Ōsaka-jō

The castle of Ōsaka (大坂城・大阪城; Ōsaka-jō ) is a castle with Chuo-ku, Osaka, with the Japan. Originally called Ozakajo , it is one of the most famous castles of Japan, and he played an important role during the unification of Japan at the 16th century, one of the last great revolts against Tokugawa having it for center. It was repressed at the time of the Siège of Osaka in 1614 and 1615.

The castle is located on a piece of ground ground of approximately a square kilometer. It is built on two high platforms supported by walls of rock, each one giving on a Fossé. The central castle is made of five stages outside and eight inside.

History

1583 : Hideyoshi Toyotomi begins construction on the site of the temple Ikko-ikki of Ishiyama Honganji. The basic plan is modelled according to the castle of Azuchi, general headquarter of Nobunaga Oda. Toyotomi wants to build an image of the castle of Oda, but exceeds it of any share: the castle consists of 5 stages on a stone base hiding three underground stages, and the gilded beams impress the visitors.
1585 : End of the construction of the interior keep. Toyotomi continues to increase the castle, making it increasingly difficult of access for attackers.
1598 : End of construction. Hideyoshi dies. The castle of Osaka passes to his/her son, Hideyori Toyotomi.
1600 : Ieyasu Tokugawa demolishes the honest troops with Hideyori, ordered by Mitsunari Ishida, with the Bataille of Sekigahara, and begins its takeover with Edo (it becomes shogun in 1603.
1614 : Tokugawa attacks Hideyori, which had started to gather troops, during the winter. Although numerically twice lower, the forces of the Toyotomi clan gain the battle against the 200 000 men of Tokugawa and manage to protect the walls external of the castle. However, Tokugawa succeeds in weakening Toyotomi by filling the external ditches.
1615 : During the summer, Hideyori undertakes to dig the external ditch again. Tokugawa, in reprisals, returns its armies on the castle of Osaka and establish the seat of the castle on July 4th. Osakajo falls to the hand from Tokugawa, and the Toyotomi clan disappears.
1620 : The heir to the shogun, Hidetada Tokugawa, begins the rebuilding of the castle. He rebuilds the keep, and orders to the clans of samurais to rebuild the walls. These are still the walls which exist today. They are blocks of stone juxtaposed, without mortar. The size of certain stones largely exceeds the two meters in all dimensions.
1843 : Collect for repairs after years of negligence.
1865 : Set fire to keep.
1868 : Under the era Meiji, the castle is converted into hutments for the creation of a modern army of Western style.
1928 : The town hall of Osaka manages to rebuild the keep.
1945 : Destruction of the keep by the American air raids.
1995 : The government of Osaka approves a project of new restoration, to return to the keep its splendor of the Edo time.
1997 : End of the rebuilding.

Today

The castle is accessible to the public and easily accessible by the station Osakajo Koen Eki on the circular line from JR.

External bonds

Images of the castle
Chart of the castle
Nippon-tabi.com: photographs of the Osaka-OJ as well as guides to manage in Japan

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