To paraphrase the entry in the Lonely Planet:- "It's Japan's most visited tourist attraction, some would say because it's the only thing worth seeing in Japan's second biggest city! I would beg to differ, there are plenty of interesting places to see in Osaka. Why is Osaka castle so popular, even though it is a concrete reconstruction, when not so far away in Himeji you can see a real original wooden castle? Maybe it's because of the views of Osaka, or the disabled access, or just that it's located in the centre of a big city. Certainly while the interior is very modern and not authentic, the museum contained inside is very informative."
Since we couldn't make it to Himeji and I also wanted to show Mum and Dad some of South Osaka, I decided to bring them to Osaka Castle on the way there.
After the castle we had a fantastic lunch at nice cafe/restaurant on the ground floor of the Osaka History Museum which is just opposite the castle (we didn't go to that museum). Then we headed to Shinsaibashi and walked down to Namba, the final stop was at BIC Camera, where I introduced Mum and Dad to the wonders of a huge Japanese Electronics Store.