Osaka half day
City : Osaka
Osaka is the largest city in Western Japan with the population over eight million, but it doesn't attract as many tourists as Kyoto does. Old buildings are destroyed and numbers of waterways which were a part of people's life two hundred years ago are buried. Today's Osaka, therefore, just looks like a city of business where a lot of tall buildings dominate. There is still something for tourists to see, Osaka-jo castle and Dotonbori entertainment district.
Osaka-jo Castle:
It has a 55 meter-tall castle tower on the 260-acre ground including the park. Magnificent main tower always appears on postcards or websites as a symbol of Osaka. Like many other castles in Japan, it was built in the feudal era. A famous warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi founded the castle in 1583 after he gained power at the end of hundred-year long civil war. He was an unifier of Japan and at the same time the founder of original city of Osaka. That's why people in Osaka regard him as a hero.
So it's a shame that the hero (his son) was defeated by the Eastern warlord Tokugawa in 1615, only thirty years after the castle was completed. Then Edo castle in Tokyo became the center of the government of Tokugawa shogunate. Meanwhile Osaka-jo castle was reconstructed under Tokugawa's command. Remains of old castle like ramparts were buried and new and bigger castle tower was built on it. So what you see today, moats, ramparts, gates and warehouses were built in early 17th century, during the Tokugawa era.
It could be a great heritage attraction if the castle complex of 17th century remained intact. In fact, lightening in 1660 and another battle at the end of the Edo period burnt down a large part of the castle including the main tower. Today's main tower is the concrete-walled museum built in 1931, whereas extensive stone rampart and several gates on the way to the tower remains as it was.
The museum displays stuff related to Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his battle against Tokugawa. If you are very much interested in the Japanese history, you could spend more than an hour in the museum. Also you can get a fine view of Osaka city from the observation deck on the top floor. Even if you don't visit the museum, walking to the tower and returning to the gate takes an hour. Gates are open 24 hours and you can enjoy the view of the illuminated tower at night (lit until 11:00 pm).
Osaka Castle Museum: Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Last admission at 4:30 p.m.) | Closed December 28th through January 1st | Admission fee: 600 yen | Website: http://www.osakacastle.net/english/
Dotonbori :
Dotonbori is the name of the canal and has long been the entertainment center of Osaka. There once were a number of theatres and people in the Edo period enjoy the performance of Kabuki and Joruri puppet play. Restaurants are necessary around theaters and that made Dotonbori a busy and pleasant place. Today, only few theaters survive and flashing neon signs of nightclubs and various kinds of amusement are increasing instead. However, it is the busiest place in Osaka and moreover, the best place to eat Osaka's specialty like Takoyaki (octopus dumpling) and Okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza)
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