I took a walk in Osaka Castle Park to pass the time before dinner. It wasn't too crowded overall, but there were some lines at the entrance to the main keep. It seemed like more than half of the people there were foreigners. I took a break at a relatively empty spot (except for Tully's). I had noticed strange cloud formations since the morning, and they still looked odd in the afternoon.

It had been a while since my last visit to this inn. There was a space inside with a casual atmosphere, where I took a short break and ordered a set of 4 skewers and a draft beer. Whenever I come to Osaka Castle, I always end up stopping by this place. It used to be a tea house where I had a matcha beer before. This time, I was surprised to see that the atmosphere of the shop had completely changed, but as long as they have skewers and beer, it's not a problem. The order was ready in about 5 minutes, and I enjoyed the skewers with thin crispy batter and hot fillings. Everything was delicious! By the time I left, the place was full of foreign tourists. Hopefully, this will help boost the local economy. Thank you for the delicious meal!

I headed to the COVID-19 vaccination site at Osaka Castle Hall. Since I arrived early, I took a leisurely walk around Osaka Castle from Morinomiya Station. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and many people are enjoying hanami. It's nice to see this sight again after a long time. During my break, I visited Osaka Castle Honjin, which used to be the Osaka City Museum and has been renovated as "MIRAIZA Osaka Castle." Inside the building, there are shops, cafes, and restaurants, and Osaka Castle Honjin is currently hosting a Detective Conan event until August 31st. I tried the Mysterious Purple drink inspired by Ai Haibara, which cost 540 yen. After ordering and paying at the counter, I received the drink at the pick-up counter and enjoyed it in the eat-in space. The cream soda topped with ice and blueberries in a purple lychee soda was refreshing and delicious. It instantly relieved the heat and fatigue. Now, let's head to the vaccination site. Thank you for the meal.

I went to Osaka Castle Park for cherry blossom viewing. It was my first time near the castle since the park was renovated, and there were various restaurants and food stalls, making it lively. They were selling fried foods and takoyaki, but I decided to try the limited edition sakura soft serve ice cream. It was a mix of vanilla and sakura flavors, and it looked cute like recent soft serve ice creams. The sakura flavor was distinct and the soft serve was delicious. It wasn't as fluffy as it looked, but it was tasty. Thank you for the meal.

After walking around, the first sip of beer was impressive with a matcha flavor. I think there might be other beers like this one. It was quite delicious. The staff was kind and the woman had a lovely smile. Thank you for the meal. Thank you for the meal.

On a Sunday afternoon, as it was starting to cool down, I decided to go to Osaka Castle to get the stamp for "Japan's Top 100 Castles". It's about a 10-minute walk from my house, and when I arrived at the entrance of Osaka Castle Park, the place was bustling with lots of tourists! However, about 80% of them were from China, and Japanese people made up less than 10% maybe. The stamp for Japan's Top 100 Castles is located inside the main keep, but on this day, there was a special open viewing of the interior of the important cultural property turret, so I purchased the "Main Keep Set for 1200 yen" at the ticket booth in front of the Nishinomaru Garden and went for the tour. After walking around the turret and arriving in front of the main keep, I was quite thirsty from all the walking. The former Fourth Division Headquarters Building (formerly Osaka City Museum) has been transformed into a commercial facility called MIRAIZA OSAKA-JO, so I decided to check it out to see if there was anything good. Inside, there were no Japanese people except for the employees! It really felt like a different country in there. Amongst all this, I found "Osaka Castle Honjin". It used to be on the opposite side, running a souvenir shop and cafeteria, but it had moved to Miraiza. Since there was also an eat-in space, I decided to quench my thirst here. The tourists were mostly eating soft serve ice cream, but I stood out with my beer (laughs). After sweating a bit, a cold beer was just perfect. The Kobe Menchi Katsu Stick was easy to hold and eat, but it lacked juiciness. It didn't feel greasy and the filling was tightly packed. Well, that's how it was. Afterwards, I climbed to the main keep, but most tourists were lining up for the elevator! Taking the stairs to the top of the main keep was faster, so I used that route. It was a good idea to take a break first.

The rainy season has been continuing and gloomy, but the weather was nice on the last day of the 3-day weekend, so I went to Osaka Castle with my second son's family. We jogged with the grandchildren and on our way from Toyokuni Shrine to Osaka Castle, we heard the sound of drums. We went to see what was happening and found a monkey show going on. The performance of the lady and the monkey was entertaining. It's nice to see traditional entertainment being kept alive. After watching, we paid and headed to Osaka Castle for a break at Miraliza. We had soft serve ice cream at the Osaka Castle Honjin. The grandchildren had a limited edition ramune flavor, while I had Hokkaido milk flavor which tasted like rich cow's milk, delicious. There were many foreign tourists visiting Osaka that day. Osaka is becoming more and more like an international city. Let's walk around the outside of Osaka Castle next week.

I did it! The Miraza Osaka Castle, a facility renovated from the former Fourth Division Army Headquarters building. Enjoying soft serve ice cream at Osaka Honjin while gazing at the castle keep up close, how awesome! In mid-November, taking a leisurely stroll to admire the beginning of the autumn leaves at Osaka Castle. Taking a break at Osaka Honjin on the 1st floor of Miraza Osaka Castle. - Hokkaido Milk Soft Serve (tax included 450 yen) A mildly sweet and rich milk-flavored soft serve ice cream. Surrounded by autumn leaves with the castle keep in the background, this dessert tastes even more delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I bought fried chicken for 500 yen, but the taste was not worth the tourist spot price. Am I the one at fault for buying food at a place like this?

On a hot day, I took a walk to Osaka Castle. I got thirsty and felt like having some ice cream. I started craving matcha. So, I went to "Osaka Castle Honjin," a souvenir and snack corner next to the castle. I tried the Matcha Soft Serve, which had matcha powder sprinkled on top, for ¥550. It was a bit expensive, but worth it. Since I was also thirsty, I opted for the Matcha Float for ¥450. The ice cream and green tea had a nice, not too strong matcha flavor. It was good. I wonder how many more times I will visit Osaka Castle this summer. I will definitely come back for more.

I visited this shop because I wanted to eat takoyaki. It is located inside a facility near Osaka Castle. They only offer "deep-fried takoyaki", so I ordered that. It had a slight floury taste and unfortunately, it didn't suit my taste. I felt like it needed a strong mayonnaise flavor. If I had told the staff, maybe I could have gotten some mayonnaise. It costs 500 yen and you get quite a few pieces, so I think it's a good deal, especially for tourists.

On the first day of my trip to Osaka, after leaving Tsutenkaku, I decided to visit Osaka Castle even though I knew the sightseeing hours had already ended. It had been 30 years since I last saw Osaka Castle, so I was excited to see it again. I got off at Morinomiya Station and walked 1.2 km to reach the castle. I was thrilled to finally meet Osaka Castle. I also saw a unique building called Miraz Osaka Castle. I didn't have anything specific I wanted to eat, but I discovered a snack called "Shizen no Tamago" (200 yen), which had a slightly dry pastry filled with cream. The matcha flavor was just right and delicious. While sightseeing in Osaka, I had a hard time finding my way and had to ask a few people for directions. The locals were always kind and helpful, putting their own needs aside to assist me. It was truly heartwarming and made me realize the importance of kindness, something I feel I have been lacking recently.

On the second day of a couple's private trip, they checked out of their hotel in Umeda early and took a train on the loop line to Osaka Castle. Along the way to the castle, they saw a few foreign tourists, mainly from Europe and the US. However, once inside the castle grounds, they encountered many Chinese tourists, as well as visitors from Korea, Thailand, and Singapore. The couple felt like they were in a foreign country as they heard very little Japanese being spoken. The temperature in Osaka that day was over 30 degrees Celsius, so they decided to take a break at Osaka Castle Honjin to cool off. The couple observed that the area was crowded with foreign tourists, and they even saw a group of Chinese tourists taking photos in front of the 1970 Osaka Expo time capsule. Despite wanting to try shaved ice, they ended up having snowflake ice at the suggestion of one of them. It was topped with matcha ice cream and came with a side of bracken rice cake, which they found to be delicious and refreshing. Enjoying these sweet treats with the view of Osaka Castle in the background was a pleasant experience for the couple.

After breakfast, I wandered around Osaka Castle. It's been a long time since I last visited here, probably since a school field trip?!---------------------------------------------------◎ There seem to be a lot of tour groups visiting Osaka Castle, but it's relatively quiet on weekday mornings. In front of Toyokuni Shrine, south of Sakuramon at Osaka Castle, there is a splendid statue of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. If you follow the gaze of the statue, you'll see Osaka Castle. It's as if the statue is watching over the castle.※Toyokuni Shrine enshrines Toyotomi HideyoshiThis time I entered from the west gate and made my way to the main keep. The West Nishinomaru Garden, where I often went for cherry blossom viewing, was closed. Let's enjoy the Japanese garden in the main bailey in front of the main keep at Osaka Castle. You can enter the main keep for 600 yen. Unlike in the past, you can now take the elevator up to the 5th floor. Well, it has become more convenient. Oh, but you'll have to take the stairs to the 8th floor observation deck. The view from the observation deck...feeling the wind, it's so refreshing♡ You might even feel like you're on top of the world?! The view from all angles is definitely worth seeing.※Please note that you can't use the elevator on the way down, so please take the stairs.---------------------------------------------------After spending about 2 hours exploring Osaka Castle, I enjoyed it more than I expected♡ Let's take a little break here.■A green tea cup filled with cold green tea. After all that walking, gulp it down in one go.ヽ( ´￢`)ノ ﾜ～ｲ !!Bitter and delicious♡ You can also enjoy the rich aroma of matcha. The moderate sweetness will help soothe your tiredness. It's recommended for taking a break. As an Osaka local, I feel it's important to touch upon Osaka's history. Well, let's walk back to Namba. Thank you for the mealヽ(^o^)丿

On my day off, I went to Osaka Castle Park. The weather was very hot, so I decided to take a break at a nearby cafe. They had a decent variety of menu items like soft serve ice cream and ramen. This time, I ordered a Blue Hawaii shaved ice. Let's dig in! Visually, it looks cool and refreshing with its bright blue color. The syrup was generously poured over it, so the taste was great. Overall, it was a satisfying meal! Interestingly, there were more foreign tourists at Osaka Castle than Japanese visitors.

Here is the continuation... We came to Osaka Castle for cherry blossom viewing with four friends. The view from the south outer moat is amazing, with cherry blossom trees planted along the moat in full bloom. The petals are swirling in the air whenever a strong wind blows. Can you see it in the photos? It's like a cherry blossom blizzard. Look, there are ducks! It makes me crave duck hot pot. "They're so cute," says Chibitsun. When you visit Osaka Castle, you must first visit Toyokuni Shrine for prayers. There is a statue of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in front of the main gate. Let's take a commemorative photo with Hideyoshi! There is also a monkey performer in front of the Hideyoshi statue. "Hello, Mr. Monkey!" After praying at Toyokuni Shrine, we were surprised by the large number of tourists. Although we are from Osaka and have visited Osaka Castle many times, the increase in foreign visitors is noticeable. Now, let's head to the main attraction, the Osaka Castle Keep. We bought our tickets at the entrance, but the line was long. Finally inside, we explored the Museum Shop on the first floor. There are souvenirs and snacks available for purchase. On the second floor, we found life-size replicas of the shachihoko and fushitora used on the castle. There was also a helmet and armor dressing experience. It was so cool! Due to time constraints, we only visited up to the 5th floor and had to skip the top floor observation deck. Meanwhile, Chibitsun was at the information desk on the first floor... "I got a stamp for one of Japan's Top 100 Castles!" This completes our collection of 5 stamps. Afterward, we continued our cherry blossom viewing at Osaka Castle. We visited the Osaka Castle Honjin, a souvenir shop and store right in front of the castle keep. The matcha sweets looked delicious, so we bought some matcha warabimochi. There were tables and chairs outside the shop where we could enjoy our snacks. The warabimochi was so tasty with a rich matcha flavor. After our snack, we headed to the West Bailey Garden at Osaka Castle. This garden is a must-see for cherry blossom viewing, with approximately 300 cherry trees, including Somei Yoshino. The garden has a large lawn area where visitors can sit and enjoy the cherry blossoms. Chibitsun pointed out a cherry blossom tunnel. We also visited a replica of Hideyoshi's golden tea room inside the Osaka Guest House. We took some photos for memories. We strolled through the garden, enjoying the view of the castle and the moat. The West Bailey Garden is said to be the site of Hideyoshi's wife, Naka-no-Gozen's residence. It felt like we were transported back to Hideyoshi's era while exploring the garden. We had a great time enjoying the cherry blossoms at Osaka Castle. This year, the cherry blossoms seem to be blooming slower than usual, so there is still time to enjoy them. Osaka Castle is easily accessible and a great spot for cherry blossom viewing. If you're planning to visit Osaka for cherry blossom sightseeing next year, Osaka Castle is highly recommended!

On a holiday during the cherry blossom viewing season, my wife and I visited Osaka Castle. As rumored, there were a lot of inbound tourists. Feeling a bit hungry, we decided to have ramen and beer here. My wife ordered soy sauce ramen, while I ordered tonkotsu ramen. The food was prepared very quickly. The tonkotsu soup was light with almost no smell, and the noodles had a good texture. My wife enjoyed her soy sauce ramen as well. Considering the location, 700 yen was okay for the price. The amount of draft beer was a bit small, so we ended up having two glasses.

In July 2016, I had ice cream at Osaka Castle. It had been a long time since I last visited Osaka Castle! It looks beautiful after the renovations in the Heisei era. I remember walking quite a bit on the vast grounds. It was scorching hot and I was thinking how difficult it was to walk, when suddenly I saw a sign for an electric car! I read that it would take you around a designated area within Osaka Castle Park. It seemed very convenient for hot days or rainy weather! The service had just started that day and it was not crowded. It cost 200 yen per ride. I hopped on! The electric car was quiet and played music to alert pedestrians of its presence. It took me to Toyokuni Shrine, a shrine dedicated to Toyotomi in several locations across Japan. The shrine is relatively new and made of concrete. I got a shrine stamp and continued walking towards Osaka Castle. When I arrived, I noticed that most visitors were foreigners! It was a bit sad considering the low number of tourists due to the current situation. It was a hot day and many people were heading to the nearby shops. Among them, the shaved ice and matcha ice cream corner was very popular. If you don't want to wait, any shop would do. I ordered a Crema Soft Serve for 550 yen. It melted quickly in the high-speed heat. Just after about 30 steps, the soft serve turned into liquid and dripped onto my fingers! I had to hurry! I took a bite! It was creamy and went well with the crispy langue de chat cone. It chilled my stomach. And then it melted back to its original form. When it's hot, shaved ice is more refreshing! But the soft serve was delicious too! It was a bit pricey, but it was a good treat!