So many cities have their very own castles and palaces, and Osaka is one of them. While it looks a lot like Nagoya Castle from last week’s post, set on a stone foundation and surrounded by a moat, this is, indeed, Osaka Castle. It has had much destruction rained upon it and many iterations of renovation. The castle’s construction was begun in 1583. It was destroyed by lightning, by a civil war, and again in WW II. The current building’s renovation was completed in 1997, but as a museum rather than a castle. It is very pretty, with the moat surrounding it, and can be seen from around Osaka (wherever the skyscrapers don’t interfere!).
The photos show a few different angles of the castle, including the moat. And, as you can see, there is even a gold tourist boat that runs through the moat. There was also a train that circled the grounds, for $2 per person, but with all the signage being in Japanese, we couldn’t figure out where the pickup was! There were also many outer buildings up at the castle level, no doubt lookouts and guest houses, as you can see in the one photo. Outside the castle, you can put on armor, for a price, and have your photo taken with samurais and ninjas. The last two photos are our fun cultural glimpses for the day…”Please pay money at the cashier before eat things which you are going to buy!! Thank you!” – and, a very special salon where they don’t cut hair, but…..
