Hi! So I am back to tour around the inner compound of Osakajo 大阪城, The Osaka Castle of Japan! It's really freezing cold I regretted a little for not wearing a thicker top to keep me warmer. Sigh! I should really wrap up myself like this little kid behind me! He looks so comfortable in his little fluffy warmer jacket. *cute*
// Osaka Castle //
To keep myself from freezing cold, my mission is to get inside the Osaka Castle! I'm just kidding. There's so much more inside than just keeping me warm! So let's go!
The admission is ¥600, which is about RM20 per person. The ticket price gradually reduce if you purchase as a group starting from a group of 15 individual ¥540.
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a full scale replica of SACHI and FUSETORA //
It is actually a pretty much no-camera zone inside but let me brief you a little about what will be greeting you in there;
1st Floor: Museum Entrance - Before the journey begins, there's an Audio Guide Rental Counter available which will be very useful throughout the exhibition. On the same floor, there is a Movie Theater showcasing 5 programmes concerning Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Osaka Castle.
There's 2 options; to take the lift and ascend to the fifth floor, where the story unfold in scenes or to ascend floor by floor using the stairway. I actually choose to ascend to the fifth floor and then descend the remaining floors by stairs.
2nd Floor: Osaka Facts & Figrues - Display panels showing basic facts about Osaka and history at a glance.There is also a full scale replica of SACHI (legendary dolphin-shaped fish) and FUSETORA (the crouching tiger).
// Panoramic view of Osaka City from 50m above //
3rd Floor: Hideyoshi Toyotomi and his era - The Golden Tea Room, a Small Scale Model of Osaka Castle and Selected Historical Artifacts.
4th Floor: Hideyoshi Toyotomi and his era - Objects associated with Hideyoshi Toyotomi and other artifacts of Sengoku era, and Osaka Castle reconstruction.
5th Floor: Scenes from "The Summer War in Osaka" - Famous scenes will be shown in the folding scenes with miniature figurines showcasing; Osaka Castle under Hideyoshi Toyotomi, The Summer War in Osaka and a miniature figuring display of Summer War in Osaka.
// Panoramic view of Osaka City from 50m above //
7th Floor: The Life of Hideyoshi Toyotomi - Presenting the life of Hideyoshi who built Osaka Castle and also unify the entire nation, and history of Osaka Castle at a glance during the period of Ishiyama Honganji. Do not miss out the interesting miniature diorama showcasing Hideyoshi Toyotomi "Taiko".
8th Floor: Observation Deck - enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of Osaka City from 50m above the ground. On the same floor is also a stereoscope featuring a 3-dimentional view of the "Old Osaka" aka Naniwa.
It was interesting to learn about the history of Osaka with the assistance of technology which made it all easier to absorb and also understand. I am particularly attracted to the miniature diorama on the 7th floor because of the 3D human projection on the miniature 3D modal. Do check it out and tell me if you feel the wow factor too!
In continuance from the photo appreciation of beautiful Sakura blooms around the castle from my previous post, here are a few more close up captures for you to fell head over heels. There is a reason why Japan is flooded with tourist from countries all over during every Sakura season.
Do take note that Sakura blooming season is different in every prefecture, region. Hence, it is important to check out the blooming periods before booking your flight.
Here's a short list of website where you can check on Hanami, Sakura Season in Japan;
Japan National Tourism Organization
Read about my other Osaka Travel Posts here:
284: Sakura Trip at Osakajo 大阪城 @ Osaka 2/2
