Osaka Castle was the center of unifying Japan ending the warring states period. Now it is one of Japan's most famous landmarks.
I am a big fan of Japanese castles, and my brother and I visited many on our trip to Osaka in 2011. Throughout our trip, and seeing more and more castles, these days, there are 3 different types of castles in Japan. There are castles which keep the original woodwork and layout since their construction. There are castles which have been completely gutted and had their insides completely replaced with a modern building turned into a full museum. And there is a combination of the two, where the interior hasn't been completely replaced, but it's been updated and some things moved around for ease of movement.
Throughout Japan, there are very few castle remaining in their original state. And I think the most common state of castles these days are the ones whose interior haven't been completely replaced, but changed slightly. Osaka Castle is one whose interior had been completely replaced with a modern building. I had these kind of castles the most because it removes almost all sense of history and personality of the castle. All that remains is the pretty facade on the outside.
Below are photos I took of Osaka Castle in 2011.
Note: This post was made in Feb 2025 and back-dated to the time of the events
