Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle was built originally by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Japan’s revolutionary leader in the late 16th century who rose from peasantry to become one of the three unifiers of Japan and put an end to a long, bloody period of feudal warfare. Completed in 1597, the castle was the largest, most intimidating castle in Japan at the time, and it overlooked and provided the catalyst for the rapid growth of Osaka, which would become the “merchant’s capital” and economic engine of Japan during the Edo Period (1600-1868). Hideyoshi’s son, Hideyori, would resist the forces of the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who took power after Hideyoshi’s death. Hideyori would defend against two assaults using Osaka Castle as a base before committing suicide with his mother when the battle was lost.

Hideyoshi’s castle was destroyed after the battle, and the rebuilt version once again during a fire; the current structure is a faithful reconstruction (except for use of concrete) from the 1930s, renovated in 1997 to express the feel of original more closely. The moats and walls are almost all original, and one of the turrets is also an original. The inside of the castle has been turned into an in informative and interesting history museum, and the view from the top of the keep provides a great way to see the whole city. Osaka Castle Park is lovely, especially when the cherry blossoms are blooming, when the plum blossoms are blooming, and when the autumn leaves are changing. You can also see Hokoku Shrine, one of the many temples built to honor Hideyoshi, within the park grounds.
While some criticize Osaka Castle because it is a re-creation, I would argue, without getting into a deep discussion about the true significance of historical monuments, that it is still fulfills the roles it was primarily intended to play–namely, that of impressing visitors and of acting as a symbol of Osaka. Some scoff at the elevator attached to provide access to the entrance, but from my perspective, it provides an equal chance for all people, no matter their physical condition or health, to visit this important site.

In summary, Osaka Castle is a must-see for any visitor to the city, and its park (one of the most beautiful and well-planned around), its event facilities and its sightseeing boat dock pier make this one of the most important sightseeing spots in the city.

Access: Directly outside Morinomiya (Chuo and Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Subway Lines, JR Loop Line), 5 min. walk from Tanimachi 4-chome Station (Tanimachi and Chuo Subway Lines), 5 min. walk from Tenmabashi Station (Tanimachi Subway Line, Keihan Subway Line), 10 min. walk from Osakajo-kitazume Station (JR Tozai Line), 10-15 min. walk from Kyobashi Station (JR Loop Line, JR Tozai Line, JR Gakkentoshi Line/Katamachi Line, Keihan Lines, Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Subway Line), 5 min. walk from Osaka Business Park Station (Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Subway Line), or 5 min. walk from Osakajo-koen Station (JR Osaka Loop Line). Many of the Aqua Bus sightseeing boats stop at the park, also. A PDF version of the map in English, which includes many of the stations mentioned, is available here.

Costs: Osaka Castle Museum costs 600 yen per adult, and is free for guests 15 years of age or younger. There are also group discounts. Entrance to the park is free.

Hours: Osaka Castle, which has a museum and an open-air observatory from the top, is open 9 am to 5 pm (closed from Dec. 28 to Jan.), and guests are admitted until 30 min. before closing time. The park is open at all times. Castle facilities are open until 7 pm during the summer (July 17 to Aug. 29).

For more information about the museum, call 06-6941-3044. Also check out Osaka Castle’s website.

Cherry Blossoms 2010

Amidst moans and groans about rainy spring weather, talk about budding flowers is increasing day by day. This can only mean one thing: cherry blossom season is almost here! As many of you probably know, one of the biggest seasonal activities of the year is hanami: a chance to have a picnic outside after a long winter, surrounded by fragrant pink and white flowers. Sure, you have to fight stifling crowds, put up with pushy obaasan jabbing you with umbrellas, and patiently wait for some guy with a fancy camera while he takes 20 minutes to snap a picture of a single flower. But in the end, the cherry blossoms of Japan are so beautiful, it’s worth it every single year.

The Osaka Mint Building is the best place to see cherry blossoms in Osaka City. Since the 19th century, the Mint has a tradition of opening its garden to the public for one week a year when its cherry blossoms are in full bloom. There are about 350 trees of 120 varieties, and they are even illuminated during the evening to create a romantic feel. The 2010 event will be from April 14 to April 20, open from 10 am to 9 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 9 pm on weekends. This is the best place to see cherry blossoms in Osaka.

If it’s picnicking you’re after, you can hop over to nearby Osaka Castle Park. The cherry trees here are also gorgeous, and if you look around for a while, you will most likely be able to find a patch of grass or dirt to lay your blanket out on (I highly recommend an early arrival to stake out a spot if you are serious about picnicking here). Trees may come into full bloom here a little earlier than at the Mint Building, although the periods will most likely overlap to some extent.

The best way to get to either location is by walking from Tenmabashi Station. There are also a number of cruises operating along the flower-lined Okawa River at this time of year from Hakkenyahama Pier, located just behind the station on the riverfront.

General cherry blossom info for Japan can be found (in English) at Japan-Guide’s Cherry Blossom Forecast 2010. According to them, the best time for hanami this year will be late March and early April. You can also see live updates of the “cherry blossom front” every day by watching weather reports on TV.

Access: Both the Osaka Mint Building and Osaka Castle Park are a short walk from Tenmabashi Station (Keihan Lines and Tanimachi Subway Line). The Mint can be reached by crossing the river (follow the signs and crowds), and the castle can be reached by heading in the general direction of Osaka Business Park (OBP).

Click here for more information in Japanese.

Amidst moans and groans about rainy spring weather, talk about budding flowers is flying about more and more every day. This can only mean one thing: cherry blossom season is almost here! As many of you probably know, one of the biggest seasonal events of the year is hanami: a chance to have a picnic outside after a long winter, surrounded by fluffy pink and white flowers giving off a perfume-like fragrance. Sure, you have to fight stifling crowds, put up with pushy obaasan jabbing you in the back with umbrellas, and patiently wait for some guy with a 300,000 yen camera while he takes 20 minutes to snap a picture of a single flower. But in the end, the cherry blossoms of Japan are so beautiful, it’s worth it every single year.

The Osaka Mint Building is the best place to see cherry blossoms. Since the 19th century, the Mint has a tradition of opening its garden to the public for one week a year when its cherry blossoms are in full bloom. There are about 350 trees of 120 varieties, and they are even illuminated during the evening to create a romantic feel. The 2010 event will be from April 14 to April 20, open from 10 am to 9 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 9 pm on weekends. This is the best place to see cherry blossoms in Osaka.

Aqua Bus Tours

Aqualiner sightseeing boat passing under Tenmabashi Bridge

Run by the Keihan Group, this sightseeing boat company operates various cruises around the city of Osaka, long known as “the City of Water” due to the historical and importance of canals and rivers in the city. In fact, during the Edo Period (1600-1868), when Osaka was the economic center of Japan, storehouses of the powerful domain lords were in Osaka, as was the futures trading market, and the best way to get between the market and the storehouses (as well as just get around town) was by using the city’s network of canals. Seeing Osaka from the water is one of the ways to truly understand that character of the city, and because cruises feature refreshments for sale and explanations of passing scenery, residents and tourists can also have fun. Furthermore, cruises can be easily integrated into a city-center sightseeing itinerary, as the river routes connect some of the most popular spots in Osaka.
There are a variety of tours available. The Aqualiner services operate quite frequently every day, and they provide river sightseeing cruises that make stops at Osaka Castle, Tenmabashi, Yodoyabashi, and OAP (Osaka Amenity Park). Aqua Mini services cut north-to-south through the narrow Yokohorigawa River canal connecting the Okawa and Dotombori Rivers, and stop at Osaka Castle, Dazaemonbashi (in the center of the Dotombori entertainment district), and Minatomachi (a port near OCAT in Minami). The Himawari service is a restaurant ship that departs from OAP and goes along the Okawa River. The Santa Maria is a replica of the ship of the same name, and it provides sightseeing cruises around Osaka Bay, departing from Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. The company also offers charted cruises and special event cruises.
While the Santa Maria and Aqua Bus tours operate every day, other tours may not. Please check the official website for departure times, days of operation, prices, and other details. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket offices at any of the ports.

Peace Osaka (warning: serious topic ahead)

 

August is the month when two unfortunate and horrendous historic events, the atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, are remembered. However, back in 1945 around this time, other tragedies preceded these two. Sixty major Japanese cities were targeted by B-29 bomber squadrons carrying bombs–consisting mainly of incendiary bombs meant to burn down Japanese buildings, which used large amounts of wood and paper in their construction–and most of the cities were almost completely destroyed. Approximately 100,000 people (mostly civilians) were killed by the “firebombings,”  and the economy and infrastructure of the country were reduced to shambles.

I am aware that this is a volatile issue to be writing about. I will convey only one opinion, and it is one that I think (and hope) we can all agree with: peace in this world is much better than the senseless human and material destruction brought about by war.

Which brings me to the main purpose of this post: to tell you about a facility in Osaka that I have a lot of respect for, and one that I think should be visited by everyone. That facility is called Osaka International Peace Center, more commonly known as Peace Osaka. It features a number of exhibits on subjects including the firebombings of Osaka, the expansion of the Japanese Empire in Asia during World War II and its harmful effects in many countries, and other topics. There are video clips taken from the B-29s as the bombs were dropped, images of the city in ruins afterwards, articles salvaged from the ruins, and many good testimonies and explanations of historical events of the time. As Peace Osaka’s name implies, this museum offers an unbiased view of the wartime destruction with the goal that we not forget mistakes of the past. Be warned that some of the images are quite graphic and disturbing, as is generally the case with any honest portrayal of the realities of war.

I was a student of Japanese history in university and have continued my studies on my own since, and it has always pained me to study World War II because of nearly unimaginable suffering, and the racism and hatred underlying all of it. Additionally, it pains me to remember that people in many countries I have learned to love an respect were bitter enemies at the time. But I think places like Peace Osaka are incredibly important. History has made it clear that humans tend to repeat the same mistakes time and time again, but perhaps we can avoid an even more horrendous war (or stop the ones we are involved in now) by educating ourselves. Memories of World War II in particular have taken on a strong “good guy-bad guy” flavor, which is a dangerously moralistic and illogical way of looking at history and teaches us to hold onto destructive attitudes of the past. Just like the informative and heartbreaking Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and other such facilities around Japan, Peace Osaka plays a noble role by delivering a strong anti-war message.

Peace Osaka can be accessed most easily from Morinomiya Station on the Chuo subway line or Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi subway line (about 3-5 min. on foot from exit 1, or 2 min. on foot from exit 3B). It is located on the edge of Osaka Castle Park, a visit to Peace Osaka can be easily combined with a visit to the Castle, the Osaka Museum of History, and other sightseeing spots within walking distance. Hours, cost, and general museum information can be found here.