Beneath our feet lies a story etched in stone, a silent testament to Osaka’s vibrant past. This is the \u7740\u8239\u6a4b\u8de1 Stele. It marks more than just a spot. It echoes with tales of transformation and resilience.
Osaka Castle is one of Japan’s most famous landmarks. It played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century. The main keep sits on roughly one square kilometer of land. It’s built on two raised platforms of landfill. These are supported by sheer walls of cut rock. This technique is called burdock piling. Each overlooks a moat. The keep has five stories on the outside and eight stories inside. It stands on a tall stone foundation. This protects its occupants from attackers.
Osaka Castle’s grounds cover approximately 61000 square meters. The Japanese government has designated thirteen structures as important cultural assets. These include the Ote-mon Gate and the Sakura-mon Gate. You will also find the Ichiban-yagura Turret and the Inui-yagura Turret.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi began construction in 1583 on the site of Ishiyama Hongan-ji temple. He modeled the plan after Azuchi Castle. Hideyoshi wanted his castle to surpass Nobunaga’s in every way. The plan included a five-story main tower and three underground stories. Gold leaf adorned the tower’s sides to impress visitors. The Inner donjon was completed in 1585. Hideyoshi expanded the castle making it formidable. Construction finished in 1597. Hideyoshi died the following year. Osaka Castle then passed to his son Toyotomi Hideyori.
In 1614 Tokugawa Ieyasu besieged the Toyotomi clan in Osaka Castle. This started the Siege of Osaka. The Toyotomi forces were outnumbered. However, they fought off Tokugawa’s army and protected the castle’s outer walls. Ieyasu had the castle’s outer moat filled. This negated one of the castle’s main defenses.
During the summer of 1615 Hideyori began restoring the outer moat. Ieyasu sent his armies to Osaka Castle again. They routed the Toyotomi men inside the outer walls on June 4. Osaka Castle fell to the Tokugawa shogunate. The Toyotomi clan perished. Toyotomi Hideyori and Yodo-dono committed seppuku. The castle buildings burned to the ground.
The Tokugawa shogunate wanted to move their government to Osaka. However, this plan halted after Ieyasu’s death in 1616. Tokugawa Hidetada reinstated the plan. He wanted to establish a unified government.
In 1620 the old structures of Osaka Castle were dismantled. This allowed the foundation for the new castle to be built. Individual samurai clans were assigned to construct new walls. The walls built in the 1620s still stand today. They are made of interlocked granite boulders without mortar. Many stones bear inscribed crests of contributing families. The shogunate also built a new elevated main tower. The construction of the tenshu started in 1628 and was completed two years later. The new Osaka Castle was completed in 1628.
Lightning ignited the gunpowder warehouse in 1660. The resulting explosion set the castle on fire. In 1665 lightning struck and burnt down the tenshu.
Kajisuke Nakama was one of the hatamoto guards. He protected Osaka Castle. On 15 May 1740 he stole gold. He was arrested and confessed. He was sentenced to crucifixion in September.
In 1868 Osaka Castle fell. It was surrendered to anti-bakufu imperial loyalists. Many castle buildings were burned in the civil conflicts.
American bombing raids damaged the reconstructed main keep during World War II. On August 14 1945 the arsenal was destroyed.
Osaka’s government approved another restoration project in 1995. The intent was to restore the main keep to its Edo-era splendor. Restoration was completed in 1997.
The \u7740\u8239\u6a4b\u8de1 Stele stands as a reminder. It tells us that even in the face of destruction, Osaka rises again. It is a testament to the enduring spirit of this city.