For Osaka Castle and the Mint's cherry blossoms, book the Mint first.
6 people need 2 bookings; fit Osaka Castle around that time
Osaka Castle is a park with about 3,000 cherry trees around the Main Tower, and just to the north the Japan Mint opens its "cherry-blossom passage" (Sakura no Torinuke) each April: for one week only, you can walk along an avenue of late-blooming double cherries. But only people who have booked in advance can get into the Mint, and each booking has a cap on how many people it covers. This article is for a family of 6 staying in Namba who book a Mint time slot first and fit Osaka Castle around it, in one day or as two half-days.
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Booking the MintAt the Mint, your booking sets the time: 6 people need 2 bookings
The answer: in 2026 the cherry-blossom passage took advance online bookings only, and one booking covered up to 5 people including the lead booker. A family of 6 with 4 adults and 2 elementary-school children takes 2 bookings as soon as booking opens before spring.
- In 2026 it ran for 7 days, Thursday 9 to Wednesday 15 April: 10:00–19:15 on weekdays and 9:00–19:15 at weekends (everyone out by 19:45).
- Without a booking you cannot get in. You book on a dedicated website. In 2026 booking opened at 9:00 (Japan time) on Wednesday 18 March, and as long as slots remained you could book up to the day itself.
- Each booking picks one 30-minute time slot. One person can book only one slot per day.
- On the day you check in with the QR code in your booking confirmation email (on your phone screen or printed). In principle you cannot enter outside your booked slot.
- One booking covers up to 5 people including the lead booker; infants are not counted. On the day, everyone on a booking checks in together (you cannot go in separately).
| Family size | People counted | Bookings needed |
|---|---|---|
| 5 (4 adults + 1 elementary-school child) | 5 | 1 booking |
| 6 (4 adults + 2 elementary-school children) | 6 | 2 bookings |
| 7 (4 adults + 3 elementary-school children) | 7 | 2 bookings |
- With a toddler: infants are not counted, so 4 adults + 1 elementary-school child + 1 toddler fits in one booking. But the rules do not say up to what age counts as an "infant".
- When you take 2 bookings, have 2 lead bookers, each booking with their own email address and phone number.
- There is no guarantee the 2 bookings will get the same slot (the rules say nothing about it). If they don't, split the family into 2 groups on neighbouring slots (for example grandparents and 1 child / a parent and 1 child, with an adult in each group) and meet up outside the north gate.
- In 2026, about three-quarters of the places were released up to 7:00 on 1 April (Japan time), and the rest from 9:00 on 1 April. If you missed out the first time, there was a second chance.
- The weekday 10:00–11:00 slots (weekends 9:00–10:00) are capped at 1,200 people per 30 minutes, about half the other slots (2,350). The Mint says sunny days, weekend daytimes and evenings are busy, and weekday daytimes are relatively quieter.
- In 2026 there was a booking phone line (06-7713-0476, 9:00–19:00, 18 March to 15 April only). People who want to book without the internet also call this number. It does not say whether you can speak a language other than Japanese.
Two ways to plan the day
The answer: book an afternoon Mint slot, do Osaka Castle in the morning, and you see both in one day. If the grandparents or a toddler tire easily, give Osaka Castle and the Mint a day each and make them half-days.
| Pattern | How the day goes |
|---|---|
| A Both in one day | Into the Main Tower when it opens at 9:00 → Nishinomaru Garden → lunch at JO-TERRACE OSAKA or MIRAIZA OSAKA-JO → subway from Tanimachi 4-chome to Temmabashi → your Mint slot in the afternoon (in at the south gate, out at the north gate) → Minami-morimachi to Namba, 12 min |
| B Two half-days | Day 1: Main Tower and Nishinomaru Garden from 9:00 → back to your Namba hotel at midday (9 min from Tanimachi 4-chome). Day 2: just your Mint slot (from 10:00 on weekdays, 9:00 at weekends; check-in until 19:15). You can rest in the morning and take an afternoon or evening slot |
- The Main Tower opens at 9:00; last entry is 17:30. When it is crowded, the ticket queue may close before 17:30.
- The Main Tower takes no entry reservations. If you buy a web ticket in advance, you don't have to buy one at the ticket office on the day (the official site does not say how ticket holders are handled in the entry queue).
- Nishinomaru Garden is closed on Mondays (the next day if Monday is a public holiday). Check that year's official site for closing days in cherry-blossom season. Don't make your both-in-one-day day a Monday.
- In the 2026 cherry-blossom season, according to travel information, Nishinomaru Garden stayed open until 21:00 (last entry 20:30), with illumination from about 18:00. Check that year's official announcement for start dates and times.
- To finish at half-day and rest at the hotel, see Where a family of 6 can share one room in Namba. For a day trip to Kyoto, see A day trip from Namba to Kyoto for a family of 6.
Buy your Main Tower tickets in advance
For 6, children of junior-high age and under are free, so you only need tickets for the adults. Buy ahead and you don't have to buy them at the ticket office on the day.
This is not a timed reservation. Check prices, age bands and how to collect the ticket on the booking page and the Osaka Castle Main Tower official site.
Osaka Castle and the Mint bloom at slightly different times
The answer: Osaka Castle's Nishinomaru Garden is mostly Somei-Yoshino, and Osaka's normal full-bloom date is 4 April. The Mint has late-blooming double cherries, and in 2026 it opened from 9 April. Both are not necessarily at their best on the same day.
| Place | Trees | Main cherries | 2026 timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan Mint | 331 trees of 140 varieties | Late-blooming double cherries (Kanzan, Shogetsu, Fugenzo, Yokihi and others) | Passage open 9–15 April |
| Osaka Castle Park | About 3,000 | Somei-Yoshino. Late-blooming double cherries at the Tamatsukuri entrance | Osaka's normal full-bloom date: 4 April |
| Nishinomaru Garden (inside Osaka Castle Park) | About 300 | Somei-Yoshino. Home to the sample tree that decides when Osaka's cherries are declared open | Cherry-blossom season price until 12 April |
- Osaka's normal dates for Somei-Yoshino (1991–2020 average, JMA) are first bloom on 27 March and full bloom on 4 April.
- In 2026, Nishinomaru Garden's cherry-blossom season price (until 12 April) and the Mint's opening (from 9 April) overlapped for 4 days, 9–12 April (calculated from the official dates).
- If you go to Osaka Castle on your Mint day, treat it as a day for the double cherries at the Tamatsukuri entrance and the Main Tower, even if the Somei-Yoshino have fallen.
- For how to pick the full-bloom day using 10 years of Tokyo records, see Shinjuku Gyoen cherry blossoms for 6: picking the right day.
What it costs for 6: children free, grandparents at adult prices
Prices in this article are for 6: parents + 2 children (elementary school) + grandparents. The grandparents are coming from abroad, so they pay adult prices (the over-65 exemption is for residents of Osaka City).
The answer: the Main Tower and Nishinomaru Garden are free for junior-high age and under, so you only pay for the 4 adults. Including the subway, it comes to ¥9,560 for 6.
| Family size | Main Tower | Nishinomaru Garden (cherry-blossom season) | 3 subway rides | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (4 adults + 1 elementary-school child) | ¥4,800 | ¥1,400 | ¥3,020 | ¥9,220 |
| 6 (4 adults + 2 elementary-school children) | ¥4,800 | ¥1,400 | ¥3,360 | ¥9,560 |
| 7 (4 adults + 3 elementary-school children) | ¥4,800 | ¥1,400 | ¥3,700 | ¥9,900 |
Entry fees and subway for 6 (4 adults + 2 elementary-school children).
Both children are free at the Main Tower and at Nishinomaru Garden.
- Main Tower: adults ¥1,200, junior-high age and under free (revised April 2025). Visitors from abroad aged 15 or under show a passport or other document with their age.
- Nishinomaru Garden: adults ¥350 in cherry-blossom season (until 12 April in 2026; ¥300 the rest of the year), junior-high age and under free.
- Subway: adults ¥190 for zone 1 and ¥240 for zone 2; children (6 to under 12) ¥100 and ¥120. Up to 2 children aged 1–5 ride free with someone aged 6 or over.
- The 3 subway rides are Namba → Tanimachi 4-chome, Tanimachi 4-chome → Temmabashi, and Minami-morimachi → Namba.
- Japan Mint: the official 2026 guide and booking rules gave no entry price.
- If your mix is different: however many more children you have (up to junior-high age), the Main Tower and Nishinomaru Garden cost the same; only the subway changes. A high-school student pays ¥600 at the Main Tower (with a student ID; high-school and university students from abroad use an ISIC international student card, or pay the adult price without one).
- The rules on child fares are covered in Japan train child fares: what age?.
Getting there from Namba: 9 min to Osaka Castle, 12 min back from the Mint's exit
The answer: from Namba to Tanimachi 4-chome, the nearest station to Osaka Castle, is 9 minutes by subway with 1 change. The Mint is one way, in at the south gate and out at the north gate, so you go home from Minami-morimachi on the north gate side: 12 minutes to Namba with 1 change.
| Section | Changes | Time on the train | Adult fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Namba → Tanimachi 4-chome (Osaka Castle, Otemon Gate side) | 1, at Tanimachi 9-chome | 9 min | ¥240 |
| Tanimachi 4-chome → Temmabashi (Mint, south gate side) | None | 1 min (about every 6 min in the daytime) | ¥190 |
| Minami-morimachi (Mint, north gate side) → Namba | 1, at Nippombashi | 12 min | ¥240 |
| Temmabashi → Namba | 1, at Tanimachi 9-chome | 12 min | ¥240 |
- To reach the Main Tower without steps, the route from Otemon Gate is relatively gentle (park guide). Head for Otemon Gate from Tanimachi 4-chome Station.
- The Mint's south gate (entrance) is about 15 minutes' walk from Temmabashi Station (Tanimachi Line and Keihan) or Osakajo-kitazume Station (JR Tozai Line). From the north gate (exit) it is also 15 minutes' walk to Minami-morimachi, Osaka Temmangu, Sakuranomiya or Kyobashi stations.
- The Mint has no car park and no drop-off for tour buses, and traffic around it is restricted during the event. Taxis cannot enter Osaka Castle Park (use the taxi stand at Otemon Gate).
- To get around inside the park there is the Road Train (Morinomiya – in front of JO-TERRACE OSAKA – Gokuraku Bridge). One way: adults ¥400, age 4 to elementary school ¥200, 65 and over ¥200. It may stop running on crowded days. From Gokuraku Bridge to the front of Hokoku Shrine there is a substitute vehicle only for people with limited mobility and older people.
- How to ride the subway with a pushchair is covered in Taking a pushchair on trains and buses in Japan.
Places to rest for grandparents and little ones, and what you can't bring in
The answer: pushchairs can't go into the Main Tower; you leave them at the entrance. The Mint is about 560 m one way with no turning back, and the toilets are only near the entrance and the exit. To rest, use the indoor facilities in Osaka Castle Park.
1. Grandparents: the Main Tower lift goes up to 5F Official
Anyone can take it up as far as 5F. From 5F to 8F, and on the way down, it is stairs (wheelchair users and people who have difficulty walking can use it up and down on every floor). The Main Tower lends 5 wheelchairs (inside only, first come, first served). At the Mint you can go through in an electric wheelchair, and you can ask for staff to guide you (limited numbers).
2. Little ones: 2 nursing rooms Official
The nursing rooms are at JO-TERRACE OSAKA (in front of Osakajokoen Station) and MIRAIZA OSAKA-JO (in front of the Main Tower). No hot water for formula. Baby-changing tables are in the Main Tower toilets and some multipurpose toilets. There are 2 multipurpose toilets with child toilet seats (next to the Lawson west of the Education Tower, and at the Morinomiya play area).
3. Rain and bags: eat and store indoors Official
The park has nowhere sheltered from the rain to eat a packed lunch (official). To eat, use the shops at JO-TERRACE OSAKA and MIRAIZA OSAKA-JO. Coin lockers are at JO-TERRACE OSAKA and Morinomiya Fountain Plaza (24 hours). There are no lockers inside the Main Tower; the ticket office keeps bags for ¥100 each.
- Main Tower: no eating or drinking inside, and no sitting on the floor. Audio guides in Japanese, English, Korean and Chinese can be borrowed for free.
- Japan Mint: there are only 2 toilets, near the entrance and near the exit, so go before you enter. Avoid eating and drinking inside the grounds; smoking is banned everywhere. No parasols, selfie sticks or tripods. There is a bag check at the entrance, and pets (except assistance dogs) and bicycles are not allowed.
- The official site does not say whether pushchairs can go into the Mint or whether there are benches along the path. Bring a baby carrier too, in case you can't use the pushchair.
- For lost children and park information, go to the Osaka Castle Park Center (9:00–17:30).
- How to choose a meeting point in case the 6 of you get separated is in If an earthquake hits in Japan: 3 things a big family sets up on the day they arrive. For the rules on eating under the cherry blossoms in parks, see Hanami rules differ by park in Japan.
Honest caveats (6 things we could not confirm or did not cover)
These are things we have not been able to verify, so we do not assert them.
The Mint's entry fee
The official 2026 guide and booking rules give no price. This article goes no further than "not stated".
Booking details
The rules do not say whether 2 bookings can get the same slot, up to what age counts as an "infant", or whether the booking phone line can be used in languages other than Japanese. We have not checked whether the booking site works in English.
Pushchairs and evenings at the Mint
The official site does not say whether pushchairs can go in, whether there are benches along the path, or whether there was night illumination in 2026.
Walking from Osaka Castle to the Mint
There is no official walking distance or time from Otemon Gate or the Main Tower to the Mint's south gate. This article links them by subway. There is also no official guide to how long a visit to the Main Tower or the Mint takes.
Main Tower hours in cherry-blossom season
We could not confirm on the 2026 official site whether opening hours are extended in cherry-blossom season.
2027 dates
The Mint's 2027 dates and booking method have not been announced (usually announced in mid-March). Advance booking has been required since 2022; in 2019, before booking was required, 587,000 people visited, and in 2026, 181,000.
Osaka Castle and the Mint's cherry blossoms (big families) FAQ
Can a family of 6 get into the Mint's cherry-blossom passage?
In 2026, one booking covered up to 5 people including the lead booker. With 4 adults and 2 elementary-school children, have 2 lead bookers and take 2 bookings. On the day, everyone on each booking checks in together. Infants are not counted, but the rules do not say up to what age.
Can we do Osaka Castle and the Mint in one day?
Yes, if you book an afternoon Mint slot. Enter the Main Tower at 9:00, rest at midday, then take the subway from Tanimachi 4-chome to Temmabashi. You leave the Mint by the north gate, so the way home is Minami-morimachi to Namba, 12 minutes. But the Mint has double cherries that bloom later than Osaka Castle's Somei-Yoshino, so both are not necessarily at their best on the same day.
Is there a discount for grandparents?
Free entry for 65 and over at the Main Tower and Nishinomaru Garden is for residents of Osaka City. Grandparents from abroad pay adult prices (Main Tower ¥1,200, Nishinomaru Garden ¥350 in cherry-blossom season). Children of junior-high age and under are free at both.
Can we get around with a pushchair?
In Osaka Castle Park, the route from Otemon Gate to the Main Tower is relatively gentle. Pushchairs can't go into the Main Tower; they are kept at the entrance. The official site does not say whether pushchairs can go into the Mint, so bring a baby carrier too.
When will it be held in 2027?
It has not been announced yet. The Mint usually sets and announces the dates in mid-March. In 2025 it ran from 5 to 11 April, and in 2026 from 9 to 15 April.
📍 One of the articles in our Namba trip plan (Namba & Osaka Castle | Trip plan for large families / all tickets and experiences articles)