Osaka Castle

We visited Osaka Castle in the late afternoon on a chilly day. Unfortunately, admissions close at 4:30 PM, so be sure to arrive early to explore the interior. Though we didn’t have much time inside, the castle grounds alone were worth the visit—beautifully maintained with plenty of scenic spots to sit, relax, and take in the city views. While there isn’t much translated information for tourists, the site is well-preserved and offers a glimpse into its rich history. Next time, I’d love to explore inside and learn more about its past.

We had heard mixed reviews about whether the castle was worth visiting, but we enjoyed walking around the massive castle grounds and wandering our way to the top of the museum. There were two floors of rotating exhibits and two with permanent exhibits about the history of the castle. The top floor (8F) was a beautiful observatory where we saw views of Osaka from all angles. We went around 3:30pm and felt a little rushed for time, but the slight sunset views were worthwhile at the top!

We visited Osaka Castle, and it was a wonderful experience. It’s huge and you can see it from a far. It’s a long walk to the castle, and while doing so it makes you wonder about the people who lived here and walked that same path in the past. The structures are amazing and very well-maintained up to now. The place is very clean as well, and so many tourists. We wanted to go inside, but chose not to because of the queue, and therefore we just enjoyed looking at the castle and the views surrounding it. Definitely a must visit when you are in Osaka! ✨🥰

Going inside to read about the history and see the view from the top was cool but my son appreciated the second visit more when we went at night and didn’t even go inside (it closed at 5pm and we went like 9pm). The structure was amazing in itself and the lights were beautiful at night. If you can do both it’s worth it but if you can’t go inside it’s worth going at night.

Osaka Castle Osaka Castle was definitely on our must-visit list. We walked from 谷町四丁目駅 station, passing the Osaka Museum of History along the way. The weather was perfect, making the walk really pleasant. The castle grounds are huge, and the views along the route were enjoyable. There are plenty of public seating areas if you need a short break, and many great spots to snap some memorable photos. Public toilet facilities are also available throughout the area. While we didn’t buy tickets to enter the castle itself, we still had a wonderful time exploring the surroundings.

A must visit if you are in Osaka. Feel the city bleed away a little while wandering these castle grounds. The museum inside is fantastic and informative with some beautiful pieces. Be warned the museum can feel a little text heavy if you are in a rush so plan proper time to review all the information provided if you are a history buff! Deff worth the visit!

I visited Osaka Castle on a weekday morning, and it was such a peaceful experience since it wasn’t crowded. The grounds are massive, and everything was clean and well-maintained. It felt like stepping into history as I admired the beautiful architecture of the castle—a sight I’d only ever seen on postcards my aunt brought me back in high school. There was a huge tree in the middle of the grounds with vibrant yellow leaves, which added to the charm of the place. The garden surrounding the castle was stunning, and I can only imagine how breathtaking it must look in full autumn colors. It seemed like there was an event planned for the evening, which would have been fun to attend. I highly recommend walking around the castle grounds in the fall—such a memorable experience!

Today, we visited Osaka Castle... it is magnificent looking from the outside, but from the inside, they have changed it into a museum, so I have no idea how it looked like a few hundred years back, other than telling us it used to house their gold and silver, so sounds like a central bank of old? The museum itself was okay. Now the area around it is also nice and very accessible and family friendly. Their main elevator was out of service, so I'm not sure what people with a disability or prams did as the place have at least a million steps you need to climb! The view from all the way at the top is very nice, with a small gift shop up there and another larger one downstairs. I won't spoil the story, but check out the story of the Lord who built the original castle, it has a twist in it that I didn't see coming! But the only hint I'll mention is that he was 57 when it happened. Buy tickets online as the line was huge, at least a 30-minute wait, even though at the end of the line, you find 3 ticket vending machines! I think they could have easily doubled the number of those machines! Online tickets have a line of their own, and you get in within a minute. Worth the trip...