Osaka Castle – A Guide to its History and Architecture

Built in 1585 by Toyotomi Hidetoshi, the powerful Japanese warlord who fiercely unified a country in chaos, Osaka Castle is one of Japan’s most famous and recognizable historical buildings. Located in the heart of the nation’s second largest city, the castle has been the setting for countless films and dramas and remains a beloved cultural symbol of Osaka.

 Osaka Castle has a number of historic sites that have been designated as important cultural assets, making it a must-visit tourist attraction for those interested in Japanese history and architecture. This document provides a detailed guide to the fascinating history of Osaka Castle as well as information about its magnificent architecture and bustling tourism.

 What Is Osaka Castle?

In 1585, the revolutionary military leader, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, completed one of Japan’s most well-known and significant castles: Osaka Castle. Located in Chuo-ku, the castle ruins are currently maintained as Osaka Castle Park, a busy tourist destination attracting large groups of visitors, especially during the cherry blossom season.

One of the most attractive features of Osaka Castle is its high, solid stone walls. The stone wall on the east side of the Honmaru of Osaka Castle is approximately 34 meters (37 yards) from the bottom of the moat to the top, and is said to be the tallest in Japan. Built on top of this wall is the keep, a high-rise structure above the main circle in the center of a Japanese castle. The original keep was destroyed by a giant lightning strike in 1665, with the current keep being reconstructed in 1931.

In addition to the castle tower, many of the existing historic sites, such as the castle’s main gate, the first turret and the many gate turrets, were built using the best techniques of the time. Many other buildings have also been designated as important cultural assets, making Osaka Castle a valuable historical landmark with many fascinating highlights.

Osaka Castle is steeped in a variety of history, from Japan’s Warring States period to the present day. It is also a fantastic place to discover and learn about Japanese history, culture, and building techniques.

History of Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle is a structure that has been the stage of critical events in Japanese history since the Warring States period. The castle can be said to be closely associated with the leading warlords of the Warring States period, represented by Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. This section explains the history of Osaka Castle from its erection to the present day.

Birth of Osaka Castle

In 1496, Ishiyama Honganji Temple was built by Rennyo, head of the Honganji School of the Jodo Shinshu sect, one of the Buddhist sects, on the site where Osaka Castle stands today. This was the early impetus for the construction of Osaka Castle.

Later, the Ishiyama Honganji temple was attacked by the warlord Oda Nobunaga. After about 10 years of fierce fighting which began around 1570, a significant meeting was held with the purpose of peace, resulting in Ishiyama Honganji being moved to Kishu (in present-day Wakayama Prefecture). Oda Nobunaga is said to have planned the construction of Osaka Castle on the very site where Ishiyama Honganji temple once stood.

However, Oda Nobunaga died as a result of the rebellion led by his subordinate Akechi Mitsuhide, and his plan to build Osaka Castle. It was Toyotomi Hideyoshi who carried out the intentions of Oda Nobunaga by successfully finishing Osaka Castle.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi started building the castle in 1583 and completed it in 1585. Although the building of the central components of the castle, such as the keep, was complete at this time, the warlord would spend another the castle. In 1599, the magnificent structure, often described by many as being ‘impregnable’, was finally completed.

Edo period

After Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s death, his son Hideyori became lord of Osaka Castle. However, the western army led by Ishida Mitsunari, a supporter of Hideyori, was defeated by the eastern army led by Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Battle of Sekigahara, causing the Toyotomi family to rapidly lose power.

Tensions between Tokugawa Ieyasu, who established the Edo shogunate in 1603, and the Toyotomi family continued to escalate, leading up to the eventual defeat and destruction of the Toyotomi family by Tokugawa Ieyasu in two intense battles, the “Osaka Winter Battle” in 1614 and the “Osaka Summer Battle” in 1615. In these two battles, Osaka Castle fell and was burned to the ground.

In 1619, Osaka Castle came under the direct control of the Tokugawa family, and reconstruction of the castle began in 1620 by the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada. The Osaka Castle of the Tokugawa family was completed around 1630, during the reign of the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu. Later, the Osaka Castle Keeper was placed in charge of the castle in place of the Shogun, and this was eventually followed by the Meiji Restoration.

Osaka Castle suffered several disasters, including a large explosion caused by lightning striking a powder magazine in Osaka Castle in 1660 and lightning striking the north side of the keep in 1665, has been repaired each time. However, the old shogunate forces were defeated in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, the first battle of the “Boshin War” between the old shogunate forces and the new government forces at the end of the Edo period, resulting in much of Osaka Castle being destroyed by fire.

Modern times

In the Meiji era, the site of Osaka Castle was used used for military purposes. In 1931, Osaka citizens donated funds to complete the Osaka Castle tower, using steel-reinforced concrete, the latest technology at the time. The purpose of renovating the keep was to use it as a museum.

Unfortunately, during the Pacific War, Osaka Castle was the target of bombings by American forces and got heavily damaged. The latest major renovation work was carried out over a two-year period beginning in 1995, modeled after the Osaka Castle of the Edo period. Currently, the interior of the Osaka Castle keep is used as a space for historical exhibits and for an observation deck.

The Architecture of Osaka Castle

Since its initial construction, Osaka Castle has undergone several renovation and reconstruction projects. There are three major categories: Osaka Castle by the Toyotomi family, Osaka Castle by the Tokugawa family, and the current castle tower. The following sections describe the architectural features of each of these castles.

Toyotomi Osaka Castle

The main feature of Osaka Castle, built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, is the keep with 5 stories and 9 floors, which stands 39 meters (about 42 yards) tall. The roof was said to be covered with gilded tiles. Another feature would be the size of the castle. The Osaka Castle enclosure, with the Honmaru (the keep) at its center, surrounded by the Ninomaru (second citadel) and Sanomaru (third citadel), is 4.2 million square meters (about 5.02 million square yards), or about four times the size of present-day Osaka Castle Park.

Although the Toyotomi Osaka Castle was destroyed by fire and its stonewalls are buried underground, the appearance of the castle of that time can be seen in folding screens such as “Osaka Jo Zu Byobu” and “Osaka Natsu no Jin Zu Byobu”. In addition, a “Map of Osaka Castle Honmaru” from the Toyotomi period has been discovered to be in the possession of the Nakai family, which united the Kyoto carpenters of the Tokugawa Shogunate, revealing the entire picture of the Toyotomi Osaka Castle.

According to Obayashi Corporation, the Japanese general construction company responsible for the renovation of the current Osaka Castle, the total cost of the construction work, including the 2-kilometer (about 2,187-yard) square of the Toyotomi Osaka Castle, is estimated to be about 5 trillion yen. You can see how huge of a project the Toyotomi Osaka Castle was!

Tokugawa Osaka Castle

The Tokugawa Osaka Castle was built on top of the Toyotomi Osaka Castle, which was destroyed by fire during the war, with a fill of several meters (a few yards) to 10 meters (about 11 yards). The second shogun of the Edo Shogunate, Tokugawa Hidetada, ordered that both the height of the stone walls and the walls be twice as high as those built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, thus completing a castle on a scale surpassing that of the Toyotomi Osaka Castle.

The height of the castle tower is also 44.8 meters (about 49 yards) for the Tokugawa Osaka Castle, compared to the Toyotomi Osaka Castle’s height of about 30 meters (about 32.8 yards). The stone wall is also about 30 meters (about 32.8 yards) high when measured from the bottom of the moat, and the southern outer moat extends for two kilometers. It is said that about 400,000 stones were used to build the castle.

Most of the existing stone walls are from after the reconstruction of the Tokugawa Osaka Castle. Many of the stonewalls are made of large rocks, which shows the high level of construction techniques of the time.

Castle tower (the keep)

The current Osaka Castle tower is the third generation following the Toyotomi Osaka Castle and Tokugawa Osaka Castle. It was restored in 1931 with donations from the citizens of Osaka. It was built on top of the castle tower of the Tokugawa Osaka Castle, being constructed in reference to the castle tower of the Toyotomi Osaka Castle depicted in “Osaka Natsu no Jin Zu Byobu”. The current Osaka keep is a great blend of elements of both the Toyotomi and Tokugawa keeps.

It is a reinforced concrete structure, and was completed using the latest technology available at the time, including earthquake-resistant reinforcement and the installation of an elevator. Designated as a Registered Cultural Property of Japan, the museum is a historical museum, with various cultural properties related to the history of Osaka Castle on display.

Osaka Castle Travel Guide

This section explains the key points of sightseeing at Osaka Castle. While you can view the exterior of Osaka Castle at any time, you need some basic information to visit the interior of the Osaka Castle Keep.

This section explains how to get to Osaka Castle Keep, its opening hours, holidays, admission fees, sightseeing highlights and attractions.

How to get there: train, bus, car

There are three ways to access Osaka Castle Keep: by train, bus, or car.

Train

You can take the subway, JR, and Keihan lines to get to Osaka Castle

 Subway

There are three subway lines that have stations near Osaka Castle: Tanimachi Line, Chuo Line, and Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line.

– For the Tanimachi Line, take Exit 1-B at Tanimachi 4-chome Station or Exit 3 at Temmabashi Station.

– For the Chuo Line, take Exit 9 at Tanimachi 4-chome Station or Exit 1 / Exit 3-B at Morinomiya Station.

– For the Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line, take Exit 3-B at Morinomiya Station or Exit 1 at Osaka Business Park Station.

 JR

For the Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line, take Exit 3-B at Morinomiya Station or Exit 1 at Osaka Business Park Station.

– For the Osaka Loop Line, get off at Morinomiya Station or Osaka-jo Koen Station.

– For the Tozai Line, get off at Osaka-jo Kitazume Station.

 Keihan Railway

– For the Keihan Line, get off at Temmabashi Station.

Bus

If you prefer taking the bus, Osaka City Bus is available. Take the “Route 62” bus and get off at the “Otemae” or “Babacho” bus stops. Another option is to use the “water bus” that leaves from Osaka Castle Port and Hachikenyahama Boat Terminal.

Car

If you prefer to come by car, get off at Houenzaka Exit on Hanshin Expressway No. 13 if you’re coming from Kobe or get off at Morinomiya Exit on Hanshin Expressway No. 13 if you’re coming from east Osaka.

 There are two parking lots: the parking lot in front of Osaka Castle Park Station (171 spaces) and the Morinomiya Parking Lot (100 spaces). Both parking lots charge 400 yen per hour from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. On weekdays and 500 yen per hour from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. On weekends and holidays.

Hours of operation and days closed

Osaka Castle Keep is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (admission open until 4:30 p.m). However, please check in advance because the opening hours may be extended during the cherry blossom viewing season, Golden Week (end of April to beginning of May), and summer vacation (end of July to beginning of September).

 The museum is closed from December 28 to January 1 each year.

Admission fee

General admission is 600 yen for adults. If you are a junior high school student or younger (15 years old or younger for overseas visitors), a resident of Osaka City aged 65 or older, or a holder of disability certificates, admission is free.

All overseas visitors who are 15 years old or younger must show proof of age (e.g. passport).

Other discounts are available for general and school groups. Payment can be made by credit card, electronic money, or QR code.

Sightseeing highlights and attractions

The interior of the Osaka Castle Keep is used as a history museum. Historical materials related to Osaka Castle and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, as well as miniatures of Osaka Castle are on display. Make sure to not miss the museum store on the first floor. From the observatory on the 8th floor of the keep, you can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of the beautiful city of Osaka.

In addition to the castle tower, Osaka Castle Park is dotted with many other historical buildings related to Osaka Castle. A leisurely stroll around the site is also recommended.

There are many historical buildings along the walk including Sakura-mon Gate (the main gate of Honmaru, designated as an Important Cultural Property), Sakura-mon Masugata (where many of the huge stones in Osaka Castle are concentrated), Kinzou (a former Tokugawa Shogunate vault), and Rokuban Yagura (a square wooden structure built during the Tokugawa Shogunate’s reconstruction work).

In addition, there are many other historical spots and attractions, such as the vast Nishinomaru Garden and Toyokuni Shrine, dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, which are worth taking the time to visit.

*The information in the Osaka Castle Tourist Guide is current as of July 8, 2023.

Summary

Originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and later rebuilt by Tokugawa Ieyasu, Osaka Castle is an impressive Japanese castle situated in Chuo-ku, Osaka, with major reconstruction work having continued well into the 20th century.

Since the Warring States period, Osaka Castle has served an important role in Japanese history. The castle consists of many historical buildings including the castle keep, with the interior of the keep having a historical museum, showcasing a number of valuable exhibits, in addition to a museum store and an observation deck.

During the Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season, visitors may enjoy both Osaka Castle and Japanese cherry blossoms at the same time. Osaka Castle is a great place to visit for those interested in Japanese culture, history, and architecture.