[Full version ]The Attraction of Osaka Castle Park in Osaka, Japan
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2023-07-20
Osaka Castle Park is a park developed on the site of Osaka Castle, which was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1583 at the end of the Warring States Period to unify the country. The park, with the castle tower at its center, is not only filled with historical romance, but also shows its seasonal changes. This article introduces the charms of Osaka Castle Park.
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Osaka Castle underwent a dizzying transformation through the turbulent history of Japan.
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Osaka Castle Park opened in 1931, centering on the castle tower of Osaka Castle. The vast area of the park is now a place of recreation and relaxation for the citizens of Osaka, but the area has a history of twists and turns.
Dating back to the Warring States Period, the Osaka Honganji Temple was built on the site of the park. around 1570, Oda Nobunaga, aiming to unify the country, began to repeatedly fight against the Honganji forces of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism. After winning the Ishiyama Battle, Nobunaga turned his attention to the Uemachi Plateau, which was located at the tip of a hilly area stretching from north to south across the Osaka Plain. The Yodo River flowed to the north of the plateau, making it not only a natural strategic point, but also an important transportation hub that was connected to Kyoto up the river.
In 1583, after the Honnoji Incident, Toyotomi Hideyoshi began construction of Osaka Castle, and the work seems to have gone on and on without end. Hideyoshi held audiences with various feudal lords at Osaka Castle, and after his death in 1598, his surviving son, Toyotomi Hideyori, took up residence there. In 1615, after the Battle of Sekigahara, the Osaka Summer Campaign took place, and Osaka Castle fell under the attack of Tokugawa Ieyasu. The castle was devastated after that, but the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, spent 10 years from 1620 to rebuild Osaka Castle to get rid of the Toyotomi color. However, the Edo period castle facilities were also destroyed by fire during the upheavals of the Meiji Restoration. Osaka Castle continued to undergo upheaval at each turning point in Japanese history.
Samurai! Osaka Castle Historical Walking Tour
Osaka City Chuo Area(Osaka Castle, Kyobashi)
Recommended for familiesRecommended for couplesRecommended for groupsSmall GroupTraveling with the GirlsTrip with the GuysTo Make MemoriesDeepExp ExclusivesOn the RiverOutdoor ActivitiesOut of the OrdinaryIncludes Guide
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The present keep was reconstructed in 1931 as a commemorative project for the accession to the throne of Emperor Showa. It was built on the foundation of the stone walls of the Edo period castle tower, with a height of approximately 54.8 meters and five stories and eight floors. "The exterior design was based on the Osaka Natsu no Jin screen ( "). The first to fourth stories have Tokugawa-era white plaster walls, and the uppermost fifth story has Toyotomi-era black lacquer with gold leaf painted tiger reliefs and cranes. The green-tinted, copper-roofed tiles and gently curved gables seem to give the building a unique character. "The symbol of Osaka City, also known as Kinjyo "or "Kinjyo ", is designated as a special national historic site and is sometimes considered one of the three most famous castles in Japan.
Samurai! Osaka Castle Historical Walking Tour
Osaka City Chuo Area(Osaka Castle, Kyobashi)
Recommended for familiesRecommended for couplesRecommended for groupsSmall GroupTraveling with the GirlsTrip with the GuysTo Make MemoriesDeepExp ExclusivesOn the RiverOutdoor ActivitiesOut of the OrdinaryIncludes Guide
Inside the keep, which is open to the public as a museum
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The interior of the keep is open to the public as a museum, and the third floor exhibition room features exhibits on the castle town, which was called "Osaka Sango "in the Edo period. "The area was divided into three groups: the North ", "South ", and "Tenma ", and was lined with markets, playhouses, Dutch studies schools, and daimyo's storehouses. The exhibits are changed seasonally, and themed and special exhibitions are held in spring and fall. There is also a corner where visitors can try on the helmets and battle helmets of warriors such as Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Yukimura Sanada. From the observation deck on the top floor, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the city of Osaka, Mt. Ikoma, Osaka Bay, and the Osaka Plain beyond the golden orcas.
Remains of Edo Period in Osaka Castle Park
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About 105.6 hectares around the castle tower are maintained as Osaka Castle Park. The park contains the remains of Otemon Gate, Tamon Yagura, Senkan Yagura, Inui Yagura, Ichiban Yagura, Rokuban Yagura, Enkozo, Kinzo, Kinmeisui Well Yagata, Sakuramon, and others. The Otemon Gate serves as the main entrance and was built from the 80-meter-long Otedo Bridge on the southwest side of the site toward the Ninomaru area.
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Tamon Yagura was built in 1628 when the Tokugawa Shogunate rebuilt Osaka Castle. However, it was destroyed by lightning in 1783 and rebuilt in 1848. This turret was used to intercept enemy soldiers entering through the Ote-mon Gate. The tower is connected to the crossing tower above the main gate in an L-shape with a long north-south turret. In the second turret, there is a corridor and a small room called "warrior run ", and there is a row of kasashishi, which are equipped with guns for attacking enemy soldiers with guns. The Watari-yagura has a "spear-drop "to attack enemy soldiers attempting to enter through the Otemon gate from directly above.
The Senkan Yagura, which stands to the north of the Tamon Yagura, was built in 1620, when the Tokugawa Shogunate began rebuilding Osaka Castle. It is the oldest surviving structure of Osaka Castle. Nobunaga, who fought against Ishiyama Honganji temple, was unable to attack the turret erected near here "and said he would take it even if he had to pay 1,000 kanbun ", hence the name of the turret. From the narrow space between guns and the lattice window on the outer wall, the Ote-Tsuchihashi bridge could be seen, and it was possible to set up a side-arrow attack. Visitors can experience holding a firearm toward the oteguchi through the gun sight. "The marks of the carpenter's tool "chona" (釿釿) are still visible on the warrior run ", adding to the sense of history.
Distinctive megaliths and engraved stones scattered throughout the park
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Walking east along the empty moat from the Ote-mon Gate, you will come to Sakura-mon Gate. This is a gate in the Koraimon style with a square entrance. It was built as a gate to enter the castle from Ninomaru to Honmaru. The present Sakura-mon Gate was rebuilt in 1820, before the reconstruction of the castle tower, together with the earthen walls. On the stone walls on either side of the gate, huge stones called "dragon stones "and "tiger stones "are placed symmetrically, giving the gate a unique sense of stability and balance. The gate is iron-plated and has one doorway with one room and one doorway with one doorway. The metal fittings at the corners of the door appear to have been imported from England.
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As you go under the Sakura Gate, you will look up at the "octopus stone "in front of you. It is said to have been brought here in 1624 by Tadao Ikeda, the second lord of the Bizen Okayama domain. Measuring approximately 5.5 meters in length and 11.7 meters in width and weighing 108 tons, the giant stone is the largest castle stone in Japan. It is said that when it rains, an octopus appears on the surface of the stone. Tamon Tower was once built on top of this megalith.
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"If you continue north with the octopus stone "on your left, you will be in the area of the Honmaru ruins. A variety of events are held throughout the year in the plaza surrounding the castle tower.
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From the Honmaru plaza, head further north past the castle tower, and you will find a plaza lined with large stones. It looks like a children's playground, but it is called "Kakumeishi Hiroba" (engraved stone plaza). During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Tokugawa Shogunate rebuilt Osaka Castle under the Tenkafuken system, in which construction was carried out by feudal lords from all over the country. The stones were engraved with letters, designs, and the family crests of the lords. Tens of thousands of engraved stones have been found so far in the area around Osaka Castle, which seems to give an idea of the scale of the construction work. Around the plaza, there are "the monument "where Toyotomi Hideyori, Yodo-dono, and others committed suicide, "the loyal cenotaph for 32 Yodo-kun and other martyrs ", "machine-gun scars on the Yamasatomaru stone wall "and others, giving a sense of history.
Elaborate stone walls piled up during the mature period of castle-building techniques
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Daimyo (feudal lords) from various clans throughout Japan brought their own stones, which were piled up as stone walls for the foundation of the castle tower and turrets, as well as for the castle's perimeter. The period of rebuilding in the early Edo period (1603-1867) was a period of maturity for Japanese castle-building techniques. The stones were assembled without any gaps between them, and this seems to attest to the high level of perfection of civil engineering techniques. The scale of the castle and its exquisite, orderly beauty are the result of construction by feudal lords who put their prestige on the line. The endless stone walls give a sense of the scale of Osaka Castle in the past. From the lower part of the stonewalls, a moat with a calm surface is connected. Although essential for the castle's defense, the moat now seems to enrich the landscape.
Touring the inner moat "Osaka Castle Ozafune "
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Pleasure boats operate in the inner moat surrounding the Honmaru Square. You can board "the Osaka Castle Gozabune ", the most golden Japanese-style boat in the world, for a 20-minute round trip around the castle keep. The ship is modeled after Hideyoshi's "Hououmaru "depicted in a rare folding screen painting depicting Osaka Castle and the castle town during the Toyotomi period ( "Osaka in the Toyotomi period "). From the boat, visitors can see up close the tallest stone wall in Japan, the manmade stone to ward off evil spirits, and the engraved stone of the feudal lords.
"Nishinomaru Garden, one of the 100 best cherry blossom viewing spots "
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Between the western outer moat and the inner moat, the Nishinomaru Garden extends. The 60,000-square-meter site, which is believed to have been the residence of Kitamasasho, the official wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, has been developed as a lawn garden. From the garden, the castle tower and the stone walls of the dugout can be seen in the east with a rich sense of balance. Along the moat, about 300 cherry trees, mainly Someiyoshino, line up in a straight line, making it an excellent hanami spot and one of "the 100 best cherry blossom viewing spots ". In autumn, the trees surrounding the lawn turn red, changing their colors with the seasons.
Miliza, where shopping and dining facilities are concentrated
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Osaka Castle Park is filled with historical buildings and nature, but it also offers a wide variety of shopping and dining facilities. A wide variety of stores are concentrated in the Miriza, located to the east of the Honmaru Square, but the Miriza itself is also steeped in history.
The building was constructed in 1931, at the same time as the reconstruction of Osaka Castle Tower, as the headquarters building of the 4th Division of the former Imperial Japanese Army. The imposing exterior is reminiscent of an old medieval European castle. The ornamentation on the top of the walls and the corner towers on the front and four corners are distinctive. After the war, it was used as the Osaka City Metropolitan Police Department, and from 1960 to 2001 as the Osaka Municipal Museum.
Currently, a tourist products store, a café, and a konamon bar are located on the first floor, and Italian restaurants and creative Japanese restaurants are on the second through fourth floors.
Samurai! Osaka Castle Historical Walking Tour
Osaka City Chuo Area(Osaka Castle, Kyobashi)
Recommended for familiesRecommended for couplesRecommended for groupsSmall GroupTraveling with the GirlsTrip with the GuysTo Make MemoriesDeepExp ExclusivesOn the RiverOutdoor ActivitiesOut of the OrdinaryIncludes Guide
summary
Osaka Castle Park is located in the center of Osaka City and surrounds the castle tower of Osaka Castle. Osaka Castle was repeatedly built and fallen according to the turbulent course of Japanese history. The castle tower disappeared during the Meiji and Taisho periods, but was restored in 1931. Many remains from the Edo period can be seen in the park, adding to the historical romance of the area.
"Basic Information "
Address: 1-1-1 Osaka-jo, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 540-0002, Japan
Access (closest stations): Osaka Metro "Tenmabashi Station", "Tanimachi 4-chome Station", "Morinomiya Station" / JR Loop Line "Morinomiya Station", "Osaka Castle Park Station
Phone number: 06-6755-4146
Keep open hours: 9:00-17:00 (admission until 16:30)
Closed: December 28 - January 1
Tenshokaku entrance fee: Adults=600yen/Under junior high school students=No fee
Official website: https://www.osakacastlepark.jp/?lang=ja
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