Osaka Castle Park, Osaka, Japan

Standing: Must see · Heritage site
Rank: Rank 54 of 11,589

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

About Osaka Castle Park

Osaka Castle Park is a public urban park and historic site at Osaka-jo in Chuo-ku, south of the Okawa (Kyu-Yodo River), and the second-largest park in the city. The site has a long history: in the fifteenth century the fortified temple Ishiyama Hongan-ji stood here, and in 1583 Toyotomi Hideyoshi destroyed it and built Osaka Castle. From 1870 to 1945 the Osaka Arsenal occupied a large area, and it was destroyed at the end of the Second World War. The park opened to the public in 1931, though most of it was then used by the Imperial Japanese Army; after the war most of the military complex was removed and replaced by parkland.

Checked 2026-11-05 · Source

What's inside

The centrepiece is the Osaka Castle Keep Tower, whose top offers a view from Osaka Bay to Mount Ikoma across the Osaka Plain. Historic structures include the Gold Storehouse, the Sakura, Tamon, Ote and Aoya gates, the Inui, Sengan, 6th and 1st turrets and the inner and outer moats, along with monuments to Ishiyama Hongan-ji and to Toyotomi Hideyori and his mother Yodo-dono. Hokoku Shrine stands in the park. Gardens include the Nishi-no-Maru Garden, a Japanese garden, the plum and peach gardens and several forests. Osaka Castle Hall, an open-air concert hall, sports fields and the Osaka International Peace Center are also here. Cherry and plum blossom viewing is popular in spring.

Checked 2026-11-05 · Source