Kimono rental and photos in Osaka Castle Park

Renting a kimono and doing a photo session around Osaka Castle is an experience that combines culture, aesthetics and a variety of settings in a few hours. Several kimono rental shops located inside or very close to the castle park offer you a selection of kimonos or yukatas of different colours and styles; the staff help you choose the one that suits you best and dress you and style your hair with the full traditional attire, including the obi, the bag and the sandals. Once dressed, you have the most beautiful setting in Osaka as your stage: the moats, the stone walls, the cherry trees (in spring) and the castle keep in the background. Some shops also offer a professional photo session with a photographer included and delivery of digitally edited images. Rental prices without a photographer are around 3.000-5.000 yen; packages with a photographer and edited photos rise to around 10.000-15.000 yen per person. The Menkasoh shop in the castle park and Rinne Kimonos are highly rated options. The usual rental hours are 10:00 to 19:00. Book in advance, especially in cherry-blossom season (late March-early April).