Osaka Castle, which stands in the heart of Osaka City, western Japan, is surrounded by a park covering more than 100 hectares. Each year, over 2.7 million people visit this urban park famous for its castle, gardens and multipurpose hall. This green oasis is open 24 hours a day, so people come here around the clock. For some, it is a place to do exercise; for others, a place to relax or sightsee. For 3 days, we asked visitors what makes the Osaka Castle Park special and why it holds a place in their hearts.

Many people in Japan celebrate the Tanabata Star Festival -- a tradition marked each July 7 -- by writing a wish on a thin sheet of colored paper and tying it to a bamboo branch. Zojoji Temple, which stands near the base of Tokyo Tower, holds an annual festival during which visitors write their deepest wish in the hope it will come true. Among the visitors to the temple in the days leading up to Tanabata were a woman longing to meet a man she has had a crush on for 10 years, a couple worried that the coronavirus pandemic might jeopardize their bonuses and an Australian woman who comes every year with a message for her deceased father. For 3 days, we asked people at the temple about the wishes -- ranging from the modest to the extravagant -- they penned and the stories behind them.