Osaka Castle
A popular landmark in Osaka is the Osaka Castle. It was usually packed with visitors but the park was so big that you wouldn't feel crowded at all. I was there to day before to run 5K around the park. It was a very pleasant experience. There were many activities going on around the park. We saw cyclists, runners, and even people practicing meditation. For a small fee, you can also enter the castle to learn more about its fascinating history. For example, you could find the location where Toyotomi Hideyori and his mother were believed to have committed seppuku.
Time Capsule
A time capsule was buried during the EXPO '70 exhibit. Over two thousands artifacts from around the world were stored into two capsules. The upper capsule was to be opened every century while the lower one in year 6970 (5000 years after it was built).
NHK Osaka Hall
Our next stop was the Osaka Museum of History. However, before we go, we were attracted by the NHK Osaka Hall, which was right next to the museum. There was a big 8K display to impress visitors. The Tokyo Olympics 2020 will also be broadcasted in 8K resolution. Our kids loved the interactive exhibits that put them on the TV using a blue screen.
There was also an elevator that took you to the recording area. In the recording area, there were demos of some recording techniques, e.g. how to made rainfall sounds by rolling beans in an empty box.
Osaka Museum of History
After visiting the NHK Osaka Hall, we finally went to the Osaka Museum of History. The museum overlooks the remains of the Naniwa Nagara-Toyosaki Palace and it has dedicated an entire floor (10th floor) to recreate a miniature replicae palace. There was extensive information about this palace and artifacts around that time (652 AD).
On the 9th floor, the exhibit jumped about 1000 years to the Edo period (1603 AD). We learned that Osaka was the kitchen of the nation not because of its cuisine but because it was a major trading port in Japan during the Edo period. Osaka was the central distribution center for rice and other produce from neighboring area and all over Japan. Goods on large vessels were unloaded onto small barges and transported to other parts of the country. The museum recreated the propersity of the old times through life size exhibits and miniature models.
On the 8th floor, your kids can can try their hands on some archaeological challenges. It's a good palce to take a break before the final floor.
On the final floor (7th floor), we jumped again for about 300 years to Late Taisho and early Shōwa period. It was about modern time Osaka, up to the beginning of World War II. Disappointingly, there was no mention of Japan's role in the war. The people and their government were not ready to face it yet.
Overall, we didn't like this musuem as much as we had hoped. The timing gaps between floors were too large to be ignored. As we went through the musuem, we couldn't help but feel a bit lost. We felt that history must be appreciated by its continuity and this history museum was lacking it.