Osaka Castle (Osakajo)

What to know

Construction of Osaka Castle (大阪城, Ōsakajō) began in 1583 on the former site of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple, which had been destroyed by Oda Nobunaga thirteen years earlier. Toyotomi Hideyoshi intended the castle to become the center of a new, unified Japan under his rule. It was the largest castle of its time.

However, a few years after Hideyoshi's death, Tokugawa forces attacked and destroyed the castle, ending the Toyotomi lineage in 1615. Osaka Castle was rebuilt by Tokugawa Hidetada in the 1620s, but its main tower was struck by lightning in 1665, burned down, and was not rebuilt during the feudal era.

It was not until 1931 that the present ferro-concrete reconstruction of the castle tower was built. During the war, it miraculously survived the city-wide air raids. Major repairs gave the castle new glamor in 1997. The castle tower is now entirely modern inside and even features an elevator for easier accessibility. It houses an informative museum about the castle's history and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Located next to the castle tower and included in the ticket price is the Toyotomi Stone Wall Museum. Newly opened in 2025, the museum exhibits some of the castle's original stone walls, which were covered up by the Tokugawa when they rebuilt the castle after the 1615 battle, and which were not rediscovered until the 1950s.

Tickets for entering the castle tower and stone wall museum can be purchased at the castle tower, but be aware that long lines can form on busy days, resulting in waiting times of over 30 minutes. Note, however, that the line can be skipped by purchasing e-tickets in advance.

The castle tower is surrounded by secondary citadels, gates, turrets, impressive stone walls, and moats. The Nishinomaru Garden, encompassing the former 'western citadel', is a lawn garden with 600 cherry trees, a tea house, the former Osaka Guest House, and nice views of the castle tower from below. Unlike most of the rest of the castle grounds, the garden requires an admission fee.