🐦 A Sacred Ptarmigan in Sakai’s Forest: A 3.5km GPS Art Trail 🐦
Sakai City in Osaka is world-famous for its ancient kofun burial mounds, but its modern pride lies in its expansive green escapes. Oizumi Ryokuchi is a premier forest park where over 200 species of trees create a lush, breathing ecosystem within the city. This 3.5km GPS art course invites you to draw a Ptarmigan (Raicho)—a bird revered in Japan as a “Messenger of the Gods”—using the park’s scenic paths as your canvas.
The trek begins at the Central Flowerbed, a burst of seasonal colors. As you trace the bird’s silhouette, you will wander past Kashiraizumi Pond and Katoro Pond, where the water reflects the deep greens of the surrounding woods. The route offers a delightful mix of facilities: you will pass the lively Sheep Area, the high-energy BMX Track, and the Skate Park. For those with children, the Bouken Playground and Playground Playground (Wanpaku Land) provide perfect opportunities for play and rest. Geographically, the park is beautifully flat, making this “drawing” accessible for walkers of all ages.
The Ptarmigan is a sacred alpine bird, an Ice Age relic that usually dwells on Japan’s highest snowy peaks. Bringing this majestic icon to the verdant sanctuary of Sakai is a poetic way to appreciate the city’s biodiversity and its history as an open, cultural crossroads. At just 3.5km, this course is a manageable yet rewarding adventure. By the time your digital Ptarmigan takes flight on your smartphone screen, you will have experienced the soulful tranquility of one of Osaka’s finest green retreats. Lace up your shoes and take a mini-flight through the woods!
DETAIL (EXTERNAL LINK)
A PIONEER IN GPS ART.
1st work was authorized by Guinness World Records as “the Largest GPS Drawing”.
He is the only Japanese person to be featured in a Google documentary as an innovator. He is fascinated by the idea of drawing with GPS and has published more than 2,500 works.
