Osaka Castle Museum(Osaka Castle Main Tower)

It's so beautiful! The park is huge; I spent three hours exploring it! Going up to the castle tower is definitely worth it; the historical animations inside are very well done. Watching them carefully, the history is explained very clearly, and the experience was excellent.

One of the most important tourist spots that should be consider for first time Osaka travelers

It's definitely worth it. I recommend buying tickets online in advance and scanning the QR code to enter, which can save you a lot of queuing time. The various exhibits inside are quite interesting, provided you are interested in Japanese culture. If you are not interested, it's just a pure observation deck.

It is said that Osaka is all about shopping, and it is not as historical as Kyoto. Until you come to the Osaka Castle Tower... you will change your mind a lot! 🏔 Introduction to attractions: Osaka Castle is one of the three famous castles in Japanese history. It was built in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to demonstrate his power after unifying Japan. It was destroyed several times and rebuilt in 1931. The entire Osaka Castle is divided into the inner city, the middle city and the outer city. The magnificent gates, tall and steep walls and two wide moats inside and outside are very spectacular. In the outer city, you can sit on the wall in some areas to enjoy the scenery. There are some supporting facilities such as dining and shops in the middle city. The inner city is the most spectacular castle tower. You can overlook the panoramic view of Osaka when you climb to the top. 📝Check-in guide: Osaka Castle Park is free, but tickets are required for the castle tower in the inner city. In the castle tower, you can visit Toyotomi Hideyoshi's life in more detail, and you can also climb to the top to overlook the panoramic view of Osaka. There are also exclusive stamping and figurine areas. You need to climb the stairs to visit here (although there is an accessible elevator🛗, the space is very small and generally not open to ordinary customers). It is recommended to climb to the top first and then slowly visit down, staggered with the main passenger flow. 🚗Transportation information: Take the subway and exit the station. The Osaka Museum of History is not far away. Follow the crowd to the Osaka City Park for about 10 minutes. 📌TIPS: There are also Osaka Museum of History, Namba Palace and parks nearby that you can visit together

It is a landmark building in Osaka, Japan. It costs 1,200 yen to visit inside Osaka Castle. You can book tickets online without queuing. Historical origins • Initial construction: In 1583, Toyotomi Hideyoshi built Osaka Castle on the original site of Ishiyama Honganji Temple. The castle tower was completed in 1585. It is one of the largest castle buildings in Japan. • Reconstruction: The original castle tower was destroyed by war in 1615, and Tokugawa Hidetada rebuilt it between 1620 and 1629. In 1665, the castle tower was struck by lightning and burned down, but it was not rebuilt. In 1931, at the initiative of Osaka Mayor Sekiichi, the public raised funds to rebuild the castle tower. Architectural features • Exterior design: The castle tower is about 55 meters high, with 5 floors on the outside and 8 floors on the inside. The exterior walls are painted white, and the top floor reproduces the black lacquer castle tower of the Toyotomi era. The tiger and crane patterns on the wall are affixed with gold foil. The end of the flying eaves is decorated with gold foil-shaped golden sharks and dragon heads and fish bodies. The roof is decorated with gilded animal head tiles and crouching tigers, which are magnificent. • Internal structure: It adopts reinforced concrete structure, and there is an elevator inside to facilitate tourists to reach each floor. The 7th floor and below are the archives, and the 8th floor is the observation deck. Cultural significance • Historical value: It witnessed the historical changes of Japan from the Warring States Period to the Edo Period, and is an important physical material for studying Japanese history. • Symbolic significance: As a symbol of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's regime, it represents the glory and honor of his reign; it is also a symbol of the spirit of Osaka City, reflecting Osaka's historical heritage and cultural heritage. Tourist attractions • Internal exhibitions: The museum houses a large number of historical relics related to Osaka Castle and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, such as wooden statues of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, weapons used, paintings, etc., as well as models and multimedia displays, allowing visitors to understand the history of Osaka Castle. • Surrounding scenery: Climbing to the top observation deck of the castle tower, you can overlook the beautiful scenery of Osaka Castle Park and the scenery of Osaka City. There are also moats, gardens, pavilions, cherry blossom forests, etc. in the park, and the scenery varies in each season.

It is a famous attraction in Osaka, but I personally don't recommend it! The overall area is very large, and there are cruise ships in the moat, but the overall feeling I gave was that there was nothing special that I could remember! On the contrary, the outer park itself is quite suitable for leisure time and strolling! It takes about 1 and a half hours to play!

About seven or eight years ago, a mobile game from Japan became popular throughout China, called "Travel Frog". Travel Frog popularized many famous Japanese attractions to the people of the country, but it also gave many people a misunderstanding, making many people think that the castle that appeared in it was Osaka Castle. In fact, it was not the case. The game reflected Nagoya Castle, which is also one of the three famous castles in Japan. However, when you come to Osaka, you must visit Osaka Castle (I always think of the girls in Tashkurgan Castle with long braids and beautiful eyes). Osaka Castle was the residence of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the Momoyama period, and now it has become Osaka Castle Park open to the public. The core of Osaka Castle is the castle tower, which was originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 16th century. Now Osaka Castle Park is free, but the castle tower requires an additional ticket.

In November 2024, in Osaka Castle Park, ginkgo trees draped the castle tower in overwhelming golden color. The 4-kilometer-long ginkgo avenue in Midosuji and the 300-year-old ancient ginkgo tree at the foot of the castle tower formed a double golden wave, and the huge stone walls and falling ginkgo leaves formed a symphony of history and nature. Climbing to the top of the castle tower observation deck, you can overlook the blend of the yellow-green autumn colors of the Osaka Plain and the modern city, just like the "overlapping shadows of the past and the present" in Ukiyo-e. The castle tower is a three-dimensional textbook of Japanese Warring States history. The 1st to 7th floors of the tower use holographic projections and miniature models to reproduce the rise of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the tragic Osaka Summer Campaign. The 7th floor "Set Taikoki" interprets his legendary life with scientific and technological means. The traces of the reconstruction of the Tokugawa era with white walls and green tiles are in sharp contrast with the black lacquer and gold ornaments of the Toyotomi era, implying the cruelty of power change. The huge stone walls (each weighing 130 tons) and the Sakura Gate (the only existing Toyotomi ruins) on the moat have become silent time and space coordinates. The castle tower in autumn can be called the "world cultural bazaar". Chinese tourists dominate the mainstream, and European and American tourists mostly stop by the moat, marveling at the wisdom of oriental defense workers. Despite the dense flow of people, the scenic area is efficiently managed, and the multilingual guidebooks (including Chinese) and elevator diversion systems effectively alleviate congestion. The surrounding area of ​​the castle tower is filled with a "sense of time travel": in the early morning, local elderly people can be seen meditating in front of the cherry blossom gate, in the afternoon, street performers with licenses play traditional musical instruments, and the night light show connects the ancient pavilion and the neon lights of Dotonbori into a Kansai-style painting. In the Nishinomaru Garden, the "unmanned secret realm" intertwined with Japanese dry landscape and red ginkgo leaves has become an excellent choice to escape the hustle and bustle. Summary: The Osaka Castle Tower in the autumn of 2024 is a double gift from history and nature. The golden ginkgo trees inject vitality into the ancient pavilion, the diverse cultures of international tourists collide here, and the political schemes of the warlords and the ingenuity of the rebuilders touch people's hearts through every stone and every tile. This spiritual landmark of Osaka interprets the autumn philosophy of the "Venice of the East" with its charm that transcends time and space.