Swingers Club: A Survey of the Tennis Courts in Osaka, Japan
Where to Play Tennis in Osakaby Oliver; 2015
Introduction
This was originally published in Kansai Scene Magazine in 2008. They took it down long ago but here it is for the tiny demographic of English-speaking tennis players in Osaka. I assume the price and phone information is no longer accurate.The Osaka Tennis Scene

A Match at Utsubo Park
But, tennis players of Osaka, it needn’t come to this! Although contending with potholes, guardrails, and dogs can be good practice now and then, canvassing the city will reveal a vibrant tennis scene that has an answer to every level of addiction and solvency. Osaka is a city blessed with many parks, and a decent proportion of those have tennis courts. The best way to go about finding a place to play is to visit all the parks in your area and see what kind of deals they offer. I recently made a South to North trek through the city visiting some of the major parks, and talking to people involved in tennis. I went undercover as a foreigner with Japanese so egregious it made the most gut-wrenching caterwaul sound like Paul McCartney by comparison.
Nagai Park (長居公園) (South Osaka)

But what about the down-and-out among us who snubbed the Buddhas at the last temple we visited? Fortunately, Nagai Park also offers a tennis backboard of sorts. Just inside the West Entrance stands a smooth, two-slab concrete monument off of which locals often hit the ball. The North side is preferable, for the South side is fringed by a small moat (you can sometimes see players bending comically far over the water to retrieve a ball). Free entertainment when you sit down for a rest: skateboarders, breakdancers, and occasionally beatboxers also share this area of the park.
At a glance...
Number of Courts: 8Type: Artificial turf dusted with sand
Court Rental Price: ¥900/hr before 6pm, ¥3,600/hr after
Reservation Phone Number: 06-6690-2780
Racquet Rental Price: ¥500
Tennis Backboard: No
Lessons: Mizuno Tennis School offers a 2 month 8 lesson package to players of beginning through intermediate ability for ¥14,000. Each lesson lasts 1 hr and 45 min. You can sign up at 06-6698-1235.
Other: Mysterious concrete monument just inside the West Entrance is frequently used by locals as a backboard. Beware of the moat, though.
Getting there: Subway Midosuji line, Nagai stn. Take Exit 1 and walk north past the West Entrance to the park. After you pass the Nagai Sports Center, it's on your left.
Utsubo Park (靱公園) (Central Osaka)

At a glance...
Number of Courts: 23 for public useType: 14 are hard court, 9 clay
Court Rental Price: ¥1,600/hr before 5pm, and ¥4,300/hr at night for the hard courts; ¥800/hr for clay
Phone Number: 06-6441-6211
Racquet Rental Price: ¥500
Tennis Backboard: No
Lessons: Utsubo Tennis School has an eight-lesson package to players of beginning through intermediate level for ¥13,000. Each lesson lasts an hour and a half, and typical classes have from two to 10 people.
Other: Players should make a pilgrimage to this Todai-ji of tennis complexes to marvel at the facilities.
Getting there: Subway Chuo line, Awaza stn. Take Exit 1 and walk due north to the park.
Hattori Ryokuchi Park (服部緑地公園) (North Osaka)

At a glance...
Number of Courts: 18Type: 6 are hard court, 7 clay, and 5 dirt
Court Rental Price: ¥800/hr for clay and ¥1,000/hr for the others, but the price goes up a bit on the weekends.
Phone Number: 06-6862-4945
Racquet Rental: No
Tennis Backboard: Yes
Tennis School: Not Offered
Other: Topiary action - Japanese cloud-pruned bushes throw up a wind block around the courts while reminding you you're in the Far East.
Getting there: Subway Midosuji line, Ryokuchi-Koen stn. Take the exit to the park and a 15 minute hike directed by sign posts will lead you to the tennis courts.