Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in
Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and
it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century
of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
The construction of Osaka Castle started
in 1583 on the former site of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple, which had been
destroyed by Oda Nobunaga thirteen years earlier. Toyotomi Hideyoshi intended
the castle to become the center of a new, unified Japan under Toyotomi rule. It
was the largest castle at the time.
However, a few years after
Hideyoshi's death, Tokugawa troops attacked and destroyed the castle and
terminated the Toyotomi lineage in 1615. Osaka Castle was rebuilt by Tokugawa
Hidetada in the 1620s, but its main castle tower was struck by lightening in
1665 and burnt down.
It was not until 1931 that the
present ferro-concrete reconstruction of the castle tower was built. During the
war it miraculously survived the city wide air raids. Major repair works gave
the castle new glamor in 1997. The castle tower is now entirely modern on the
inside and even features an elevator for easier accessibility. It houses an
informative museum about the castle's history and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
The castle tower is surrounded by
secondary citadels, gates, turrets, impressive stone walls and moats. The
Nishinomaru Garden, encompassing the former "western citadel", is a
lawn garden with 600 cherry trees, a tea house, the former Osaka Guest House
and nice views of the castle tower from below. Unlike most of the rest of the
castle grounds, the garden requires an admission fee.
The entire Osaka Castle Park covers
about two square kilometers with lots of green space, sport facilities, a
multi-purpose arena (Osakajo Hall) and a shrine dedicated to Toyotomi
Hideyoshi. The park is one of Osaka's most popular hanami spots during the
cherry blossom season, which usually takes place in early April.
The recommended approach to Osaka
Castle is through Otemon Gate at the park's southwestern corner. The closest
station is Tanimachi Yonchome Station along the Tanimachi and Chuo subway
lines. The closest JR station to Osaka Castle is Osakajokoen Station on the JR
Loop Line, a 10 minute, 160 yen ride from JR Osaka Station.
Sources :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osaka_Castle
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4000.html
Comments
Post a Comment