If you have seen the Taiga drama Gou: Hime-tachi no Sengoku, or any Taiga drama with a glimpse of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, then you will be familiar with Osaka Castle and its historical relevance. Taiga is an annual, year-long historical fiction television series in Japan. So basically, prior to our arrival in Japan, I already have a little knowledge about the place.
Table of Contents
History of Osaka Castle
Let’s talk History first. You won’t appreciate Osaka Castle if we don’t. And you will not stop reading because we want to learn together, yeah? As depicted in the Taiga drama Gou, the castle was built by the order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who at that time was a great samurai and regarded as Japan’s second “great unifier”. He succeeded his former lord, Oda Nobunaga and ended the Sengoku period.
Japan’s Warring States Period
Sengoku means Warring States period. It was the time when the power of Emperor of Japan was largely ceremonial and religious. Power was delegated to the Shogun (who is like a General) and every Daimyo (local lords) swore loyalty to him. Eventually, the Shogun lost its control over the Daimyo and thus they began to fight with each other for control over the land.
Akechi Mitsuhide’s Betrayal of Oda Nobunaga
The fearless warlord Oda Nobunaga was the first to attempt to unify Japan. He was so close but one of his generals, Akechi Mitsuhide betrayed him. In the Taiga drama, it showed Nobunaga set fire to his castle and eventually committed suicide. I cried a lot on this part because Nobunaga trusted Mitsuhide. Though the latter managed to defeat the guards, he never found Nobunaga’s remains.
The Rise of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
This is where Toyotomi Hideyoshi emerged as the next ruling leader of Japan. He avenged and presented Mitsuhide’s head to Nobunaga’s grave. I was really impressed with him! Such as loyal general! As soon as he established his power, he ordered a Castle to be built which would symbolise his power and fortune. He made a castle decorated with gold. See this picture below. It was how Osaka Castle looked during Toyotomi’s rule.
Tokugawa Shogunate
But after Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s death, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who worked for both Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, ended the Toyotomi lineage. His son Hidetada destroyed Osaka Castle. Ieyasu was then appointed as Shogun and established the last shogunate of Japan. The Tokugawa rebuilt the Castle and remained under their control for so many years until it was struck by lightning and was burned down. The present-day Main Tower is the third generation and was reconstructed in 1931.
Things to see and do in Osaka Castle Area
As far as I know, there are no organized tours of the castle, so we were free to explore the area on our own. Basically, there are four places you can visit – The Main Castle, Osaka Castle Park, Osaka Castle Museum and Observation Deck, and the Osaka Museum of History. If you have limited time, Osaka Castle Park should be the best place for you.
Osaka Castle Travel Guide
How to get to Osaka Castle
From JR Osaka Station, the closest JR station is Osakajokoen Station on the JR Loop Line. It’s the fourth stop in a clockwise direction (travel time is 10 minutes and train fare is 160 yen).
You can also access the castle from the other side of the park via Morinomiya Station on the Chuo Metro Line.
Admission Fee and Hours
The castle is open daily from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, with the last admissions at 4:30 pm. Tickets to the Castle Tower can be purchased through the official website or on-site for 600 yen. There is no admission fee for Osaka Castle Park.
