The new Kyoto Aquarium is to the north of Umekoji Park. The park itself is somewhat overwhelmed by the noise from both the aquarium shows in the north as well as the steam train excursion runs that pass by immediately to the south. There was significant controversy about the construction of the aquarium a few years back given the world-class aquarium in nearby Osaka as well as the loss of the park land taken up by the aquarium grounds, but I don't recall noise as having been one of the objections. As of 2018, Umekoji Park had one of the few very public, wide-open spaces in Kyoto suitable for laughter and conversations, but it is not ideal for listening to the chirping of birds or taking naps.