Osaka Castle

Built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi as a symbol of national unification, Osaka Castle is the city's most iconic landmark. The current tower, reconstructed in 1931 with reinforced concrete, houses a history museum. The surrounding Osaka Castle Park serves as a cherished public green space.

A castle built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi as the base for his unification of Japan. Though the current keep was reconstructed in 1931, it remains Osaka's symbol, welcoming roughly 2.5 million visitors annually with a museum chronicling Hideyoshi's history.

A castle with a National Treasure keep, nicknamed 'Crow Castle' for its striking black lacquered exterior. It houses Japan's oldest existing five-story, six-floor castle tower, and its beautiful setting against the Northern Alps backdrop attracts visitors year-round.

A National Treasure castle with an original five-story, six-floor keep. The striking black-and-white contrast against the Northern Alps backdrop makes it a beloved subject for photographers and a symbol of Japanese castle aesthetics.

One of Japan's five National Treasure castles in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. The beautiful black-and-white five-story six-floor keep is the oldest existing five-story castle tower. Set against the Northern Alps, it represents the pinnacle of Japanese castle aesthetics. Night illumination is also popular, and the keep surviving from the Sengoku period is a precious historical structure.

A castle built by Kato Kiyomasa in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Distinctive for its steeply angled, winding walls called 'musha-gaeshi' (warrior repeller). Constructed in the early 1600s, it suffered significant damage in the 2016 earthquake but continues restoration efforts. Currently under reconstruction, it remains an iconic symbol of Kumamoto and a major tourist destination.