Attraction

Крепость Осаки

Osaka Castle towers above the city and is surrounded by a beautiful park. Because the park covers a large area, it can be reached from five different subway stations, and some entrances offer electric-vehicle shuttles to the castle. The castle’s history dates back to 1496 and is connected to Japan’s three unifiers. It was destroyed several times and damaged during World War II, but was completely restored in 1995. Today, in addition to the main keep and castle ruins, the park includes a samurai castle, a baseball field and a music hall. The castle is ringed by a giant moat 70–90 metres wide and a 20-metre stone wall — it’s believed that more than 500,000 stones were used to build the massive walls. There are two museum shops on the grounds with a wide selection of goods. Popular purchases include 3D puzzles of the castle, small replicas of architectural fittings, collectible figures and statuettes, coffee and traditional sweets. Admission to the castle keep is ¥600, but walking around the park is free. The grounds are especially beautiful (and crowded) during cherry blossom season.