Mandaiike Park

A few minutes' walk east from Tezukayama-3-chome Station on the Hankai Uemachi Line, this 4.3-hectare park centers on Mandai Pond, about 700m around. According to the 1927 Sumiyoshi Village Chronicle, a mysterious demon once lived in the pond and tormented locals, until Prince Shotoku sent someone from Shitennoji Temple to chant sutras, after which the demon never appeared again — since the sutra chanted was the Mandala Sutra, the pond was first called 'Mandara-ike,' which gradually shifted in pronunciation to 'Mandai-ike.' Today it's a community gathering spot for radio calisthenics and walks, with children's play equipment, drawing cherry-blossom crowds in spring and birdwatchers chasing migratory birds in winter.