infomapJAPAN Free Travel Guide. Maps, Sightseeing, Access Guide, Accommodation, Events, Japanese Trends, Gifts

Hokoku Shrine located in southwest of the Osaka Castle compound was found to enshrine Toyotomi Hideyoshi as a primary deity, but it also honors his son, Hideyori and his stepbrother, Hidenaga. Hideyoshi is one of the three greatest warlords who took a part in the unification process of Japan. To honor such Hideyoshi's remarkable achievement, the Meiji Emperor ordered to erect a shrine in Osaka in 1868. Following the Emperor's order, two shrines were constructed: one in Kyoto in 1873 and another in Nakanoshima in 1879. The shrine hall in Nakanoshima was moved to the Osaka Castle at the request of Osaka City in 1961. Hideyoshi's success story of getting up from a peasant to a shogun's position is well-known, so much so that many people who seek to capture Hideyoshi's luck come and visit this shrine to pray for their career success.

Opened in 1971, a brick building adjacent to the Mint Bureau operated by the Ministry of Finance is the Mint Museum. The museum consists of four exhibition rooms in the two-story building, and approximately 4,000 coins and medals collected domestically and internationally are exhibited. Among the large number of collections, you can see Japanese small and large gold coins from long time ago as well as medals from Tokyo Olympic. The museum also provides many materials related to history of mint, which help us understand how closely society and money was related to each other. Admission is free of charge and you just need to sign in at the main gate. In spring, when cherry blossom trees by the Old Yodo River start blooming, this place is crowded with many people who come to enjoy the blossoms.

Osaka Museum of History is adjacent to the NHK Osaka Broadcasting Center and the Osaka Castle. By taking one of the tours given at the museum, you can enjoy learning the history of Osaka. One of the tours called "Highlight Course" is an hour course. In this course you can visually explore the history of Osaka by going through large models. Another tour called "Full tour course" is a complete guide of the museum and the tour will cover all the exhibits. The museum is located on the 10th floor of the building; accordingly, it commands a fine view of some parts of Osaka, especially the Osaka Castle.

The castle was founded on the site of Ishiyama Honganji Temple by one of the three great medieval warlords, Toyotomi Hideyoshi as a symbol of his achievement and power. The construction launched in 1583 and the castle was built with a tremendous number of materials and labors. The castle was, however, heavily damaged when Hideyoshi lost the Summer War of Osaka against Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1615. Following the first reconstructioncommanded by Tokugawa Hidetada in 1620, repeated reconstructions and renovations took place for more than 400 years made it possible to preserve Osaka's traditional symbol till today. From 1995 to 1997, Osaka City worked on a major renovation to work on both exterior and interior of the castle to reinforce its stability and refurbish its beauty. At the same time, inside of the main tower was reformed to install a history museum for Osaka Castle.

Osaka used to be called "Naniwa" during the ancient time and where the city center located - between the Osaka Castle and the Shitennoji Temple is where the remains of Naniwanomiya (ancient palace) were found. After 40 years of excavation and research dedicated to the remains, it became clear that two palaces were built on almost the same ground in different timing and they are identified as early Naniwanomiya and later Naniwanomiya respectfully. Early Naniwanomiya is considered to be Nagaratoyosakinomiya that was constructed by Emperor Kotoku after 650, and the later Naniwanomiya was built by Emperor Shomu as an extension around 726. Excavation of these two remains symbolizes Osaka's long history and it reminds us how much the position of Namba and Naniwa were considered as an important area to the Emperors. The remains of Naniwanomiya spread for the area of as large as 900,000 square meters and it is designated as a historic park.

Adjacent to the Osaka Castle, a 26 hectares business district comprised of 15 buildings featuring contemporary design. Some of the main buildings located in the park are: the Twin 21 (consisting of two identical towers), Izumi Hall (a concert hall for classic music), and Matsushita's International Market Place or IMP (complex facility). In 1969, when the planning of this project began, it seemed to be futuristic; however, Osaka Business Park (OBP) that provides an ideal environment for business offices as it's surrounded by two rivers and greenery as well as cultural facilities, has been regarded as a model for urban design today. The OBP is largely occupied with information technology related industries and various advanced information facilities are provided to meet their needs. A variety of event halls and cultural facilities are also located in the park along with commercial facilities.