# Osaka/Osaka castle

The Osaka Castle area is in Osaka city. This area consisting of many buildings surrounded by water is home to Osaka-castle, Osaka-jo Hall, classical music halls, theaters where you can enjoy the performing arts, hotels, shopping and sports facilities.

## Get in

The eastern section of the JR Osaka Loop Line crosses through this district. From Kansai International Airport, take a JR Haruka or Kansai Airport Rapid service to Tennoji and change to the Osaka Loop Line in the direction of Kyobashi. By standard JR trains the trip takes around 75 minutes to Kyobashi and costs ¥1190.
From the bullet train station at Shin-Osaka, take any regular JR train one stop to Osaka station and change to the Osaka Loop Line towards Kyobashi (15-20 min, ¥180).
From Kyoto, an alternate method of reaching the area is to use the private Keihan Railway. The railway runs from the eastern section of Kyoto city and runs through Kyobashi before terminating at the business district in Yodoyabashi. From Shichijo station (a 15-minute walk from Kyoto Station) it takes around 40 minutes to reach Kyobashi (¥400). Taking the Kintetsu Railway from Kyoto Station to Tambabashi and changing to the Keihan Railway takes about an hour and ¥600 to Kyobashi, versus around 40 minutes and ¥800 by JR.

## Fees and permits

Most of the fortress is free,but the castle building costs ¥600 for adults, while children are free.

## See

* 34.68722135.525831 Osaka Castle (大阪城 Osaka-jō) (the park can be accessed on a number of lines, but the castle is closest to Osaka-jō Koen station on the JR Osaka Loop Line). Daily 09:00-17:00, closed around New Years. Osaka's best known sight, although it's a concrete reconstruction that pales in comparison with, say, Himeji. Think of it as a museum built in the shape of a castle, rather than as an historical Japanese castle. Still, it's pretty enough from the outside, especially in the cherry blossom season when Osakans flock to the castle park to picnic and make merry. Naniwa Palace Site Park or Naniwanomiya can also be found south to Osaka Castle Park (although it's one of Japan's oldest habitats and palace sites, today it's little more than an empty grass field where the outlines of Naniwa's palace foundations from around 643 AD have been partly recreated in concrete). ¥600, children free.
* 34.682722135.5208062 Osaka Museum of History (大阪歴史博物館), 1-32 Otemae 4-Chome Chuo-ku (5-min walk from subway Tanimachi 4-chome Station; also accessible via Osaka Castle or from JR Osaka-jō Station). M-Th 09:30-17:00, F 09:30-20:00, closed Tuesday, or Wednesday of Tuesday is a holiday. An ideal place to learn all-abouts of Osaka's history. Enjoyable view over Osaka Castle and the OBP skyscrapers. Adult ¥600.
* 34.681667135.533 Peace Osaka (大阪国際平和センター), ☏ +81 66 947-7208. Tu-Su 09:30-17:00. A museum dedicated to the promotion of peace through displays of war. Because it is an Osaka museum, it largely focuses on the effects of the bombings on Osaka in World War II. In the past, the museum also had exhibitions depicting the atrocities committed by Japan against China, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Sadly, however, those exhibitions were permanently removed in 2015 in response to pressure from conservative political groups. Exhibits have English explanations.

## Do

* 34.6675135.508611 National Bunraku Theater (国立文楽劇場 (Kokuritsu Bunraku Gekijō)) (Nippombashi). One of the last places in the world where bunraku, a form of intricate puppet theater from the Edo period, can be seen live. The large puppets, which require three operators each, are accompanied by traditional music and narration, and act out great Japanese plays of the 1600s and 1700s. Transcripts in Japanese and synopses in English are provided.

## Sleep

* CarpeDiem Inn (カルペディエム), info@carpediem-osaka.jp. Traditional-style house and garden within walking distance of the Shiroyama Temple. Dormitory ¥3500, private rooms ¥10000 for 2.
* Super Hotel Osaka Tanimachi 4-Chome, 2-2-29 Tokiwa Machi Chuo-ku, ☏ +81 6-6942-9000. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 10:00. Mid-price chain hotel, around a corner from the Tanimachi 4-chome subway station and a 7-Eleven store with ATM that accepts foreign cards. Modern and clean but compact rooms, with a free Japanese breakfast and free WiFi included with all stays. between ¥5,000 and ¥10,000 per night. (updated Jan 2018)