Plum Grove in Osaka Castle Park in 201503 008

is a public

urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park (North America), public park, public open space, or municipal gardens (United Kingdom, UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and oth ...

and historical site situated at Osaka-Jō in

Chūō-ku, Osaka is one of 24 wards of Japan, wards of Osaka, Japan. It has an area of 8.88 km2, and a population of 60,085. It houses Osaka's financial district, as well as the Osaka Prefecture offices and principal shopping and tourist areas. Consu ...

, Japan. It lies on the south of the Ōkawa (

Kyū-Yodo River The was the main stream of the Yodo River before 1907, when the current (new) Yodo River was constructed by a normalisation project. Now called the ''Kyū-Yodo River'', it is a major waterway in central Osaka and the main drainage of Neyagawa r ...

) and occupies a large area in the center of the city of Osaka. This park is the second largest park in the city. The park was constructed on a site with a long history. In the fifteenth century, a militant temple,

Ishiyama Hongan-ji The was the primary fortress of the Ikkō-ikki, leagues of warrior priests and commoners who opposed samurai rule during the Sengoku period. It was established in 1496, at the mouth of the Yodo River, on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. At the ...

, was built here. In 1583,

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: ...

destroyed Ishiyama Hongan-ji and built

Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi–Momoyama period. Layout Th ...

here. From 1870 to 1945 the

Osaka Arsenal The Osaka Arsenal was a state weapons factory of the Imperial Japanese Army in Osaka during the period from 1870 to 1945. In the Meiji period, the self-supply of the armed forces with modern weapons was a high concern for the government. The Ja ...

used a large area, and it was destroyed at end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In 1931, Osaka Castle Park was opened to the public, but most of the area was used by the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

. After World War II, most of the military complex was removed and replaced by the public urban park. In the park, there is

Osaka Castle Hall is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third-most populous city in Japan, following the special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population o ...

, a large athletic field, baseball field, football field, open-air music theatre, open-air concert hall, and

Keep Tower. From the top of keep tower, the vista includes

Osaka Bay Osaka Bay (大阪湾 ''Ōsaka-wan'' ) is a bay in western Japan. As an eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea, it is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the Kii Channel and from the neighbor western part of the Inland Sea by the Akashi Strait. I ...

Mount Ikoma is a mountain on the border of Nara Prefecture and Osaka Prefecture in Japan. It is the highest peak in the Ikoma Mountains with a height of 642 meters. Mount Ikoma is a part of Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen Quasi-National Park. It is one of the most fam ...

, which surround the

Osaka Plain The refers to a 1,600 km2 area of flat land, the largest plain in the Kinki region, including a large part of Osaka Prefecture and a southeastern portion of Hyōgo Prefecture. It is bordered on the north by the Hokusetsu Mount Range, on t ...

. Many

busking Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuity, gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performa ...

groups perform in the park. In spring,

cherry blossom The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the flower of trees in ''Prunus'' subgenus '' Cerasus''. ''Sakura'' usually refers to flowers of ornamental cherry trees, such as cultivars of ''Prunus serrulata'', not trees grown for their fruit (although ...

and

plum A plum is a fruit of some species in Prunus subg. Prunus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are often called prunes, though in the United States they may be labeled as 'dried plums', especially during the 21st century. Plums are ...

blossom viewing is popular at this park.

Facilities

Historical Monuments

(大坂城 Osaka-Jō) **Keep Tower (天守閣 Tenshu-kaku) **Gold Storehouse (金蔵 Kinzō) **Sakura Gate (桜門 Sakura-Mon) **Tamon Gate (多聞櫓 Tamon-Yagura) **Ōte Gate (大手門 Ōte-Mon) **Aoya Gate (青屋門 Aoya-Mon) **Inui Turret (乾櫓 Inui-Yagura) **Sengan Turret (千貫櫓 Sengan-Yagura) **6th Turret (六番櫓 Rokuban-Yagura) **1st Turret (一番櫓 Ichiban-Yagura) **Inner Moat (内濠 Uchibori) **Outer Moat (外濠 Sotobori) *

monument (石山本願寺推定地碑) *The pine tree where the priest

Rennyo Rennyo (, 1415–1499) was the 8th Monshu (Patriarch) of the Hongan-ji Temple of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism, and descendant of founder Shinran. Jodo Shinshu Buddhists often referred to him as the restorer of the sect ( in Japanese). He ...

hung his surplice (蓮如上人袈裟懸の松 Rennyo-Shōnin Kesakake-no-Matsu) *Monument where

Toyotomi Hideyori was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who united all of Japan toward the end of the Sengoku period. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga. Early life Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's sec ...

and his mother

Yodo-dono or (1569 – June 4, 1615), also known as Lady Chacha (茶々), was a Japanese historical figure in the late Sengoku period. She was the concubine and the second wife of Japanese ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi. As the mother of his son and successor ...

committed suicide(豊臣秀頼淀殿ら自刃の碑)

Shrines and temples

* Hōkoku Shrine (豊國神社 also ''Toyokuni-jinja'') **Stone Garden (秀石庭 Syuseki-Tei) *Ikukunitama Shrine branch (生國魂神社お旅所 Ikukunitama-jinja

Otabisho is a facility that serves as the temporary destination or midway resting point of a kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated ...

) *無縁仏回向供養塔

Cultural and sports facilities

(大阪城ホール Osaka-jō Hall) *Osaka Castle open-air concert hall (大阪城音楽堂 Osaka-jō Ongakudō) *Martial art training centre (修道館 Shudo-Kan) *Baseball field and Athletic field (太陽の広場 Taiyō-no-Hiroba) *Japanese archery Kyudo training field (弓道場 Kyudō-Jō) * Osaka International Peace Center (大阪国際平和センター Osaka Kokusai Heiwa Centre) *There is a large and robust musical presence in the park, with many bands, buskers and musicians performing or practicing.

Public park facilities

*Nishi-no-Maru Garden (西ノ丸庭園 Nishi-no-Maru Teien) **Osaka Government Guest House (大阪迎賓館 Osaka Geihin-Kan) **Japanese Tea Room (豊松庵 Toyomatsu-An) *Japanese Garden (日本庭園 Nihon-Teien) *Plum Garden (梅林 Bairin) *Peach garden (桃園 Momoen) *Citizen's Forest (市民の森 Shimin-no-Mori) *Memorial Forest (記念樹の森 Kinenju-no-Mori) *Waseda Forest (早稲田の森 Waseda-no-Mori) *Forest of Recollections (思い出の森 Omoide-no-Mori) *Marked Stone Place (刻印石広場 Kokuin-Seki-Hiroba) *Fountain

National Geological Survey facilities

*2nd grade triangulation surveying point (二等三角点大阪城)

Government facilities

*City Government, Eastern Area Park Facilities Maintenance Office *City Water Company, Ōte-Mae Water Supply Facilities (大手前配水池,大手前配水場高地区ポンプ場)

Imperial Japanese Army facilities

*Former Headquarters of 4th Division of

*Former Chemical laboratory building of

Other

*Education Tower (教育塔 Kyoiku-Tou) *大阪社会運動顕彰塔 *Osaka Castle Port (大阪城港) for

Osaka Suijō Bus The is a ship operating company in Osaka. The company belongs to Keihan Group. Founded in 1983, the company operates water buses on Ōkawa River and Dōtonbori Canal, an excursion cruise ship on the Port of Osaka, and a restaurant ship on Ōk ...

Parking

*Morinomiya Parking (森ノ宮駐車場) *Jōnan Bus Parking (城南バス駐車場)

Activities in the park

blossom viewing : January–March *

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...

blossom viewing : March *

viewing : April ----

Access

Temmabashi Station is a railway station in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Keihan Electric Railway and Osaka Metro. Lines ;Keihan Electric Railway :Station Number: KH03 :* Keihan Main Line :* Nakanoshima Line ;Osaka Metro :* Tani ...

Tanimachi Yonchōme Station Tanimachi Yonchome Station (谷町四丁目駅, ''-eki'') is a subway station of the Osaka Metro located in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan, and the station is also called "". Lines * ** (T23) ** (C18) Layout There are two side platforms with two trac ...

Morinomiya Station is a railway and subway station in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. Lines * ** Osaka Loop Line (Station number: JR-O06) * ** (Station number: C19) ** (Station number: N20) Layout Morinomiya Station layout West Japan Railway Company (JR West ...

and

Ōsakajōkōen Station is a railway station on the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) Osaka Loop Line in Jōtō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The station name translates as Osaka Castle Park. The station was designed to reflect the architecture of Ōsakajō (Ōsaka Castle), ...

are near to the park.

Photographs

File:OsakaCastle-MainTower02.jpg, Keep Tower File:Osaka-jo Hall in 201408.JPG,

File:OsakaCastle-TaiyouHiroba.jpg, Athletic field File:HeadQuarter4thDiv-Osaka.jpg, Former headquarters of 4th Division File:Osaka Time Capsule.jpg, Time capsule to be open in year 6970 File:DCMI (1116).jpg, Panorama View of Osakajo-koen from atop Aoyamon Gate Ramparts. File:DCMI (1116).jpg, View of Osakajo-koen from atop Aoyamon Gate Ramparts.

References

External links

*
Official page
{{Osaka Buildings and structures in Osaka Parks and gardens in Osaka Osaka Castle