A day at the Osaka Castle

After spending close to 2 hours at the Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, we headed to one of Japan's most famous landmarks, the Osaka Castle.

Interestingly, Osaka Castle was built in the 16th century, and it has played a very significant role in the unification and history of Japan. Still, the iconic main Tower that we see now was destroyed and rebuilt many times over, with the latest reconstruction as recent as 1931, when reinforced concrete was used to re-create the tower. The castle was yet again a target of air raids in WWII. In 1997, the restoration work was completed, and the Main Tower was converted into a museum.

The amazing thing is that, despite repeated reconstructions over the years, Osaka Castle has maintained its old-world charm and classic traditional Japanese architecture, featuring the five-storey Main Keep or Tower, which now houses an observation platform offering city views and a History Museum.

The castle has gained a lot of popularity in recent times since it's one of the most popular hanami spots, hanami meaning cherry blossom viewing.

It's an iconic spot to see cherry blossoms or Sakura from late March to early April.

Castle Park, especially Nishinomaru Garden, has over 4000 thousand cherry trees that bloom in the spring. During this time, the castle comes alive with festive events and stunning nighttime illuminations.

This magnificent castle is built on a raised platform, and you will see stone walls made of massive rocks that support the platform. These rocks were sourced from all across Japan, and some of them weigh over 100 tons, with the famous megalith that weighs 120 tons, called the Octopus Stone! The stone is visible as you enter from the Sakuramon Gate.

There are two moats surrounding the castle; the outer moat goes around the entire castle with water-filled ponds in all four cardinal directions.

Handy tips to know about Osaka Castle

• Osaka Castle is open every day with timings typically from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Castle Park is free to enter. However, you will need a ticket to enter the Main Tower and at least 3 hours to see the Castle Park and the Main Tower, including the waiting time in the queue.

• Like most public places in Japan, the castle has excellent amenities, including clean, free toilets close to the Main Tower. There are lots of places to sit and laze around, too, munch and generally have a good time.

  
  

• The entire area around the Osaka Castle is abuzz with events that you can explore, like the Nishinomaru Garden, which is a hotspot for great views of the castle and photography. The garden has a paid entry.

• If you happen to be in Osaka in July, then the castle is host to one of Japan's famous festivals, Tenjin Matsuri.

• Castle Park is an active hub for a lot of activities in all kinds of weather, so plan to spend some time to explore this beautiful haven of green. The picturesque outer facade of the castle can be a great spot for photography.

• You will find massive queues waiting to get into the Main Tower. The history museum is not what one would expect from a castle this old; it is very modern with 3D images and holograms to narrate the history of the castle. Not my idea of visiting an old castle museum. Besides, we were leaving for Himeji the next day to see the famous Himeji Castle, so we gave this one a miss.

  
  

• Osaka Castle is well-connected by train. You can take the Osaka Loop Line from the Osaka Station to Morinomiya Station. As you step out, you will get beautiful views of the castle from here... you can keep walking in the direction of the castle for about 12 to 15 minutes.

First view of the castle from the Morinomiya Station

I'm pasting the link to my Instagram reel about the Osaka Castle for your reference. You can follow my Instagram page for more videos on Japan

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRRP2DIk0hJ/?igsh=cXVpOHljbTMzZmV3