Osaka Castle
大阪城
A famous castle built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, with a keep surrounded by massive stone walls and a moat. Osaka Castle Park, in full cherry blossom season, is Osaka's top spot for hanami.
Osaka Castle was begun by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1583 as a symbol of his unification of the country. After the Toyotomi clan was destroyed in the 1615 Summer Campaign of Osaka, the castle was razed, and the Tokugawa shogunate rebuilt it between 1620 and 1629. The current keep was rebuilt in reinforced concrete in 1931 and renovated in 1997. It has five stories outside and eight inside, and serves as a museum telling the story of Hideyoshi and the castle. Exhibits include a reconstruction of the Golden Tea Room, Summer Campaign of Osaka folding screens and samurai armor, and the eighth-floor observation deck offers views over the city. The castle's highlights are its stone walls and moat. The walls around the Honmaru are built from huge boulders, and the largest stone, the “Tako-ishi” (octopus stone), weighs about 130 tons. Thirteen structures, including the Ote-mon, Sakura-mon and Tamon-yagura, are Important Cultural Properties of Japan, and the outer moat is 70–90 meters wide. Admission to the keep is 600 yen (free with the Osaka Amazing Pass). The Nishinomaru Garden, the best spot to see cherry blossoms framed against the keep, costs an extra 200 yen and is illuminated at night during the cherry season. Osaka Castle Park is free to enter and covers about 106 hectares. It is Osaka's largest cherry-blossom spot, with over 3,000 trees. The park also has Hokoku Shrine, a plum grove (February–March) and the Gozabune boat on the moat. Nearby, the Osaka Museum of History (its 10th floor overlooks the castle) and the Naniwanomiya Ruins are on the south side of the park. Getting there: Tanimachi Line to Tanimachi 4-chome Station, or JR Loop Line to Osakajo-koen or Morinomiya Station, then a 15–20 minute walk to the keep. It's about 20 minutes from Namba. Allow 2–3 hours. Note: In peak season, the keep has waits of over 30 minutes, so explore the outer grounds first. An elevator goes up to the 5th floor. The park has little shade in summer.
Opening hours
Castle keep 09:00–17:00 (extended during cherry blossom season and Golden Week); park open all day
Nearby sights
- Osaka Museum of History
- Japan Mint Cherry Blossom Passage
- Osaka Tenmangu
- Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street
- Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
- Tsuruhashi & Osaka Koreatown
- Kuromon Ichiba Market
- HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel