Osaka Castle Roof Tiles-2
Osaka Castle has a long and storied history. It all began in 1496 when the priest Rennyo built a small temple called the Ishiyama Gobo on the grounds of the present-day castle. In 1533, the Hongan-ji temple moved from Yamashina in Kyoto to Osaka and made the Osaka location its head temple. As Japan plunged deeper into the chaos of civil war, the Ishiyama Hongan-ji grew in spiritual, political, economic and military power, challenging the rule of daimyo and led many popular military revolts. This Buddhist temple had become a center of military might that stood in Oda Nobuanga’s path of unifying Japan and in 1570, full-scale war broke out between him and the warrior monks. After 10 long years of siege and fighting, the temple finally surrendered to the Oda, and Nobunaga ordered that the temple and its remaining fortifications be burnt to the ground in 1580. Three years later, with Nobunaga dead and Hideyoshi starting to consolidate his power, he chose Osaka as his base and began building a castle on the ruins of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji compound. The main keep was completed in 1585 and was considered the largest, most splendid and impregnable fortress of its day. In 1599, a year after the death of Hideyoshi, his son and heir, Hideyori, along with his mother Yodo, permanently moved into Osaka Castle from Fushimi Castle in Kyoto.
By 1614, it was clear that the Tokugawa were spoiling for a fight with the Toyotomi as they wanted to eliminate any threat that Hideyori could mount from this massive castle. Therefore, in the winter of that year, Ieyasu and his son, Hidetada (now Shogun) launched the winter siege of Osaka. It was a fairly inconclusive affair, but as one of the terms of peace and as a goodwill gesture towards the Tokugawa, Hideyori agreed to fill in the outer moat. However, the Tokugawa forces started filling in the inner moat, severely weakening the castle’s defenses. It was only a matter of time before fighting broke out again under these conditions, and in the summer of 1615, the Tokugawa coalition once again laid siege to the castle. After some heavy and dramatic fighting in which western artillery was used against the castle, Hideyori and Yodo committed suicide when it became clear that all was lost and the castle’s main keep erupted in flames and was completely destroyed. After two major sieges and the final fire, the castle grounds were a heap of ruins.
However, Osaka was an important economic and political center and in 1620, the Tokugawa Shogunate decided to rebuild the castle. In 1626, a new white-colored main keep was built, symbolizing a new age for the castle. In the Toyotomi period, the color of the keep had been black. By 1629 the remaining structures were completed. Bad luck continued to dog the castle and in 1665 lightning struck the main keep and it was destroyed. Through the years, lightning would damage other turrets and structures. I868 also proved to be a disastrous year for Osaka Castle as this was the year of the Meiji Restoration. Following the defeat of the Shogunal forces at nearby Toba-Fushimi, the Tokugawa commanders based at the mighty fortress of Osaka decided to make a stand against the forces of Satsuma and Chōshū. During the fighting, much of the castle fell to the torch and the charred scars of this fiery tragedy are still visible on many of the Castle’s stone walls.
In 1931, with civilian donations, Osaka Castle’s main tower was rebuilt for a third time and the castle became home to a regional HQ for Japan’s Imperial Army. This was a bad move, as this made the castle a legitimate military target for US bombers and attack aircraft in the closing months of World War II. Many surviving turrets from the Edo period and other historical were bombed or burned to bits. In the 1950s, Osaka Castle and many of its structures were designated Important Cultural Properties and the entire site was designated an Important Historical Property by the central government.
Osaka Castle Roof Tiles-2
Osaka Castle has a long and storied history. It all began in 1496 when the priest Rennyo built a small temple called the Ishiyama Gobo on the grounds of the present-day castle. In 1533, the Hongan-ji temple moved from Yamashina in Kyoto to Osaka and made the Osaka location its head temple. As Japan plunged deeper into the chaos of civil war, the Ishiyama Hongan-ji grew in spiritual, political, economic and military power, challenging the rule of daimyo and led many popular military revolts. This Buddhist temple had become a center of military might that stood in Oda Nobuanga’s path of unifying Japan and in 1570, full-scale war broke out between him and the warrior monks. After 10 long years of siege and fighting, the temple finally surrendered to the Oda, and Nobunaga ordered that the temple and its remaining fortifications be burnt to the ground in 1580. Three years later, with Nobunaga dead and Hideyoshi starting to consolidate his power, he chose Osaka as his base and began building a castle on the ruins of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji compound. The main keep was completed in 1585 and was considered the largest, most splendid and impregnable fortress of its day. In 1599, a year after the death of Hideyoshi, his son and heir, Hideyori, along with his mother Yodo, permanently moved into Osaka Castle from Fushimi Castle in Kyoto.
By 1614, it was clear that the Tokugawa were spoiling for a fight with the Toyotomi as they wanted to eliminate any threat that Hideyori could mount from this massive castle. Therefore, in the winter of that year, Ieyasu and his son, Hidetada (now Shogun) launched the winter siege of Osaka. It was a fairly inconclusive affair, but as one of the terms of peace and as a goodwill gesture towards the Tokugawa, Hideyori agreed to fill in the outer moat. However, the Tokugawa forces started filling in the inner moat, severely weakening the castle’s defenses. It was only a matter of time before fighting broke out again under these conditions, and in the summer of 1615, the Tokugawa coalition once again laid siege to the castle. After some heavy and dramatic fighting in which western artillery was used against the castle, Hideyori and Yodo committed suicide when it became clear that all was lost and the castle’s main keep erupted in flames and was completely destroyed. After two major sieges and the final fire, the castle grounds were a heap of ruins.
However, Osaka was an important economic and political center and in 1620, the Tokugawa Shogunate decided to rebuild the castle. In 1626, a new white-colored main keep was built, symbolizing a new age for the castle. In the Toyotomi period, the color of the keep had been black. By 1629 the remaining structures were completed. Bad luck continued to dog the castle and in 1665 lightning struck the main keep and it was destroyed. Through the years, lightning would damage other turrets and structures. I868 also proved to be a disastrous year for Osaka Castle as this was the year of the Meiji Restoration. Following the defeat of the Shogunal forces at nearby Toba-Fushimi, the Tokugawa commanders based at the mighty fortress of Osaka decided to make a stand against the forces of Satsuma and Chōshū. During the fighting, much of the castle fell to the torch and the charred scars of this fiery tragedy are still visible on many of the Castle’s stone walls.
In 1931, with civilian donations, Osaka Castle’s main tower was rebuilt for a third time and the castle became home to a regional HQ for Japan’s Imperial Army. This was a bad move, as this made the castle a legitimate military target for US bombers and attack aircraft in the closing months of World War II. Many surviving turrets from the Edo period and other historical were bombed or burned to bits. In the 1950s, Osaka Castle and many of its structures were designated Important Cultural Properties and the entire site was designated an Important Historical Property by the central government.