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Osaka Castle (大坂城 or 大阪城, Ōsaka-jō) is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan’s most famous landmarks and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi–Momoyama period. Originally constructed in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, it was designed to be a symbol of power and prosperity, embodying the centralization of authority in the feudal era. The impressive structure has undergone various reconstructions, with the most significant one occurring in the 20th century after it was destroyed during World War II. Today, Osaka Castle stands not only as a historical monument but also as a beautiful park that attracts millions of visitors every year, offering breathtaking seasonal views, especially during cherry blossom season. Its architecture reflects the traditional style of Japanese castles, with intricate wooden frameworks and large stone walls, making it a prime destination for both history enthusiasts and tourists seeking to immerse themselves in Japan’s rich cultural heritage.

Layout;

The inner keep of Osaka Castle is situated on a plot of land roughly one square kilometre, making it an impressive fortress that commands a significant area. It is expertly built on two raised platforms of landfill, which are supported by sheer walls of cut rock—a design that showcases the architectural ingenuity of the period. This construction employs a technique called burdock piling, which involves deep-set wooden piles that provide stability and strength to the structure. Each platform overlooks a breathtaking moat, adding to the castle’s defensive capabilities while creating a picturesque view. The keep is five stories on the outside and eight stories on the inside, cleverly designed to maximize its internal space. It stands tall atop a robust stone foundation, which not only serves as a formidable barrier against potential attackers but also reflects the castle’s grandeur and the protection it was meant to offer its inhabitants. This multi-layered structure illustrates the fusion of beauty and function that is characteristic of feudal Japanese architecture, symbolizing power and resilience.

The main keep is surrounded by a series of intricate moats and defensive fortifications, each serving its purpose in the grand design of the castle’s security. The castle boasts two distinct moats, namely an inner and an outer one, each carefully planned and constructed. The inner castle moat lies securely within the castle grounds, showcasing two types: a wet moat on the northern-easterly side, filled with water that glistens under the sun, and a dry moat situated on the south-westerly side, characterized by barren earth that offers its own form of protection. The outer moat, meanwhile, encompasses the entire castle premise, marking the boundaries of this impressive stronghold while instilling a sense of awe in those who approach. This outer moat consists of four individual water-filled sections, each ingeniously aligned with a cardinal direction—North, East, South, and West—creating a formidable barrier that not only enhances the castle’s defenses but also serves as a strategic advantage in times of siege. Together, these features combine to form a robust protective system, ensuring the safety and security of the inhabitants within.

The castle grounds, which cover approximately 61,000 square metres (15 acres), contain the following thirteen structures that were denoted as “important cultural assets” by the Japanese government:^[2]

• Ote-mon Gate
• Sakura-mon Gate
• Ichiban-yagura Turret
• Inui-yagura Turret
• Rokuban-yagura Turret
• Sengan Turret
• Tamon Turret
• Kinmeisui Well
• Kinzo Storehouse
• Enshogura Gunpowder Magazine
• Three sections of ‘dobei’ mud-and-plaster wall all located around the Otemon Gate; each has its own Important Cultural Property status

There are also some megaliths at the castle include the Octopus stone, but these have no cultural property status. The outer moat has two main sentry checkpoints: the Aoyamon Gate (in the north-east) and the Otemon Gate (in the opposing south-west).

Between the inner and outer moat are the following: Fushimi-yagura Turret Remains, Ensho-gura Gunpowder Storehouse, Osaka Geihinkan, Hoshoan Tea House, Osaka Castle Nishinomaru Garden, Sengan-yagura Turret, Tamon-yagura Turret, Remains of Taiko-yagura Turret, Osaka Shudokan Martial Arts Hall, Hokoku Shrine (Osaka), Ichiban-yagura Turret (The first turret), and Plum Grove.

There are two places to cross the inner moat, Gokuraku-bashi Bridge (located in the North) and Sakuramon Gate (main sentry point in the South).

Within the inner moat, the castle was divided into two major areas: the Hommaru (Inner Bailey) and the Yamazato-Maru Bailey. Located within the Hommaru is the Main Tower, the Kimmeisui Well, the Japanese Garden, the Takoishi (Octopus Stone), the Gimmeisui Well, the Miraiza Osakajo Complex, the Kinzo Treasure House, and the “Timecapsule Expo’70”. While within the Yamazato-Maru Bailey consists of the Marked-Stones Square, and the Monument commemorating ‘Hideyori and Yodo-dono committing suicide’.

As with almost all Japanese castles from the Azuchi-Momoyama period onward, the tenshu (天守, main keep), which is the most prominent structure of these majestic fortifications, was utilized not only as a storehouse in times of peace, where valuable items and supplies were safely kept, but also as a strategic fortified tower during times of war, serving as a bastion of defense against potential invaders. This impressive structure was often elaborately designed, showcasing the craftsmanship and aesthetic values of the period. Surrounding the tenshu, the daimyo (大名, feudal lord)’s government offices and residences were typically located in a group of meticulously constructed single-story buildings, which were strategically placed near the tenshu to allow for quick access and communication. These buildings often included administrative offices, living quarters for the daimyo and his family, and various facilities necessary for the management of the castle and its domain. Additionally, the surrounding yagura (櫓, turrets) not only served functional purposes by providing lookout points and storage for weapons, but also contributed to the overall architectural beauty and defensive capabilities of the castle, reflecting the power and influence of the daimyo over the land.

History

In 1583, Toyotomi Hideyoshi commenced construction on the site of the Ikkō-ikki temple of Ishiyama Hongan-ji. ^4 The basic plan was modeled after Azuchi Castle, the headquarters of Oda Nobunaga. Hideyoshi wanted to build a castle that mirrored Nobunaga’s but surpassed it in every way: the ambitious plan featured a five-story main tower, with three extra stories underground, and gold leaf on the sides of the tower to impress visitors with its magnificence and opulence. The architectural design was not only meant as a show of power but also as a statement of Hideyoshi’s status as a unifier of Japan. In 1585, the Inner donjon was completed, marking a significant milestone in the project. Hideyoshi continued to extend and expand the castle, making it more and more formidable to attackers, introducing advanced defensive features and intricate stonework that added to its grandeur. By incorporating both military innovations and aesthetic considerations, the castle served as a symbol of both strength and beauty, reflective of Hideyoshi’s own ambitions. In 1597, construction was completed, and Hideyoshi died the year after, leaving behind a legacy etched in every stone of the castle. Osaka Castle passed to his son, Toyotomi Hideyor, who inherited not only the magnificent castle but also the weight of his father’s aspirations and the challenges of maintaining power in a time of turmoil.

In 1614, Tokugawa Ieyasu besieged the Toyotomi clan forces in Osaka Castle during the winter, starting the Siege of Osaka. [5] Although the Toyotomi forces were outnumbered approximately two to one, they showcased remarkable resilience and strategic ingenuity as they managed to fight off Tokugawa’s vast 200,000-man army and protect the castle’s formidable outer walls, which stood as a testament to the architectural prowess of the period. Understanding the significance of Osaka Castle as a stronghold, Ieyasu had the castle’s outer moat filled, effectively negating one of the castle’s main outer defenses that had been crucial in previous warfare. The filling of the moat not only weakened the defensive capabilities of Osaka but also symbolized the aggressive tactics utilized by the Tokugawa shogunate. During the summer of 1615, determined to reclaim his stronghold, Hideyori began to restore the outer moat, demonstrating his commitment to the defense of his family’s legacy. This move, however, incited outrage in Ieyasu, who viewed the restoration as a direct challenge. Consequently, he dispatched his armies to Osaka Castle once more, leading to a fateful confrontation where they routed the Toyotomi men inside the outer walls on June 4. [citation needed] After a fierce and bloody conflict, Osaka Castle ultimately fell to the Tokugawa shogunate, marking a significant turning point in Japanese history. The defeat of the Toyotomi clan not only resulted in the loss of their power but also in the tragic demise of Toyotomi Hideyori and Yodo-dono, who, faced with inevitable capture, committed seppuku. The once majestic castle buildings, which had witnessed countless historical events, tragically burned to the ground, symbolizing the end of an era and the consolidation of Tokugawa power in Japan.

As the Toyotomi clan no longer existed,[6] the Tokugawa shogunate expressed their desire to move their center of government into Osaka, a city known for its strategic location and vibrant commerce. However, this ambitious plan to relocate the shogunate government into Osaka was halted after the death of Ieyasu in 1616, which led to a period of uncertainty within the shogunate’s leadership.[7] For a while, the shogunate’s plan to move to Osaka was abandoned, but was reinstated by Tokugawa Hidetada, who had a strong desire to establish a unified imperial and military government, believing that a presence in Osaka was vital for ensuring stability and control across the realm.[8] In 1619, Matsudaira Tadaaki, who was appointed as the lord of Osaka Castle before, was transferred to the Kōriyama Domain in Yamato Province, and the shogunate assumed direct control of Osaka, recognizing its significance as a key urban center that could enhance their political power.[9] Then, the project of reconstructing Osaka Castle as a new base of the shogunate was entrusted to Tōdō Takatora and Kobori Enshu, two prominent figures in architecture and engineering of the time.[10][11] In 1620, the old structures of Osaka Castle were completely dismantled so that the foundation for the new castle could be built, symbolizing a fresh start for the shogunate’s ambitions in the region.[12] He[who?] assigned the task of constructing new walls to individual samurai clans, fostering a sense of collaboration among the clans while reinforcing their loyalty to the Tokugawa regime. The walls built in the 1620s still stand today and are made out of interlocked granite boulders without mortar, showcasing the advanced engineering techniques of the period. Many of the stones were brought from rock quarries near the Seto Inland Sea and bear inscribed crests of the various families who contributed them, further embedding the families’ legacy into the very fabric of the castle’s architecture.[citation needed] The shogunate also built a new elevated main tower, five stories on the outside and eight stories on the inside, designed to serve both as a military lookout and a symbol of Tokugawa power. Construction of the tenshu started in 1628 and was completed two years later, about the same time as the rest of the reconstruction, and followed the general layout of the original Toyotomi structure, indicating a blend of tradition and innovation.[4]: 153–157  However, it was built in a different part of the Honmaru (main bailey), as the base of the Toyotomi keep had actually been buried by the new Tokugawa version of the castle, which reflected the shift in power dynamics in Japan. After a long period of construction, the new Osaka Castle was completed in 1628,[13 establishing a formidable stronghold that would play a crucial role in the Tokugawa shogunate’s history and the broader narrative of Japan during this era.

Views of the castle

Views of the castle

• Osaka Castle at night
• Osaka Castle pedestrian entrance
• Main keep
• Otemon (western) Gate
• Early representation of the destruction of the 1663 François Caron book
• From the roof of Osaka Castle main tower
• Prunus mume grove in Osaka Castle Park
• Outer moat and Osaka Business Park

• Caron book
• From the roof of Osaka Castle main tower
• Prunus mume grove in Osaka Castle Park
• Outer moat and Osaka Business Park
• Cherry blossom at Osaka Castle
• Osaka Castle during twilight
• Tenshu of Osaka Castle
• Osaka Castle from 1583 until 1615
• Osaka Castle from 1620 until 1868
• Outer-View of Aoyamon Gate
• Inner moat ramparts viewed from inner Aoyamon Gate
• Main keep from Gokuraku Bashi (bridge)
• Main keep from Marked Stone Square
• Main keep from Uzumimon Gate
• View of moat from atop Uzumimon Gate
• Main keep from Miraiza Building

• Inner-view of Sakuramon Gate
• Easterly view of dry inner moat outside Sakuramon Gate
• Gozabune boat ferrying tourists around on the inner moat.

View of moat from atop Uzumimon Gate

In popular culture

• In the 1955 Toho tokusatsu film Godzilla Raids Again, Godzilla battles Anguirus, causing the castle to collapse when Godzilla pins Anguirus against it.
• In the 1966 tokusatsu film, Gamera vs. Barugon, the titular monsters’ first encounter is at the site of the castle.
• The castle appears in The two-parter of the 1966 tokusatsu television series, Ultraman where the titular hero does battle with the monster Gomora on the castle grounds.
• In 1975, British novelist James Clavell used the castle and its environs (c. 1600) as a major plot location for his most famous work of historical fiction, Shōgun.
  • In the 1980 adaptation, Himeji Castle‘s environs stand in for Osaka Castle.
  • For the 2024 adaptation, the castle is portrayed via CGI reconstruction with its period-accurate black lacquering, both in-story and as part of the title sequence. The interior chambers and halls were constructed physical sets.
• The castle was featured in the finale of The Amazing Race 20, where it hosted a Pit Stop.^[22]
• In the 2002 film Suicide Club, it is reported that 200 high school girls jumped off the Osaka Castle.
• The castle is featured in the 2025 video game Assassin’s Creed Shadows.