March 31: Cherry blossoms in Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園) were in full bloom. Normally, the best day for viewing cherry blossoms is April 5, so this year they bloomed a bit earlier.
The castle tower, framed by cherry blossoms against a clear blue sky, was breathtakingly beautiful. Osaka Castle, Kumamoto Castle, and Himeji Castle are known as the three great castles in Japan, so unsurprisingly, there were many visitors!
By the way, the Osaka Castle site is very expansive, and there are several nearby stations:
* Morinomiya Station (Subway Chuo Line, Nagahori Tsurumi Ryokuchi Line)
* Tanimachi 4-chome Station (Subway Chuo Line, Tanimachi Line)
* Osakajo Koen Station (JR)
* Osaka Business Park Station (Subway Nagahori Tsurumi Ryokuchi Line)
Many people opt for Morinomiya Station. However, the castle tower is a bit far from this station. If you want to reach the castle tower directly and quickly, Osakajo Koen Station or Tanimachi 4-chome Station are the best choices. Morinomiya Station is ideal for those who want to enjoy a leisurely stroll through the vast park.
There were countless petals floating on the surface of the water in the outer moat. With about 3000 cherry trees in the park, the view was spectacular! By the way, a sample cherry blossom tree is said to be in the park as well as at Yasukuni Jinja in Tokyo, although I couldn’t locate it—I heard it’s somewhere in the Nishinomaru Garden.
Heaven🌸
Osaka Castle, as seen from a higher vantage point, is simply beautiful.
Cherry blossoms also line the inner moat, adding to the overall charm.
Osaka Castle Park is free to enter (except for the castle tower), and since you can spread out a picnic blanket and enjoy a party under the cherry blossom trees, many local families take advantage of this lovely setting.
I can’t wait to enjoy a peaceful morning walk here next time!
