Exploring Kansai, Japan | Visiting Osaka Castle, recording the fleeting beauty of history

✅ Osaka Castle, also known as "Golden Castle," is a symbolic structure of Osaka City, and is one of Japan's three most famous castles alongside Nagoya Castle and Himeji Castle. ❤ During the unification of Japan in the Momoyama period, Osaka Castle was the residence of the famous Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, serving as the core of the entire Toyotomi regime. Later, Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated the Toyotomi clan in two major battles, thereby establishing the Edo shogunate era in Japanese history. 🌟 There are two ways to ascend Osaka Castle. The first is to take an elevator directly to the fifth floor and then work your way down. Although this method saves energy, it requires queuing for the elevator, which often takes a long time, especially during peak seasons when it can take over half an hour. The second method is to walk up the stairs from the first floor, which, despite being more strenuous, is often the quickest way. 👍 Both the first and fifth floors offer audio guides in foreign languages for rent, and you can purchase your favorite souvenirs and gifts. On the second floor, there is a photo area where you can dress up as a Sengoku period warlord for 500 yen per photo. For those who love collecting commemorative stamps, you can use the blank pages of the Osaka Castle guidebook to collect stamps on both the first and second floors. 🕙 Opening hours: 9 AM to 5 PM (entry stops at 4:30 PM). 💰 Osaka Castle ticket prices: 600 yen, free for junior high school students and below. 📍 Location of Osaka Castle: 1-1, Osaka Castle, Chuo-ku, Osaka City. 🚉 Transportation information: Take the Tanimachi Line to Tanimachi 4-chome Station, exit at Temmabashi Station exit 3. For the Chuo Line, exit at Tanimachi 4-chome exit 9, or Morinomiya exit 1. For the Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line, exit at Morinomiya exit 3B.