Osaka Castle is a prominent symbol of Osaka City, originally constructed in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi on the site of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji temple-fortress, which had been the scene of a violent uprising by warrior monks and peasants in the late 16th century. Modeled on Oda Nobunaga’s Azuchi Castle, the original Osaka Castle tenshu (tower keep) featured five visible floors, six interior floors, and two underground basements. The exterior was lacquered black and adorned with gold decorations, including large peony flowers, tigers, birds, and various crests.
The lavish use of gold on Osaka Castle’s exterior surpassed even the grandeur of Azuchi Castle. The shachihoko-gawara (roof decorations with a tiger’s head and a scaly fish’s body), other roofing tiles, and rounded eave edge tiles were all finished in gold leaf. Inside, pillars were lacquered red or black, and walls were beautifully decorated with gold leaf and paintings by leading artists of the time. Hideyoshi often conducted tours of the luxurious keep to enhance his power and authority.
After Hideyoshi’s death in 1598, construction of the castle continued until the entire structure, including the San-no-Maru and all the defensive elements like earthen walls, water moats, and dry moats, was completed. During the Winter Siege of Osaka in 1614, Sanada Yukimura built the Sanada-Maru, a vast defensive structure that greatly strengthened the southern end of Osaka.
Following Hideyoshi’s death, his five-year-old son, Hideyori, inherited the castle. However, the peace achieved by Hideyoshi was disrupted when Tokugawa Ieyasu, the leader of the Council of Regents established to assist Hideyori, made moves to seize power. This led to the nation being divided between the Tokugawa-led East and the Toyotomi-loyal West, culminating in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Although the Tokugawa won, many daimyo remained loyal to the Toyotomi, prompting Ieyasu to launch the Winter Siege of Osaka in 1614. Despite being outnumbered, the Toyotomi forces held off the attack. However, in 1615, Ieyasu raised 150,000 samurai and laid siege to Osaka Castle again, eventually destroying it with artillery and fire, killing thousands of Toyotomi loyalists and ending the Toyotomi clan.
In 1620, the Tokugawa clan rebuilt Osaka Castle to erase any trace of the Toyotomi fortress. The moats were widened and deepened, and the stone walls were reconfigured to reach 30 meters in height. The tenshu was rebuilt about 45 meters west of the original keep, and a three-story watchtower was added. This new castle was partially destroyed in 1660 by an explosion and fire caused by lightning striking a gunpowder warehouse. The main donjon was destroyed by another lightning strike in 1665. Finally, the castle was attacked and burned during the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
The current ferro-concrete tower, reconstructed in 1931, blends old and new elements from different clans and periods. It was based on the shape of the Toyotomi castle but built in the white-walled, green-roofed style preferred by the Tokugawa clan, atop the remaining stone base from the 1620s. Thirteen original Tokugawa period structures remain and are designated as Important Cultural Assets. Notably, the stone walls of Osaka Castle have survived demolition, war, and earthquakes since their construction in the 1620s.
See also
-
Nadzima Castle
It is believed that the first structures on this site were built by Tachibana Akitoshi (?-1568), head of the Tachibana clan, a branch family of the Ōtomo clan, as auxiliary fortifications for Tachibanayama Castle. In 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi established control over the island of Kyushu and granted Chikuzen Province to Kobayakawa Takakage, one of the leading vassals of the Mori clan. Takakage began construction of a new castle on the site of the existing fortifications in 1588. The exact date of completion is unknown, but by the time the invasion of Korea began in 1592, the castle had already been finished, as records note that Toyotomi Hideyoshi stayed there overnight on his way to Hizen Nagoya Castle, which served as the headquarters of the invasion forces.
-
Kubota Castle
The founder of the castle is considered to be Satake Yoshinobu (1570–1633). Yoshinobu was one of the six great generals of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. During the Odawara Campaign of 1590, he took part in the siege of Oshi Castle under the command of Ishida Mitsunari, with whom Yoshinobu developed a good relationship.
-
Kavanhoe Castle
Kawanoe Castle is located on the small Wasi-yama hill near the port area of the Kawanoe district in the city of Shikokuchuo, occupying a central position along the northern coast of Shikoku Island. Kawanoe was also known as Butsuden Castle. The term “butsuden” in Japan refers to temple halls, and for this reason it is believed that a Buddhist temple once stood on the site before the castle was built. Due to its location at the junction of four provinces on Shikoku Island, Kawanoe held significant strategic importance and was repeatedly targeted by rival forces seeking military control over the region.
-
Yokote Castle
The founder of the castle is considered to be the Onodera clan. The Onodera were originally a minor clan from Shimotsuke Province and served Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199), the founder of the first shogunate. The Onodera distinguished themselves in battle against the Fujiwara clan of the Ōshū branch and were rewarded with lands around Yokote. Around the 14th century, the Onodera moved to Yokote as their permanent residence. Their original stronghold was Numadate Castle, but after a series of clashes with the powerful Nambu clan, they relocated their base to the site of present-day Yokote Castle. It was likely during this time that the first fortifications appeared at the castle.
-
Wakayama Castle
Wakayama Castle was built in 1585, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered his uterine brother, Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hidenaga, to construct a castle on the site of the recently captured Ota Castle. The purpose of this construction was to secure control over the likewise newly conquered Province of Kii. Following an already established tradition, Hidenaga entrusted the project to his castle-building expert, Todo Takatora. Takatora carefully inspected the future castle site, personally drew up several designs, created a model of the planned castle, and took part in the work of laying out the grounds (nawabari). For the construction he brought in more than 10,000 workers and completed the large-scale project within a single year, which was considered extremely fast by the standards of the time.
Toyama Castle
Toyama Castle is located almost in the very center of the former province of Etchū and is surrounded by a wide plain with a large number of rivers. The very first castle on the banks of the Jinzu River was built in 1543 by Jimbo Nagamoto. The Jimbo clan were vassals of the Hatakeyama clan and governed the western part of Etchū Province. The eastern part of the province belonged to their rivals, the Shiina clan, who were also Hatakeyama vassals. Beginning in the 15th century, the influence of the ancient Hatakeyama clan gradually weakened, and as a result, the Jimbo and the Shiina fought constant wars for control of the province. Meanwhile, the forces of the Ikkō-ikki movement periodically intervened, helping first one side and then the other.
Takada Castle
During the Sengoku period, the lands where Takada Castle would later be built were part of Echigo Province and were controlled by the Uesugi clan.
Kishiwada Castle
The celebrated 14th-century military commander Kusunoki Masashige (1294–1336), who owned extensive lands south of what is now the city of Osaka, ordered one of his vassals, Kishiwada Osamu, to build a fortified residence. This order was carried out around 1336. These fortifications became the first structures on the site of what would later become Kishiwada Castle. From the beginning, the castle stood in a strategically important location—roughly halfway between the cities of Wakayama and Osaka, south of the key port of Sakai. Because of this position, it changed hands several times during periods of warfare.
