Osaka Castle and the Tenshukaku (Main Tower) 🏰

The cherry blossoms are mainly concentrated around the moat, where you can capture stunning long shots of the castle with cherry blossoms in the foreground. 🌸 🌊🎢 Although the Tenshukaku was ordered to be built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and served as a symbol of the Toyotomi regime, it was destroyed by Tokugawa Ieyasu's forces during the Siege of Osaka. 😔 🌸🍃So, the real Tenshukaku was lost along with the Toyotomi clan. What we see now is a thoroughly modern reinforced concrete building, complete with elevators. 🌊🎢 This is my excuse for not paying to go inside the castle. 🤣 Nearby, there is a Western-style building, probably part of the Osaka Castle complex, where you can eat, drink tea, and buy souvenirs and rice. 🌸🍃 I had some wagyu beef mashed potatoes and bought a special Tenshukaku edition Detective Conan fridge magnet (I got suckered again!). 🥔 #Osaka 🌟