Osaka Castle stands tall today, built from stone and time itself. But the tower you see before you is actually not the first. In fact, it’s the third one.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the ruler of the land, built the first castle in jet‑black colors. The second was the white‑walled castle built by the second Tokugawa shogun, Hidetada. And today’s third castle seems to blend both eras: white below, black above, crowned with shimmering golden tigers.

It’s almost as if the designers predicted Osaka’s future love for all things tiger‑themed.

So, how did this castle begin? What story lies at its roots?

Originally, this place was home to Ishiyama Hongan‑ji Temple, where Rennyo, the charismatic leader of the Jodo Shinshu sect, spent his later years.

Follow the river upstream, and you reach Kyoto and Nara. Nearby was Sakai, a thriving merchant city. It was the ideal location for a prosperous settlement.

And above all, there was the massive sunset over Osaka Bay. This breathtaking view made the area a sacred site for Buddhist followers, regarded as the Pure Land. As the temple grew, a surrounding town formed.

Homes and shops spread along the sloped terrain, and this area came to be called Osaka, meaning “big hill.”

Foreign missionaries wrote that “much of Japan’s wealth belongs to this temple.”

Every year during major gatherings, waves of people poured inside the moment the gates opened, perhaps like Osaka’s packed morning trains today.

But then, warlord Oda Nobunaga’s ambitions closed in. Nobunaga, who viewed Hongan‑ji as a powerful rival, finally ignited a long conflict: the Ishiyama War. It lasted an astonishing 11 years.

Even Nobunaga, famed for his military might, could not conquer the fortress by force. Eventually, peace terms were negotiated, and the temple moved to Wakayama. Nobunaga gained control of Osaka.

“To rule Osaka is to rule the nation.” He likely hoped to build a new castle on this very ground.
But before he could, the Honno‑ji Incident ended his life. Hideyoshi followed in his footsteps and took up his dream. In 1583, he began construction of Osaka Castle.

This area is the very heart of Japan. Just as Hongan‑ji had chosen it for strategic reasons, Hideyoshi also saw its potential. From here, he could launch activity across the Inland Sea and beyond, to Kyushu, Shikoku, the Korean Peninsula, and even China.

Hideyoshi’s castle was said to be so magnificent that people called it “the greatest under heaven.” Yet, after completing it, Hideyoshi spent most of his time in Kyoto as regent. After his death came the Battle of Sekigahara and, later, the Summer Siege of Osaka. Hideyoshi’s Osaka Castle burned to the ground only about 30 years after its completion.

The victorious Tokugawa clan chose not Osaka but Edo as their capital.
Still, they filled in the remains of Hideyoshi’s castle and built an even larger, more splendid one right next to it: the second Osaka Castle.

“It’s no longer Toyotomi’s era. This is Tokugawa’s time now.”

Perhaps that is why they painted their castle white instead of black, erasing Toyotomi’s memory with a new symbol of their own.

But the second castle also only lasted about 30 years before a lightning strike burned down its tower.
It was as if the castle was destined for a short life.

For a long time after, only endless stone walls remained. Yet it is these stones that truly show the castle’s greatness. People even joked, “If Osaka Castle had no tower at all, it would still be a World Heritage Site.”

The stones inside the castle number roughly one million.
Among them is the famous Tako‑ishi, or “Octopus Stone,” just beyond the Sakura Gate.
It’s said to be the largest stone used in any Japanese castle, about the size of 36 tatami mats and weighing around 108 tons.

Then came the early Showa Era.
Supported by donations from citizens, the third Osaka Castle tower was completed in 1931.
Built before the war, it survived air raids and still stands proudly today.

Recent excavations have revealed stone walls from Hideyoshi’s original castle.
Layer upon layer of history, from Toyotomi to Tokugawa, to Showa, lives within these grounds.

As you run, Osaka Castle whispers these memories to you. “RUN RUN LEARN” - a journey where you learn as you move. Now, your footsteps are beginning to echo those of history.

*This guide was created based on documents and interviews, and includes some interpretation done by us at ON THE TRIP. Theories differ between experts, so try to find out what really happened on your travels!