Hi there!
So the first thing to know about going to Osaka Castle during cherry blossom season…
CROWDS!
But that’s okay.
Because there are a ton of tourists and locals that visit here for a reason.
There are LOTS of cherry blossoms to be seen around Osaka Castle!
First, the quick list of a couple of the best cherry blossom photo spots for Osaka Castle.
Then, a bit about the area immediately surrounding Osaka Castle. (That’s the park.)
And then, more about how to get to the photo spots.
So…
Where to go for the picture perfect Osaka Castle + cherry blossom photos?!
In short…
1. Near Gokuraku-bashi Bridge
SIDE NOTE!
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- Samurai training
- Japanese calligraphy class
- Traditional tea ceremony + you get to wear a kimono!
- Ninja lesson
- Make ramen from scratch!
- Sushi making experience
- Sumo training!
2. Near the Osaka Castle entry
Maybe you’ll find more spots! These are the places I went.
Day trip to Osaka from Kyoto
You can choose to spend a night or more in Osaka, or it’s reasonable to make it a day trip to Osaka from Kyoto too.
Kyoto can be a good place to base your stay, and there are plenty of things to do in Kyoto to occupy your time for several days. See how to spend 5 days in Kyoto.
Also have a look at this cherry blossom itinerary in Kyoto!
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Where to go from Kyoto?! You can go to to Nachi Falls to see one of Japan's most famous views: Kyoto to Nachi Falls! Then you can loop back around to Osaka or Kyoto, making a stop at Ise along the way!
Here are more ideas for your Japan trip planning!
- Best places to visit for your first time in Japan (including famous views!)
- Where to go to see cherry blossoms in Japan
- Where to go to see fall colors in Japan
- Where to go for winter in Japan
- Where to go to experience tropical Japan
- Where to go for epic snow-capped Mt Fuji views
Cherry blossoms at Osaka Castle Park
Now the next thing to know is that a visit to Osaka Castle means a visit to Osaka Castle Park.
This park is a rather wide and expansive area, and it encompasses the castle.
Basically, there is the castle…
And then there’s a moat surrounding the castle…
And then there’s a large park area surrounding the castle and moat!
When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, you’ll find loads of people who visit the area for a picnic in the park.
So if you want to make a day of it, then buy some snacks, a meal, and/or some drinks at a convenience store before you arrive.
And then you can make it a picnic at the park too!
Also you may consider putting a pocket blanket on your list of what to pack for Japan so you can use that at the park!
Osaka Castle cherry blossom boat ride
It’s also possible to take a boat ride around the moat of Osaka Castle.
How much does the Osaka Castle gozabune boat ride cost?
You can expect it to be around 1,500 yen (US$14) per person.
This will be about a 20 minute ride.
Photo taken April 2019
Okay, so now…
How to get to the Osaka Castle cherry blossom photos spots!
There is a fee to enter Osaka Castle, but both of these photo spots are free to access.
In short, you’ll be making your way to near the Osaka Castle entry.
There are 2 ways to get to the Osaka Castle grounds:
- Gokuraku-bashi Bridge
- Sakura-mon Gate
Gokuraku-bashi Bridge
Sakura-mon Gate
While either of these can eventually get you to the photo spots, the quicker way would be to go to the Gokuraku-bashi Bridge.
Photo spot #1:Â Between Gokuraku-bashi Bridge and Gozabune boat launch
The first photo spot will be right between the bridge and the boat launch.
Once you locate the area to buy the castle boat ride, the photo spot will basically be in front of the place to buy tickets.
Where to buy tickets for the boat ride
View towards the bridge
View towards the photo spot!
Then…
Walk on over that way!
Photo spot #2: Head towards Osaka Castle entry
Then once you’re ready to move on, you can walk across the bridge and make your way closer to Osaka Castle.
Then you’ll come across a square plaza area.
And that’s where you’ll find…
Cherry blossom tree!
Once you’re done taking pictures, you can go for a tour of Osaka Castle.
Or the plaza is another place where you can sit and rest and take in the views.
Or you can continue to walk around to find more views of Osaka Castle Park with city views!
And that’s a bit of what you might see with a trip to Osaka Castle Park during cherry blossom season!
For top spots to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo, consider visiting the Meguro River cherry blossom promenade, the Yasukuni Shrine, or the Sensoji Temple!
And have a look at the one day Kyoto cherry blossom photo walk!
HAPPY OSAKA CASTLE CHERRY BLOSSOM VIEWING!
Here are ideas for 5 days in Kyoto!
- Day 1: Top tourist spots with one day Kyoto bus pass
- Day 2: Fushimi Inari Shrine hike through 1,000 torii gates
- Day 3: Philosopher's Path walk
- Day 4: Arashiyama and Sagano
- Day 5: Kurama Kibune Ohara with one day pass
PLUS Kyoto cherry blossom itinerary and Kyoto fall colors itinerary!
And the JR pass makes it time-efficient to travel around Japan by train and is a popular option among international travelers! See how to figure out if a JR pass will be worth it for you!
Is a JR pass worth it?!
- Google maps can make it easy to figure out whether or not you should get a JR pass!
- In google maps, type in your departure and arrival city, and choose the transit icon. The route will come up, and so will the estimated cost at the bottom!
- Here is an example of a train route with cost on google maps.
- So do that for all of your long distance routes to figure out how much it might cost.
- Next, go here to see how much a JR pass costs from an official JR pass vendor (and partner of this website).
- And compare!
- Not all forms of public transportation are JR, but long distance shinkansen bullet trains are, and that's where the most cost savings will come.
Best of Kyoto (and Japan!)
👇 Explore the best places to visit in Japan!
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