeter (3 km).

The Osaka Castle run was by far my most logged run during my three months living in Osaka. This is because I lived right next to it. Also, what’s cooler than logging your miles with one of Japan’s most famous landmarks (which played a pivotal role in the unification of Japan) in the background? You’ll also find cherry blossoms from the end of March to the beginning of April, a moat that would be perfect to fill with crocodiles, various remembrance gardens, and food vendors during the day. 

The outer perimeter run of Osaka Castle Park.

There was something special about strapping on my Nikes every night and making my two-minute commute over to the park, where I felt like an accepted part of Osaka’s (and Japan’s) social fabric – a much-needed feeling in an otherwise (sometimes) isolating country (for both locals and foreigners). There was a collective effervescence and warmth to it all.

Osaka Castle Park inner perimeter running route.

While yes, I was a foreigner who spoke no Japanese, it was hard not to feel a connection and acceptance when I encountered the same Osaka Castle running regulars out for their daily constitutionals. 

What’s particularly notable about the Osaka Castle run is that it’s highly customizable to whatever you’re feeling for the day or night, as it boasts two signature park loops: the outer perimeter (just over 4 km) and the inner perimeter (3 km). You can start at any point along the path and even mix and match both perimeter loops. On nights I was feeling feisty, I’d rock a lap around the outer perimeter and also the inner perimeter. 

A couple bros out drinking some beers at 10 AM in Osaka Castle Park.

I love(d) the Osaka Castle run so much that even when I was living down in the Tennoji area, I would take the Tanimachi line up to Temmabashi just to run it. I’m sure it was some sort of cultural faux pas that I committed by hopping back on Osaka’s metro drenched in sweat but at least I wasn’t eating or drinking, or talking on the phone (acts punishable by death under Japanese law). What I should have done was make use of the public lockers and showers provided by Running Base (located in the northwest corner of Osaka Castle Park).

Pale Ale Travel Tip: It can get a bit hectic during the day with swaths of tourists making their rounds at Osaka Castle so I generally recommend running at night time. Post-6 PM, it clears out very noticeably and is when the running clubs, families, and other fitness enthusiasts come out. Plus, seeing Osaka Castle lit up at night creates an almost ethereal ambiance that was one of my highlights of living in the city. 

Yodo River & Yodogawa Riverside Run

• Getting There: Tsukamoto Station or Juso Station – both will start you at the western starting point on the north bank.
• Length: 3 km to 18 km-plus (the south bank offers longer runs).

The first time I went out to run along the Yodo River, I had zero plan whatsoever. My only goal was to end up at a tsukemen restaurant (and earn it before) after my run. However, I failed on that front. After making my way out, it was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve seen – community. There were youth baseball teams by the dozen out competing, elderly couples strolling along to get their steps in, families picnicking and tossing the frisbee, and a sense of carefree, unbridled communal joy. 

Oh, and there’s one of the best views of the Osaka city skyline that you can get (from the north bank).

You can peel off at points to go hang under a bridge if you so desire.

It honestly caught me by surprise as during my first several weeks in Japan, all I had seen was the more rigid social and professional hierarchy that exists, the one you read about/hear about online. It was the first time that I saw local Japanese metaphorically letting their hair down, shedding their signature black suits for t-shirts and shorts, and truly letting themselves live in the moment. 

The run along the Yodo can be anything you want it to be as there are over 50 km of paths on both the north and south banks of the river. I do have to say that I’m partial to the north bank as I’d ultimately cut down to the south bank to finish my run (mentioned below).

Cutting across the Nagara-bashi Bridge to get to Tenjinbashisuji.

My go-to was to typically take the Osaka metro out to Tsukamoto Station or Juso Station, stroll on over to the Nishinakajima Area of the Yodogawa Riverside Park, and run east (northeast) along the designated, paved path(s) to right before the Yodogawa Golf Club (from Tsukamoto to the Golf Club it was roughly 5 km). 

I’d then double back and cross over on the Nagara-bashi Bridge, just north of Tenjinbashisuji, and circle the Nagara Area or Kema Area of Yodogawa Riverside Park (just to stretch the run a bit further into a 7 km or 8 km run). To reward myself for one of my longer runs, I’d make my way down to my favorite ramen restaurant in the area – Shoyu-Ramen Sodaisho. 

Pale Ale Travel: You can read more about Shoyu-Ramen Sodaisho in my blog post breaking down my favorite ramen restaurants in Osaka. 

Osaka Riverside: Okawa River Run

Minamitenma Park – where I would typically start my runs along the O.

• Getting There: Temmabashi Station (then cross Temmabashi Bridge to the north side of the Okawa to Minamitenma Park) or Nakanoshima Park (but you will need to take the spiral ramp on the eastern side of the park to cross to the north side of the O River). 
• Length: 3 km to 10 km.

The Osaka Riverside Okawa River (often referred to as just ‘O’) run was my second most tallied of the four. It sits just north of Osaka Castle and is separated by a small bridge (Kyobashi Bridge). You can also cross between Osaka Castle and the Okawa River via the Temmabashi Bridge, which makes it perfect for combining the two runs into one giant run. Or, you can start the run at the western end of Nakanoshima Park, a stone’s throw away from Kitahama and Osaka City Central Public Hall (on the Umeda side).

This will be your view of Osaka when you cross over Temma Bridge.

On the days that I had it in me to log 8 km to 10 km, combining this run with the Osaka Castle outer perimeter run was the play. On those days I was feeling something a bit lighter, I would start at Minamitenma Park, right to the West of the Temmabashi Bridge, and follow the river east (northeast) up to the Gempachi Bridge, cross over to the Osaka Waterfront Park Sakuranomiya Beach and run back. To me, this felt like the pro route that only locals would run and it was incredibly rare to see any tourists or foreigners walking and/or running this route. 

You can stretch this run as far as you want as if you keep heading north, you’ll hit the Yodo River.

Also, Kema Sakuranomiya Park (on the eastern side of the Okawa) is famous for being one of the best spots in Osaka come cherry blossom season. Unfortunately, I arrived in Osaka mere weeks after the cherry blossom season ended so I could only imagine what it would look like (I’m not complaining though as it’s still an incredibly vibrant, picturesque run). 

The path along the left side of the photo is the one I’d follow out to Gempachi Bridge or further.

You can also run this route up to Yodogawa Riverside Park (see above) and stretch this into a 10 km-plus run if you’re really feeling it.

One of my fondest memories of running this route was in my final week. It was mid-day on a Saturday and several local guys were grilling and drinking beers along the river. They cheered as I started off and then had an ice-cold beer ready for me as I returned. My final swan song in one of my favorite cities on earth. 

Pale Ale Travel: Several of my favorite cafes in Osaka overlook the Okawa River and are the perfect place to post up for the day to get some work done or watch the tourist boats go by (or hear the slap of a carp’s tail on the water as they surface). Make sure to check out my post breaking down 5 laptop-friendly cafes in Osaka. 

Shitennoji Temple & Tsutenkaku Run

• Getting There: Shitennoki-mae Yuhiaoka Station or Tennoji Station – Shitennoki-mae will start you just northwest of Tennoji Park and Shitennoki Temple, while Tennoji Station will start you at the southern tip of Tennoji Park.
• Length: 3 km to 8 km.

I may have mentioned that I spent 3 weeks living in Osaka located down near Tennoji. At first, I thought it was completely barren and devoid of any formidable (or viable) running trails. That’s until my German buddy let me know that he wanted to check out the German Beerfest (in May!) down in Tennoji Park. 

If you couldn’t tell by this one finishing at Tennoji Park, this is from the day I drank my fill of German beer at Osaka’s Oktoberfest.

Surprisingly a quick one for me after all those beers (the second half of the run).

I was only two kilometers away and decided that I would run down to meet him. I’m glad I did as not only did I burn off some calories before drinking 4 liters of pure German beer but I also discovered one of my favorite runs in Osaka. 

Oh this was a glorious site. I was also in rough shape on my run back home.

There wasn’t anything quite like starting the night weaving through various side streets to Shitennoji Temple, the oldest official temple in Osaka (and driving fixture in Buddhim’s foray into Japan), cutting down through Tennoji Park (to see whatever festival or event was going on), and making my way back home with the former second tallest structure in Asia and symbol of Osaka, Tsutenkaku, just to my left. Tsutenkaku is renowned for its neon lights which makes for a Blade Runner-esque feeling at night. 

Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you’re curious about which running shoes have served me well over the last several years, make sure to check out my post detailing the essential items I use and wear when traveling abroad. 

To clarify my route a bit better – I would typically start the run at Shitennoki-mae Yuhigaoka Station and head towards Uemachi-suji to the west, zig-zagging through backstreets to catch a glimpse of Shitennoki Temple, and then cut back east on Tamatsukuri-suji, which would take me to the southeast corner of Tennoji Park. After a loop or two around Tennoji Park, mixed in with several beers (occasionally), I would then run under the metro bridge/Hanshin Expressway with Tsutenkaku to my left back up to Nipponbashi and (a) either cut back east to Shitennoji-mae Yuhigaoka or (b) Tanimachi 9-chome for a quick bite. 

Some runners even choose to start the run at Tennoji Station, just to the south of Tennoji Park, and make their way north – with the real OGs and longer distance runners choosing to run straight north on Tanimachi-suji (past Shitennoki-mae Yuhigaoka – to the left) up to Osaka Castle to complete a loop or two (for a 10 km-plus run).

This is one of the more customizable running routes in Osaka as it has only several delineated (short) running and/or biking paths interspersed and involves a good chunk of sidewalk running. However, you won’t feel out of place as there are sure to be other runners carving out their own routes, especially as you inch closer to Tennoji Park. 

Pale Ale Travel Tip: One of my favorite late-night food haunts to stop at after a Tennoji Temple Run is Furusato, a no-frills 24/7 udon and self-serve sushi restaurant. 

Jogging My Memory of the Best Runs in Osaka

You can even start your Osaka Riverside run out front of Osaka Central Public Hall.

Japan’s running community was something incredibly special and a highlight of my three months living in Osaka. It was an interesting dynamic in my life as I was logging some of the most miles I’ve ever run in a single month but I was also drinking unquantifiable amounts of nama beerus (draft beers) every night with the best of them. I somehow came out of my three months in Osaka having lost a considerable amount of weight. Or maybe I just came out extremely dehydrated. 

What especially stood out to me in Osaka was just how active everyone is/was – a contributing factor to one of the longest average life expectancies on earth – which made for a seamless transition to the running streets. In my humble opinion, running (or walking/biking) is one of the best ways to experience a new culture when traveling and get a peek into the daily routines of the people in whatever country you’re visiting – especially in a city like Osaka where its beauty, history, and character aren’t only found in the quintessential sights you read about online. 

My recommendation in Osaka is…It is worth getting out there and running, even if you don’t have a particular route in mind. Forrest Gump it (yes, I turned that into a verb) and run for the sake of running. You won’t be the only one doing so. 

If you have any favorite runs (or walks) in Osaka or the Kansai Region, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. I’d be remiss not to mention that running the Kamo River every night for the three weeks I stayed in Kyoto was also another highlight, along with my late-night runs along the Sumida in Tokyo and Kyobashi jaunts in Hiroshima. If you’d like further information or clarification on any of the aforementioned routes, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. 

Stay healthy everyone,

Big Body