Osaka Castle Area—Cruising near the Castle with the Osaka e-Pass! (PR)

Hi everyone! Konnichiwa!
My name is Cherin and I’m from Korea.

I am here in Osaka and I want to make the most of my time here. I’m headed for Osaka Castle today. And actually, I’ve been to the castle before. I came when I was a student, but I couldn’t take my time during that trip, so I’m excited to see what kind of activities and experiences arewaiting for me at the castle.

I’ve got my Osaka e-Pass, so I’m ready to go!

Board the Aqualiner from the Osaka Castle Pier, which is Close to JO-TERRACE OSAKA

I arrived here at Osaka Castle Park via JR Ōsakajōkōen Station on the Osaka Loop Line. Osaka Castle Park is so big that there are actually a bunch of stations with easy access to the park. But since today I am planning to ride the Aqualiner, I chose Ōsakajōkōen Station. Osaka Business Park Station on the Osaka Metro Nagahori Tsurumiryokuchi line is also a good choice.

From the station, you can see JO-TERRACE OSAKA, a complex full of restaurants, cafes, and conbini. While you’re at Osaka Castle Park, this is a great place to stop in and recharge.

As soon as I descended the station stairs and set foot in the park, I saw signs for the Aqualiner. It was so easy to find the boarding point, at Osaka Castle Pier.

After stepping into the information center, it was easy to get tickets for the boat. All I had to do was show my Osaka e-Pass QR code on my smartphone. That was it!

I had some time to kill before the boat arrived, so I waited inside the information center. There is a nice space to sit down and relax, plus a gift shop with Osaka souvenirs and snacks.

Announcements in 4 Languages Guide you through the City in a Climate-controlled Environment

And the boat has arrived.

All aboard!

All the seats aboard the Aqualiner are designated seating and there is air conditioning and heating so it is very comfortable inside.
By the way, did you know that the Aqualiner has been in operation for over 40 years? Now it is strictly a sightseeing boat, but it used to be used for commuting by boat. (That’s why it had the Aqua Bus nickname!)

Be sure to wave as you take off!

The view you get from the Aqualiner is about the same height as the surface of the water. During the cruise you can see lots of famous Osaka architecture, like Osaka Castle, Tenmabashi Bridge, and Osaka City Central Public Hall. The audio guide will tell you all about each one as you pass it during the cruise.
And the audio guide isn’t just in Japanese. The four languages include English, Chinese, and Korean too! It’s so easy to enjoy the ride if you are coming from overseas.

Here is the main castle tower!
There are lots of castles in Japan, but it is rare to see one that has five stories on the exterior. There are only a handful that have this 5-story look, like Osaka Castle and Himeji Castle. Obviously it would cost a lot of money to build one this big.

The boat stopped momentarily with a nice view of Osaka Castle’s main tower. This is a great photo spot!

This is Osaka City Public Hall. The Neo-Renaissance exterior gives the building a look reminiscent of a European palace. This is one of Osaka’s famous landmarks.

Passing under the bridges on the water, is thrilling. Usually you don’t get a chance to see the underside of bridges, right?

Enjoy the Best of Osaka from the Water on the Aqualiner

On the Aqualiner you can purchase ice cream and drinks from the trolly to enjoy during your cruise.

And when I asked the staff to take a photo with me, they agreed! Osaka people are so friendly.

People dining at cafes along the riverside waved to us on the boat. And the group of children at Nakanoshima were waving their hearts out. Rumor has it that Osaka people have the best communication skills in all of Japan. And that just may be true!

After about 55 minutes, the cruise came to an end. At first I thought the cruise would just be a chance to enjoy the scenery. But it was actually lots of fun to spend time with the crew and interact with people on shore. The cruise went above my expectations!

Here are the things I really enjoyed about the cruise and why I would recommend it.

• You can enjoy Osaka landmarks from the water!
• The climate-controlled environment is comfortable in any season!
• You can enjoy interacting with the crew and people on the city!

By the way, the Aqualiner crew told me that the area near Tenmabashi is gorgeous in spring, when the cherry trees bloom. And fall is a nice time to visit too because of all the autumn foliage.

I visited in winter so I really enjoyed seeing the scenery from the comfort of a warm boat. Which season should I plan my next ride for?

After my ride, I waved back at the Aqualiner as it took off again.

Take a Romantic Cruise on the Golden Japanese-style Boat: Gozabune

There’s another attraction in Osaka Castle Park that you can enjoy with the Osaka e-Pass. Let’s take a look at the Osaka Castle Goza-bune Boat!

You might be thinking, “Another boat?”
Not quite! This is a golden Japanese-style boat that cruises the inner moat of Osaka Castle. It offers a completely different style of experience from the Aqualiner.

The Osaka Castle Gozabune ticket counter is located near Gokurakubashi Bridge, which is on the north side of the main tower.
Since I had the Osaka e-Pass, I simply showed my QR code at the counter and got a boarding ticket right away. It was so convenient!

Soon after, I stepped aboard.

When I asked the boatman about the highlights of the cruise, he said,
“People tend to look at the main keep, but pay attention to the stone walls.”
Apparently, there is even a stone that has a human face carved into it as a talisman to ward off evil spirits. Now that’s interesting!

Next, I asked about the gold on the Gozabune. I thought, “They probably just used gold paint!” But…

it turns out this is real gold leaf!

The Osaka Castle Goza-bune is modeled after “Hōōmaru”, the official boat of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, known for unifying Japan in the 16th century. And wow! It’s so lavishly decorated! Thanks to his tastes, we get to ride this magnificent golden boat. I’m grateful to have such a luxurious the experience!

Take in the Impressive Stone Walls Up-close and from the Moat

The Gozabune cruises the inner moat of Osaka Castle.

The main tower of Osaka Castle is impressive from the water. And its absolutely beautiful sitting atop the stone walls!

Riding the Gozabune is the only way you can get a view of the castle from this close to the water surface.

Soon, we got closer to the stone walls.
When I was looking from afar, I didn’t think much of them, but up close, the sheer scale is intimidating. Did people really climb these walls in battle? I honestly can’t imagine doing it!

I snapped a photo of the boatman steering the Gozabune. He looks perfect in traditional Japanese attire.
And just when I thought that was the extent of it, he told me they have traditional straw hats (jinkasa) that passengers can borrow too!

Jinkasa are traditional Japanese woven straw hats. It was my first time wearing one. What do you think? Do I look good in it?
The hat matched the boat perfectly and made the whole experience that much more fun.

The cruise around Osaka Castle’s inner moat lasts about 20 minutes. It was the perfect amount of time to take in the scale of the castle and its walls.
This is absolutely a one-of-a-kind Japanese experience. It was easy to see why so many overseas visitors enjoy it.

Here are the things I really enjoyed about the cruise and why I would recommend it.

• It’s a luxurious cruise on a Japanese style boat with real gold!
• The scale of the stone walls is increadible!
• It’s a unique experience combining a traditional boat, Osaka castle, and a charming hat!

Normally, you’d never be able to enter the inner moat, so just that alone makes it a valuable experience!
Along the way to the boat, there were plenty of interesting sights too — massive stones that make you wonder, “How did they even move these?” and Aoyamon Gate, which still preserves the atmosphere of the old castle. It was full of fascinating details!

If you’re planning to experience the Osaka Castle Gozabune, be sure to take lots of photos at various spots along the way!

Finally I want to show you how much I saved using the Osaka e-Pass one-day ticket, which cost me ¥2,400.
The Aqualiner cruise was ¥2,000, and the Osaka Castle Gozabune was another ¥1,800. That comes to a total of ¥3,800. That means we saved ¥1,400!
That’s great! I’m going to use the money I saved for lunch at JO-TERRACE OSAKA.

And that wraps up my report on Osaka Castle Park activities you can enjoy with the Osaka e-Pass!