Osaka Castle, Osaka (must see)

Osaka Castle is not the kind of building that quietly fades into the background. It dominates the skyline, anchors a vast park, and carries a résumé packed with ambition, destruction, reinvention, and more than a little drama. Today, it serves as a museum and a major visitor attraction, but its past is far less polite.

Construction began in 1583 under the command of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the most powerful figures of Japan’s unification era. Hideyoshi modeled the fortress on Azuchi Castle, the stronghold of his former lord Oda Nobunaga, and aimed to outdo it. The result was a five-storey tower rising above massive stone walls, with three additional levels hidden underground—less a subtle palace, more a statement of authority... By 1597, the castle was complete and firmly established as a symbol of Toyotomi power.

That symbol did not last long, though. After Hideyoshi’s death, the castle passed to his son, Toyotomi Hideyori, whose rule ended violently in 1620 when the Tokugawa forces laid siege to Osaka. The original castle was destroyed by fire, and Hideyori took his own life, marking the end of the Toyotomi line and clearing the way for Tokugawa rule.

Rebuilding followed, this time with a tower that appeared to have five floors but actually contained eight inside. The stone walls erected during this period still stand today. The rest of the complex, however, had little luck. Lightning struck a gunpowder storehouse, triggering another fire, and by the early 19th century, the site had slipped into neglect.

A repair effort in 1843 briefly revived the castle, but it burned again just 25 years later. The Meiji government then repurposed the remains into a military arsenal, shifting the site from symbol to factory.

During World War II, Osaka Castle became one of the world’s largest armories. Allied bombing destroyed most of the military installations, leaving the historic core once again damaged. The castle seen today dates largely from the restoration completed between 1995 and 1997, designed to closely match the original exterior. It is surrounded by wide inner and outer moats arranged around the four cardinal directions.

Within the grounds are 13 culturally significant structures, including the Ote-mon Gate, the Rokuban-yagura Turret, the Kinmeisui Well, the Kinzo Storehouse, and the Enshogura Gunpowder Magazine—quiet reminders that this castle has always been more than just a backdrop...