Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle was the first attraction I had planned for Osaka. There are many train stations within the vicinity of the Castle, but all of them are about the same distance as you have to walk through the park and then up to the Castle. I would say every train station is about a 20 minute walk to the actual castle, so just take your pick.
Along the way through the park, you get many beautiful views and photo-​op areas of the Castle. We took a view as we made our way to the castle. Once you’re there, there are a few shops as well as food stands next to the Castle. There is an admission fee to go inside the Castle. There is an elevator that takes you up halfway to the top and then you have to walk the rest. I highly recommend waiting on the elevator line because when we were going up the stairs, the people who took the stairs the entire way looked like they were ready to drop!
Be sure to try some soft serve after you’ve finished up with the castle as theirs is one of the best that I’ve had. On your way down from the castle to the park, stop at some of the food stands and try out the food. We had the best takoyaki on our trip from a food stand in the park!

One of the key landmarks to see while on visit to Japan. The park is also among the best places to view cherry blossoms. The inside of the castle was worth the 600 yen admission price. Very cool.

This is an impressive building but for me I found the outside was more impressive and illustrated true japanese style than inside the castle. You queue on the right to take the lift to 5^th floor before walking up to 7^th floor to see from the top. However for me it was just other sky scrappers nothing really amazing. Unlike the chinese garden pangoda in singapore.
Anyway if you got kensai thru pass you get discount price. You can also get audio guide for free but you would need to give and show passport and provide hotel details. You can’t take picture on floor 4 and 3 as these floors contains plans on how the castle was made. I guessed this is to prevent you to build a castle in your backyard? :p. Overall it was amazing but if you didn’t have much time and not fuss about seeing the view then I would recommend just to visit the ground and not pay to get in.

A truly magnificant castle which, outside of the stone foundation, was rebuilt after the war. The Japanese used it as an arsenal during the war, so the Allies leveled it.
The rebuild was extremely well done and the exterior detail and gold leaf is fabulous. There will be a line, but the view from the top is worth the 20 – 30 minute wait and the line moves pretty steadily.
Be warned, the hike up to the base and the seven story walk down mean you need to be at least a little bit in shape to manage it. There are plenty of places to stop and rest and enjoy the surroundings on the way up.
Who knows, maybe you’ll stumble across a few people taking their pet owls for a walk like we did.

Osaka Castle is magnificent from the outside. The inside is disappointing though. For 600 yen, you can wander inside the castle, but the interior has been transformed into a dull, repetitive museum. If you are expecting the preserved rooms, hallways, and interior beauty of the past you are out of luck.
Tourists are rampant as this is the main attraction in Osaka. Lines for the elevator can take over 30 minutes. You are better off going on the right side of the line for the stairs. Walk up to the eighth floor and work your way down. Bring some comfy shoes!
Honestly I would recommend just walking around the generous grounds (two moats!). The castle looks best from afar.

Le château d’Osaka est unique, même détruit puis reconstruit il conserve son aspect historique et emblématique. Entouré de cerisier le parc est magnifique. Vous allez pouvoir côtoyer le quotidien de nombreux japonais et pourquoi pas essayer les nombreux stands de jeux qui animé l’endroit. Un dojo de judo né se trouve pas très loin, un bon moyen de voir des enfants s’entraîner à un de leur sport favoris.

A must-​see when you’re in Osaka. Simply breathtaking castle and a nice walk.
Context: Came here an hour or so before sunset. Took a train directly to get here and a small walk to the castle.
Castle: breathtaking place especially when there are cherry blossoms! I didn’t go inside the castle, so this review is based solely on the outside and walking the grounds. It is very unique, and when you’re crossing the river over the bridge is what you imagine in the movies!
Grounds: A couple of food truck vendors and permanent vendors! Get he Hokkaido Ice Cream there, it’s bomb! I expected more vendors however, it was mostly dessert.
Environment: Not crazy crowded but typical of what you’d expect in Japan, people everywhere and hard to get the perfect shot. Clean area, well kept.
Tips: Go before sunset, you get some amazing photos! Wear walking shoes, and before you hit the castle there’s a park where everyone eats and has a picnic, so take advantage!
Overall: Must-​see in Osaka!

Beautiful castle as you look from afar but the inside wasn’t so impressive.
Make sure you go to the right side of the line to walk up the stair instead of waiting 30 mins or more for the elevator on the left line. The top of the castle (8^th floor) has some cool views of Osaka!
Ticket counter is on the right of the entrance via the computer machines. The counter is only for discount and you will be directed to the computer if you go to the counter.
I said spend at most 30 – 60 mins here is enough!
Definitely a site to see while in Osaka. I’ve seen a few castles in Japan and this one is the most beautiful!

Sadly the entire inside of the castle has been renovated to a modern day museum. Almost nothing is original. Just mostly old scrolls and letters on display. Very commercialized. I would spend your time walking around the surrounding grounds and seeing the other buildings and other items.

Immanquable si vous êtes de passage à Osaka, le château est sans aucun doute l’un des plus beaux du Japon.
De part son aspect extérieur, il est vraiment magnifique et en impose assurément. Le parc qui l’entoure est très agréable pour flâner et grignoter un morceau.
Si on peut s’extasier devant la beauté du bâtiment, on reste néanmoins sur notre faim une fois à l’intérieur. Le musée n’est finalement pas très intéressant. D’abord, il né reste rien ou presque du château d’origine. Ensuite, né comptez pas vraiment en apprendre sur l’histoire de ce château construit au 16ème siècle et moteur de l’unification du pays à cette époque. Il y a trop peu d’explications, de récits, et exit la traduction en anglais… Néanmoins, le point de vue sur la ville saura aisément satisfaire tout visiteur.

Really pretty in the park area and certainly worth the visit. Only really need about 1 hour for this. If you decide to go in it is 900 yen. We didn’t go in because there were plenty of photo opps outside. Lots of food stalls and souvenir shops.

Osaka Castle is such an icon in Osaka. Be prepared to wear some comfortable shoes as you might do a lot of walking! I opted not to actually climb Osaka castle, but I thought it was quite breath taking and the view around the castle is wonderful! I ran into a lot of tourists while I was here. More so than Japanese, I believe. The fun part of Osaka Castle compared to other castles I’ve been to were all the yatai where you can buy treats to eat such as fried or baked sweet potatoes, mitarashi dango hot off the fire, and takoyaki (but where can you not find takoyaki in Osaka?). The walk around the park is wonderful as well as there is a plum grove (make note, this is not a cherry blossom grove as some people think it is) and shrines around the castle.
Osaka Castle is a great place to hang around in during the afternoon and just enjoy the peace!

Late review but this was an experience to remember. Please wear good shoes for walking! we walked and walked until the top of Osaka Castle and the view was breath taking. When you reach the castle they have a outdoor park like with food vendors and grab yourself a hot off the coals sweet potato YUMMY! a tiny gift shop and if you see something you like BUY IT! I regret for not picking up some items that I now wish for hehe.
The Castle Self Tour so great to even step into the Castle, Each level displays are amazing beautiful and the history of Osaka Castle. Just a note you will climb lots of stairs and it’s narrow but you will get by, restrooms available and a photo op station where you can dress up with custom costumes
BEAUTIFUL!

Arrived very late to Osaka so wasn’t able to see the castle during opening hours, but decided to get there late night instead. Wow, was it worth it!
Approaching the castle through the park around 20:00 at night in November was a beautiful sight. The castle is beautifully lit up and it was great seeing its light through the trees and the darkness. You are able to still walk all the way up to the castle through the park, so you will be able to also watch it up close. And when standing next the castle you can still make out all its golden features and details despite of the late night due to it being lit so well.
I would warmly recommend taking a walk through the park and up to the castle even late at night.
You get the area mostly to yourself, but there’s still people moving in the area, so you never need to feel afraid.

I didn’t really get to go in cos we got there kinda later in the day, and it was too late! BUT we did get to see it from the outside, and that was actually very impressive. At first, I thought ohhhh whatever it’s a castle, but DAMN it’s a Japanese castle yo!
I don’t know the history of it exactly — was hoping to learn and soak in some histories IN the castle… but I didn’t make it lol. So we just did what we could, which was marvel from the outside. Honestly, this castle is so majestic lol. The design and sheer size of it was a bit like whoa — didn’t expect that, especially not from people who built it a long ass time ago.
So if you get a chance, maybe try to get there earlier so you can get inside, but if not, it’s still pretty cool seeing it from the outside.

Osaka Castle is a beautiful park to visit and a must-​do when you’re in town. Not only is it a perfect way to burn off all that delicious Osaka food you’ve undoubtedly been eating, but a great history lesson as well. The walk to the castle is really nice, with moats, trees, and some places to stop and get a snack.
When you get to the castle itself, you will have to pay 500 Yen entrance fee to go inside. This will give you access to all the floors (I think there were 8). Each floor has a nice display of the Castle’s history.

Your tour of Osaka will not be complete without a visit to the iconic symbol of Osaka: Osaka Castle.
This is already a replica since it has been burned down during wars (forgot which one) but the castle has been reconstructed at it’s original location.
The entrance fee is only when you actually enter the castle, so you can freely explore the castle ground.
The castle has been turned into a museum, so inside it’s fairly modern. I still highly recommend it to first time visitors in Osaka. You can also get a great view from the top.
When visiting the castle, find the biggest stone slab around the castle ground.

So I personally did not want to post pictures of the inside so that you could experience it on your own. The 3^rd and 4^th floors especially because they are the samurai equipment and armor and the architecture of the castle. There are no photos allowed on that level.
Admission is now 600 yen, 500 yen if you have a discount card but I did not have one. I was directed to buy a ticket from the dispenser machine right beside the gate.
I entered the castle and there is quite a wait for the elevator lift. There are a lot of older people here being a tourist so let them use the elevator and take the eight flight of stairs. After that you start from the top on the eighth floor and make your way down the exhibits!
After that, the food trucks and restaurants caught my eye. I love ice cream so I tried that limited sesame cone. It was interesting but still good! I would give it a ⁴⁄₅. I would’ve tried other flavors but it is about 400 yen each. There are also shaved ice for 500 yen. Lot of other little gift shops too. It rained when I went so I don’t think it was as busy.

Iconic attraction of the city, reachable by quite a few subway stations. We arrived there 1.5 hours before their closing hour at 17:00 and found it was enough time to go through all that they had to offer. (This is not to say you shouldn’t pace yourself with more time though.)
The visiting route is all clearly planned out, follow it to climb up 8 floors to their observatory level and then work your way down with each level themed with an aspect of history to tell.
Entrance ticket: 600 JPY per adult

The castle looks quite impressive especially from a distance and not so bad up close either. It was the inside of it that I found disappointing. Once inside, you could be anywhere. It feels nothing like a castle and could have been a building put up last year. Very modern inside with modern displays along with ancient artifacts. Mind you, the whole thing was quite interesting and was also written in English, so thanks for that castle people.
There is a great view from the very top. This, I would say, was my favorite part of the entire experience. Also, if you want to get postcards, get them there in the gift shop because you’re not likely to find any other postcards of anything in all of Osaka.

This castle is beautiful on the outside. So peaceful and the perfect backdrop to any photo. I’m sure it must look really nice during cherry blossom season too. We came here in May 2015, and spent time wandering outside and inside the museum. Lots of great artwork inside on the multiple floors, and a fabulous view of the city skyline at the top floor. Be sure to spend at least 1 hour here, it’ll be worth your time! :)
Just lots of stair climbing though, so keep that in mind. Some floors are not open for public access; just watch out for the signs.
More photos here:

Osaka Castle is the poster boy of the Osaka tourism, no matter where you see the city’s tourist advertisement, and it is for a good reason. Perhaps one of the most iconic buildings in Japan, the castle is also one of the most beautiful especially if seen at the right time. It is as if you have never been to Osaka Castle, you have never been to Osaka or perhaps even Japan! However, check out the outside and take a few photos; you may not be interested in what’s in the inside.
The castle was originally built at the late 16^th century and would have been Japan’s main capital, but the political shift of power created a war that burned down the original castle and moved the capital to modern-​day Tokyo. A few decades later, the new régime rebuilt the castle at the scale that was much bigger than the original, but that was also destroyed by a fire. Subsequently, the castle was rebuilt and destroyed yet again, so the current one you see is actually a modern museum in a recently-​reconstructed castle that is modeled after the original.
Inside the museum are multi-​level exhibits displaying the life of Toyotomi HIdeyoshi (the warlord who built the original), the decisive Summer War of Osaka that destroyed the original castle and moved the capital, and the subsequent history of Japan, and many have only Japanese blurbs. If you are not interested in Japanese history and cannot read Japanese, you can enjoy the top-​level observatory! However, unless it’s cherry blossom season, you are better off checking out taller and more interesting observatories in the city like Tsutenkaku and Umeda Sky Building.
The bottom line: Osaka Castle is the must-​go destination for all Osaka tourists, but you do not necessarily have to go inside the castle. Money and time are better spent to enjoy the many other things that Osaka has to offer.
—
tl;dr version:
1) Beautiful castle that is a must-​go for all Osaka tourists
2) Interior museum not worth entering if not interested in Japanese history
3) Observatory only worth during the cherry blossom season

Passage obligé si l’on passé par Osaka.
Tout le charme du lieu réside dans le parc et son aspect extérieur, l’intérieur du château n’ayant pas grand intérêt (surtout qu’il s’agit d’une reconstitution).
Encore plus beau pendant la période des «Sakura», avec ses cerisiers en fleurs…

Das Osaka-​Schloss muss man bei einem Besuch der Stadt einfach aufsuchen! Es ist von außen wirklich wunderschön, eben genau so, wie man sich das traditionelle Japan vorstellt. Der Weg von der nahegelegenen Bahnhofsstation zum Schloss ist auch herrlich, dort kann man richtig schön schlendern und sich den vielen Natureindrücken hingeben.
Das Schloss selbst ist zwar mittlerweile zum Museum umgebaut worden, aber was soll man nach einer Zerstörung auch großartig daraus machen?! Mir jedenfalls hat es gefallen! Auch das System des Museums ist faszinierend, weil logisch: Man fährt zunächst in den fünften Stock und steigt dann noch die Treppen bis ganz nach oben hinauf. Von dort hat man einen gigantischen Überblick über Osaka (naja, ob das, was man sieht, unbedingt schön ist, ist eine andere Sache). Anschließend steigt man eine Etage tiefer, geht einmal gegen den Uhrzeigersinn um das Treppenhaus herum, guckt sich alles an und steigt so weiter nach unten bis zum Ausgang. Kein Überblicksverlust, man sieht alles und rempelt niemanden an. Ein Museumsbesuch mit System also!

Château d’Osaka
La première fois que je suis allée au Japon, j’ai commencé par Osaka. Et évidemment, je suis allée visiter le château d’Osaka.
Je dis évidemment car pour moi, il est essentiel de s’y rendre. Autant pour les japonais que pour les touristes. On né pourra faire l’économie d’une visite de ce château, Osaka-​jo. Edifié entre 1583 et 1586, détruit pendant la seconde guerre mondiale. Il recèle une collection d’objets de l’époque féodale. Il faut absolument s’y rendre lorsque les cerisiers de son parc sont en fleurs. On dispose également d’une vue magnifique, au sommet du château d’où l’on peut contempler tout Osaka. ça vaut vraiment le coup !
Autour du château, l’on pourra déguster des glaces, takoyaki, etc suivant les saisons. Très agréable après une bonne balade de se reposer, dégustant un bon petit snack tout en profitant de la vie du château.
A voir absoluement !!!