View allAll Photos Tagged daimyo
This is found on the grounds of Takatsuki's functional Catholic Church--not the ruins of Takayama Ukon's original.
Takayama Ukon (1552-1615) is one of the least understood yet one of the most controversial daimyō of the later part of Japan’s Sengoku (warring states) period. A devout Christian, Ukon was a darling of the Jesuits, and as a result, his overlord, the Toyotomi Hideyoshi, eyed his loyalties suspiciously, even though he had fought well on some his military campaigns. Ukon’s original fief was in Takatsuki, located in present day Osaka, where he also had a castle. Ukon was a great propagator of his faith, converting his subjects to Catholicism—although some contest that many of these conversions were forced. The Samurai Archives Wiki states that 18,000 out of Takatsuki’s 25,000 inhabitants had been converted, and when Ukon was transferred from Takatsuki to his new fief of Akashi near Kobe in 1585. However, during Hideyoshi’s conquest of Kyushu, Hideyoshi’s suspicions of Ukon’s loyalties mounted and he was dispossessed of his fief. After taking refuge with another Christian daimyō, Konshi Yukinaga, Ukon eventually became a retainer of the powerful and influential Maeda Toshiie in 1588. Apparently, Toshiie trusted him. Persecution against Christianity only got worse, and in 1614, the Tokugawa banned the religion. Rather than give up his beliefs or fight for them, Ukon decided to go into exile in the Philippines in November of that year. A mere 40 days later, he died in Manila. It’s hard for me to make any judge Takayama Ukon. Was he a good daimyō? A brave general and not a coward as some have alleged? Did he actually force his citizens to convert to Christianity and persecute Buddhists? I honestly don’t know enough about him. All I can say is that he was a firm believer in his religious faith, and for this reason, he was lionized by his foreign Jesuit contemporaries and looked to as a historical hero by today’s Catholic community in Japan.
Now about the castle, Takatsuki-jō and its fief was ruled by the Nagai family during the Edo period. If you are a fan of the Bakumatsu period and know the history of Chōshū and the role that this domain played in overthrowing the Tokugawa Bakufu, then you may be familiar with the family name of “Nagai”. And if you look at the family crest of the Nagai of Takatsuki, you’d probably say it was identical to the crest of the Mōri, the ruling daimyō family of Chōshū. That’s because it is identical and the Nagai of Takatsuki are a branch of the Nagai of Chōshū, who were asked by the Tokugawa in 1649 to take over the reins of power in Takatsuki. The Nagai, starting with the first d daimyō, Nagamasa, ruled the area until 1869.
Takatsuki was an important commercial and transportation hub because it was between Osaka and Kyoto. The Saigoku road, which connected Nishinomiya (in Kobe) with Kyoto, went through the town as well as did the Yodo River. As a result, the castle was the largest in the Hokusetsu region of what now comprises the northern parts of the Osaka municipality. The Nagai gradually increased the size of the castle and expanded its moats outward from when it was a Sengoku period castle. The castle was about 630 meters long and 510 meters wide after the last round of expansion. Unfortunately, it was destroyed after the Meiji Restoration and the castle’s stone walls were smashed into rocks to be used for the rail bed that was built to connect Osaka with Kyoto.
Sources: Samurai Archives Samurai Wiki and the Takatsuki City’s Shiroato History Museum
The cemetery was used by the Nabeshima Clan from 1635 until 1868 (after that, they used Aoyama Cemetery). After many years of earfquakes and the firebombing of Tōkyō in 1945, it has fallen into disrepair.
Kensō-ji is a Buddhist temple of the Sōtō Sect which was established in the hilly Azabu District in the suburbs of Edo in honor of Nabeshima Tadatsugu, son of Nabeshima Katsushige, after his death from smallpox in 1635. Katsushige was the first lord of Saga Domain in Hizen Province (modern day Kyūshū) and was a loyal general to the shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu. His son built the temple to serve as the Nabeshima bodaiji, or funerary temple. There is a large graveyard located behind Kensō-ji were the daimyō and direct relatives of the Nabeshima clan are interred. When Katsushige died in 1657, 7 of his most loyal retainers committed suicide in an act called 殉死 (junshi) in order to follow their master in death. Behind Katsushige's large grave, there are 7 stone monuments "attending" him in Buddhism's endless cycle of death and rebirth.
Kensō-ji is a Buddhist temple of the Sōtō Sect which was established in the hilly Azabu District in the suburbs of Edo in honor of Nabeshima Tadatsugu, son of Nabeshima Katsushige, after his death from smallpox in 1635. Katsushige was the first lord of Saga Domain in Hizen Province (modern day Kyūshū) and was a loyal general to the shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu. His son built the temple to serve as the Nabeshima bodaiji, or funerary temple. There is a large graveyard located behind Kensō-ji were the daimyō and direct relatives of the Nabeshima clan are interred. When Katsushige died in 1657, 7 of his most loyal retainers committed suicide in an act called 殉死 (junshi) in order to follow their master in death. Behind Katsushige's large grave, there are 7 stone monuments "attending" him in Buddhism's endless cycle of death and rebirth.
The Shinkyūsha (神厩舎), or Sacred Stable, the only unlacquered structure at Tōshō-gū, houses a carved white horse and today, for several hours a day, a horse gifted by the New Zealand government.
The stable's crossbars is adorned with an eight-panel series of allegorical reliefs carved by Hidari Jingoro, using the monkey to depict man's life cycle. It was custom to keep a monkey in the stable until the Muromachi period, as were long believed to be guardians of horses.
Most iconic is the second panel, with the carving of sanbiki no saru (三匹の猿), literally Three Wise Monkeys, who together embody the proverbial principal to "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." The three monkeys demonstrating the three principles of Tendai Buddhism are Mizaru, covering his eyes, who sees no evil; Kikazaru, covering his ears, who hears no evil; and Iwazaru, covering his mouth, who speaks no evil.
Nikkō Tōshō-gū (日光東照宮) is a lavishly decorated shrine complex consisting of more than a dozen Shinto and Buddhist buildings set in a beautiful forest. It was initially built during the Edo period in 1617 by Tokugawa Hidetada (徳川 秀忠), the second shogun, as a simple mausoleum for his father, Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川 家康) (1543-1615), the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Ieyasu was buried on Mount Kunozan on his death in 1616, but according to his testament, his remains were to be moved to their last resting place at Nikko. It was enlarged during the first half of the 187th century by Ieyasu’s grandson, Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川 家光), the third shogun. Some 15,000 craftsmen were employed on the construction of the Toshogu Shrine, most of them coming from Kyoto and Nara, where there was a great flowering of architecture at that period. The result was a complex of buildings with an over-lavish profusion of decoration, incorporating all the sumptuousness of the preceding Momoyama period.
Today the shrine is dedicated to the spirits of of Ieyasu and two other of Japan's most influential historical personalities—Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉) (1536-1598), a daimyo (territorial lord) in the Sengoku period who unified political factions of Japan; and Minamoto no Yorimoto (源 頼朝) (1147-1199), the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, ruling from 1192 until 1199.
Together with Rinnō-ji and Futarasan Shrine, Tōshō-gū forms the Shrines and Temples of Nikkō UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Renchi-ken teahouse/rest house was supposedly the favorite resting spot for daimyo Ikeda Tsunamasa. The water is crystal clear, as you can see. I love this view with the single koi swimming gracefully along the shoreline.
Koraku-en is one of Japan's three great gardens along with Kanazawa's Kenroku-en and Kairaku-en in Ibaraki. Koraku-en is part of the Okayama Castle grounds, which are just across a bridge. Originally built by daimyo Ikeda Tsunamasa, this garden dates back to 1700 and took over 13 years to complete.
Korakuen. Okayama City, Okayama.
This building was built sometime between 1912-1926, during the reign of Japan's Taishō emperor. The architecture combines early 20th century and Edo period design cues. The building now serves as a museum for old-style personal seals or "chops".
Koga City, in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, has a history that dates back to ancient Jomon times and was even mentioned in the Man’yōshu anthology of poems that was compiled in the AD 800s. During the Muromachi period, Koga became the base for the Kantō branch of Ashikaga under the leadership of Shigeuji, who led a rebellion against the Ashikaga shogunate.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the fief of Koga was ruled by many hereditary daimyo whose families had pledged loyalty to Tokugawa Ieyasu prior to the battle of Sekigahara in 1600. The families that ruled Koga included the Ogasawara, various branches of the Matsudaira, Okudaira, Nagai, Honda and Doi. Perhaps Doi Toshikatsu, who became tairō (chief elder of the council of elders - rōjū) during the reign of Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, was the most famous ruler of Koga.
Another famous ruler of Koga was Doi Toshitsura (1789-1848), who is sometimes called the “The Snow Lord”. Apart from being a key advisor to the Tokugawa shogunate, he was the first person in Japan to seriously study the designs of snowflakes. He illustrated his findings in a book Sekka Zusetsu (Pictorial Illustrations of Snowflakes) and some of the patterns became popular for clothing and decorative purposes.
Today, there is nothing left of the Edo period Koga castle, but numerous old temples, shrines, samurai and farmer homes remain. Unfortunately, many of these buildings suffered damage during the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011 and repairs were ongoing when I visited.
Hiroshima Castle, sometimes called Carp Castle was a castle in Hiroshima, Japan which was the home of the daimyō of the Hiroshima han. The castle was constructed in the 1590s, but was destroyed by the atomic bombing on 6 August 1945.
I love this shot... Near the Ryuten pavilion is a small stream with beautiful stones, overhanging pines, and crystal clear water. The sun just happened to be reflecting on the surface. The ryuten pavilion was supposedly a resting place for daimyo when they visited the garden.
Koraku-en is one of Japan's three great gardens along with Kanazawa's Kenroku-en and Kairaku-en in Ibaraki. Koraku-en is part of the Okayama castle grounds, which are just across a bridge. Originally built by daimyo Ikeda Tsunamasa, this garden dates back to 1700 and took over 13 years to complete.
Koraku-en. Okayama City, Okayama.
The size of this gate is astounding. Notice the woman dressed as an Edo period kawaraban (newspaper) seller next to the door. She's average height for a Japanese adult female, and she is dwarfed by the size of the door and the stones.
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.
Paris , musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet
Arima Noriyori Daimyo d'Obama
Vers 1770
Obama province de Wakasa , Japon
Armure dont les montures sont en cuivre argenté, comporte un casque à 62 lamelles de la fin du 16e siècle attribuable à l'école Soshu Myochin , et un masque de l'école Myochin présentant une expression féroce (style Ressei)
Kakegawa Castle, strategically located along the old Tōkaidō Road in Shizuoka prefecture, is in the heart of one of Japan’s best tea cultivation centers. The peaceful atmosphere that prevails through the area wasn’t always so. Shizuoka prefecture used to be formally a part of Tōtōmi province, in a region known as the Enshū area, which was hotly contested by various warlords during Japan’s Sengoku warring states period that lasted from roughly 1477-1600. The first castle on the site of the present Kakegawa-jō was built in the late 15th century by Asahina Yasuhiro, a retainer of the house of Imagawa, which consolidated its hold over Tōtōmi during and after the Ōnin War (1467–1477). The Ashina continued to hold the castle on behalf of the Imagawa until shortly after their spectacular defeat at Okehazama in 1560. As the Imagawa faded into obscurity, Tōtōmi was carved into two spheres of influence controlled by the competing Tokugawa and Takeda families. The Ashina surrendered Kakegawa Castle to the Tokugawa in 1568.
After the Tokugawa switched fiefs and moved to the Kantō area in 1590, Kakegawa Castle was given by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to his retainer, Yamauchi Kazutoyo, who built up the castle and the town until he was given the domain of Tosa on the island of Shikoku following the battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Following the departure of the Yamauchi, various daimyo held the castle until it was given to the Ōta clan in 1746 who held it until the abolishment of the feudal system in 1872. The main keep that Yamanouchi Kazutoyo built was destroyed in an earthquake in 1604 and was rebuilt. However, another major quake rocked the region in 1854 and destroyed much of the castle, including the keep, which was not rebuilt. Following that quake, the daimyo at the time, Ōta Sukekatsu, rebuilt the wonderful ninomaru (second bailey) palace, which survives to this day. In 1994, using traditional methods and made of wood and stone (no concrete!).
This is a great castle and the ninomaru palace is just as equally fascinating. I highly recommend visiting this site if you are ever in western Shizuoka.
Kenroku-en 'Six Attributes Garden', located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan, is an old private garden. Along with Kairaku-en and Koraku-en, Kenroku-en is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan.
Kenroku-en was developed from the 1620s to the 1840s by the Maeda clan, the daimyo who ruled the former Kaga Domain. The grounds are open year-round during daylight hours and famous for its beauty in all seasons.
Canal, bassin et louches (hishaku) de la fontaine d'ablutions
Omizu-ya est le nom de la fontaine d'ablutions du temple Taiyuin à Nikko
Cet édifice, situé derrière la porte des gardiens, a été donné par un Daimyo de Kyushu. Le plafond intérieur est décoré d'un dragon. Les visiteurs peuvent se purifier dès leur entrée dans le temple, en se rinçant les mains et la bouche
Le Taiyuin est un temple bouddhique, intégrant des éléments shintoïstes, construit à flanc de montagne à Nikko pour servir de mausolée au shogun Iemitsu Tokugawa, petit-fils du premier shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa et 3ème shogun de la période d'Edo.
Le temple est situé à proximité du Toshogu, le mausolée de Ieyasu Tokugawa, et a été réalisé par les mêmes architectes et artistes comme le célèbre sculpteur Hidari Jingôro. La couleur du temple est le rouge vermillon.
rinnoji.or.jp/keidai/taiyuin/oku.html
Le temple Taiyuin à Nikko dans les guides du Japon.
www.vivrelejapon.com/ville-nikko/taiyuin-temple-nikko
It's hanami (cherry blossom viewing picnic) season at Matsue Castle in Shimane prefecture, Japan.
Matsue castle was built in 1600 and is one of the very few remaining original wooden castles in Japan.
In late October I took a random trip to Saga Castle in Saga City (Saga Prefecture, Kyuushuu.) They happened to be having a reenactment event that day and dozens and dozens of people in elaborate costumes were there.
The Bell of Time (時の鐘—Toki no Kane), was originally built sometime between 1624 and 1644 on the orders of the ruling daimyo, Sakai Tadakatsu. It is a three-story structure that reaches a height of 16 meters. For more than 350 years, this clock has been used to signal the time of day to the busy merchants and shoppers in the town’s Kurazukuri district and is still rung four times per day (6 am, 12 pm, 3 pm and 6 pm). The current tower’s structure goes back to 1894, when it was re-built the year following Kawagoe’s devastating fire that consumed a large swath of the town.
Located a mere 30 to 45 minutes north of Tokyo in Saitama Prefecture, Kawagoe is an old castle town that time seems to have forgotten for those looking for a glimpse at what a town may have looked like in eastern Japan during the Edo Period (1603-1868). Because Kawagoe retains many of its buildings and structures dating from this long-gone period, it is often referred to as Ko-Edo (小江戸)—Little Edo, after the city that was renamed Tokyo in 1868.
Kawagoe’s development as a castle town started in 1457 when the famed warrior, poet and castle builder, Ōta Dōkan began to build fortifications there at the order of Uesugi Mochitomo (of the Ōgigayatsu branch of the Uesgui family). After the defeat of the Hōjō clan at the siege of Odawara in 1590, Tokugawa Ieyasu was given control of the Kantō area and he set about making Kawagoe a military hub for the protection of his capital of Edo and the town also developed into a transportation hub for the flow of goods into Edo from the northern domains. During the Edo period, the Sakai family, loyal vassals of Ieyasu, ruled as daimyo (feudal lord) of Kawagoe.
Although Kawagoe boasts a fine collection of old buildings, the castle didn’t survive into the modern period, and some of the original Edo Period warehouses and other structures burnt down in a massive fire in 1893. Luckily, the buildings were re-constructed using the architectural designs and techniques of the Edo Period. The style of warehouse architecture that is prevalent in Kawagoe is called “kurazukuri”.
Japanese woman in wet dress hiding from rain under the eaves of a convenience store in Daimyō district, Fukuoka.
Kato Kiyomasa (1562-1611) was a daimyo (feudal lord) who fought in Hideyoshi's army during the Battle of Yamazaki and the Battle of Shizugatake. He military prowess lead to rapid promotion which included court titles and authority over 250,000 koku worth of land in Higo (modern-day Kumamoto). He later was heavily involved in Hideyoshi's war against Korea. Kiyomasa is also known for his ruthless persecution of Christians. The Jesuit missionary, Lois Frois, wrote that Kiyomasa once had the bellies of pregnant, Christian women cut open and their unborn babies beheaded. If you are interested in other Kato Kiyomasa sites, you can see another statue at Kumamoto Castle, and his grave is nearby at Honmyo-ji.
Nagoya Castle was an important strategic fortification in central Japan which was used by the Tokugawa to ward off potential attacks from the West. The castle was controlled by the Owari, the most prominent of the three Tokugawa lineages. The new castle was ordered by Ieyasu in 1610, but the original castle was built in Nagoya by the Imagawa (1525). It was later taken over by the Oda, but subsequently abandoned in 1532. Like many castles in Japan, Nagoya-jo was badly damaged by WWII bombings. The main keep, along with the symbolic kin-shachi were reconstructed in 1959.
Nagoya-jo. Nagoya, Aichi.
Japan, Momoyama period, late 16th -early 17th century.
The helmet bears the badge of the Shiraishi family, who served the Daté family, daimyo of Sendai.
What is TAYU?
Originally, the Kyoto Tayu were the collapse of aristocratic women. They became professional to show elegant dance and poetry and provide sophisticated conversation at salon in Kyoto. Their status was as high as Daimyo. Also they could visit the palace of emperor. They had been respected, but they had no power and their status was not guaranteed when the ruler changes.
(the word "tayu" is originally one of the noble rank.)
Later, in the Edo culture, the most beautiful Oiran of Edo had been called Tayu. It meant that they were as beautiful and elegant as Tayu in Kyoto, but they were completely different.
In the late Edo period, many samurai went to Kyoto from all over Japan. Most of them were brutal and didn't know the manner in Kyoto Shimabara. The rule in Hanamachi had been mixed with that in Edo and confused. And the Tayu Kyoto had been treated just like Oiran in Edo. The original Tayu had disappeard once.
Tayu Nowadays, are close to the original Tayu. Most of them are highly educated and master Kadou, Sadou, all of that required as perfect lady. Also they required political and economic insights. They must be able to talk with the king if they wanted. It is necessary to practice for many years. Many girl wants to be Tayu, but there are only six Tayu in the world now.(2010)
In addition, some current Tayu married. Because, Tayu, they provide "芸(gei)", not "色(iro)".
thanks for google translate.
This tiger can be found adorning the top of Osaka Castle's keep.
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.
Oda Nobunaga ( Chức Điền Tín Trường) (23/6/1534 - 21/6/1582) là một daimyo trong thời kỳ Sengoku của lịch sử Nhật Bản. Ông là người có có công rất lớn trong việc thống nhất Nhật Bản, chấm dứt thời kỳ chiến loạn kéo dài trên khắp cả nước.
Oda Nobunaga là con trai của Oda Nobuhide, một daimyo nhỏ làm thuộc hạ cho các daimyo lớn và được trao cho quyền cai trị một vùng đất nhỏ tại tỉnh Owari. Do chơi bời lêu lổng, không chịu tuân theo các quy tắc ứng xử của giới võ sĩ lúc đó, nên Nobunaga không được lòng cha. Khi cha qua đời năm 1551, em trai Nobunaga mới là người được chọn nối nghiệp. Nobunaga đã thuê một đội quân để đánh úp em mình và tự mình thành người kế thừa các đặc quyền của dòng họ Oda.
Thời gian tiếp theo cho đến năm 1559, Nobunaga đã thống nhất được Owari rồi mưu tính tiến ra bên ngoài.
Trước hết, Nobunaga xây dựng quân đội của mình không phải từ những nông dân trong lãnh địa của mình, mà từ những kẻ du thủ du thực chiến đấu vì tiền. Nói cách khác, ông sử dụng lính đánh thuê. Các daimyo khác đều dùng nông dân trong lãnh địa của mình làm quân lính của mình. Họ trung thành với chủ, có kỷ luật, hiểu nhau, có kỹ năng chiến đấu tốt vì được chủ huấn luyện suốt thời gian dài. Song vì là nông dân, nên vào các thời điểm sản xuất nông nghiệp là họ rời bỏ chiến trướng về làm công việc của nhà nông. Cho dù lúc nông nhàn và tham gia quân ngũ, thì số lượng binh sĩ-nông dân trong lãnh địa của mỗi daimyo cũng không thể đông được. Trái lại, đội quân đánh thuê của Nobunaga thì ô hợp, thiếu sự trung thành, thiếu sự liên kết, và thiếu cả kỹ năng chiến đấu, song chừng nào Nobunaga còn trả tiền cho họ thì họ còn ở trong quân ngũ. Và vì là đi thuê khắp nơi, nên quân của Nobunaga khá đông. Nobunaga thường nhân lúc thời điểm sản xuất nông nghiệp là lúc binh sĩ-nông dân của các daimyo khác bỏ về hết mà tấn công họ. Nhưng cũng có nhiều lúc, khi các daimyo kia huy động được binh sĩ của mình trở lại, thì Nobunaga lại phải rút lui vì quân của ông tuy đông nhưng thiếu tinh thần chiến đấu cũng như kỹ năng chiến đấu.
Trái với các daimyo khác vốn chỉ sử dụng những võ sĩ có lai lịch rõ ràng làm thuộc hạ, Oda Nobunaga không câu nệ lai lịch khi dùng người, miễn là họ có thực tài. Điều này cho phép ông chiêu mộ dưới trướng của mình hoặc liên minh được với nhiều anh hùng song lai lịch không rõ ràng trong đó có Toyotomi Hideyoshi và Tokugawa Ieyasu, hai người mà sau này đã hoàn thành sự nghiệp thống nhất thiên hạ của Nobunaga và đều trở thành những shogun.
Tuy nhiên, cách dùng người như thế này cũng đem lại một số bất lợi cho ông đó là ông bị thuộc hạ phản bội không ít lần. Đặc biệt, sự phản bội của một số thuộc hạ thân tín đã dẫn đến cái chết của ông năm 1582 tại chùa Honnō.
Tháng 6/1582, Oda Nobunaga đang ở đỉnh cao của thắng lợi. Đối đầu với ông lúc này chỉ còn vài ba lãnh địa. Do đó, ông có phần chủ quan, cử các thuộc tướng của mình đi khắp nơi để củng cố sự cai trị của mình. Ông cũng để đồng minh của mình là Tokugawa Ieyasu tới Kansai để tiếp quản đất đai của lãnh địa Takeda. Ngày 21/6, Nobunaga đi chơi ở chùa Honnō ở Kyoto mà không có quân đội đủ mạnh bảo vệ. Thuộc tướng của ông là Akechi Mitsuhide lúc trước được cử đi hỗ trợ Toyotomi Hideyoshi bất ngờ ập tới tấn công chùa, bao vây Nobunaga bên trong và phóng hỏa. Nobunaga tự sát theo nghi thức seppuku. Người ta không tìm ra thi thể của ông trong đống tro tàn của chùa Honnō-ji. Con trai trưởng của Nobunaga là Nobutada sau đó cũng bị Akechi tấn công và đã phải tự sát. Mộ của Nobunaga vẫn được lập trên núi Koya.
Cho đến này, lý do dẫn tới vụ đảo chính của Akechi vẫn chưa được làm rõ. Có nhà nghiên cứu lịch sử phỏng đoán rằng, Akechi chỉ là người thực hiện âm mưu của kẻ khác, có thể là Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The large stone featured in this picture is located near the Sakura Gate. It is called “Takoishi”—Octopus Stone and is the largest stone in Osaka Castle. It has a surface area of 60 square meters and weighs an estimated 130 metric tons. The stone to the left of “Takoishi” is called “Kimono Sleeve” and is the third largest in Osaka Castle, with a surface area of 54 square meters and weighs an estimated 120 metric tons. The black streaks are from the fires associated with the fighting at the castle in 1868.
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.
Paris , musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet
Arima Noriyori Daimyo d'Obama
Vers 1770
Obama province de Wakasa , Japon
Armure dont les montures sont en cuivre argenté, comporte un casque à 62 lamelles de la fin du 16e siècle attribuable à l'école Soshu Myochin , et un masque de l'école Myochin présentant une expression féroce (style Ressei)
Taken inside the daimyo's palace at Kakegawa Castle. That's a replica of Yamauchi Kazutoyo's armor,
Kakegawa Castle, strategically located along the old Tōkaidō Road in Shizuoka prefecture, is in the heart of one of Japan’s best tea cultivation centers. The peaceful atmosphere that prevails through the area wasn’t always so. Shizuoka prefecture used to be formally a part of Tōtōmi province, in a region known as the Enshū area, which was hotly contested by various warlords during Japan’s Sengoku warring states period that lasted from roughly 1477-1600. The first castle on the site of the present Kakegawa-jō was built in the late 15th century by Asahina Yasuhiro, a retainer of the house of Imagawa, which consolidated its hold over Tōtōmi during and after the Ōnin War (1467–1477). The Ashina continued to hold the castle on behalf of the Imagawa until shortly after their spectacular defeat at Okehazama in 1560. As the Imagawa faded into obscurity, Tōtōmi was carved into two spheres of influence controlled by the competing Tokugawa and Takeda families. The Ashina surrendered Kakegawa Castle to the Tokugawa in 1568.
After the Tokugawa switched fiefs and moved to the Kantō area in 1590, Kakegawa Castle was given by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to his retainer, Yamauchi Kazutoyo, who built up the castle and the town until he was given the domain of Tosa on the island of Shikoku following the battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Following the departure of the Yamauchi, various daimyo held the castle until it was given to the Ōta clan in 1746 who held it until the abolishment of the feudal system in 1872. The main keep that Yamanouchi Kazutoyo built was destroyed in an earthquake in 1604 and was rebuilt. However, another major quake rocked the region in 1854 and destroyed much of the castle, including the keep, which was not rebuilt. Following that quake, the daimyo at the time, Ōta Sukekatsu, rebuilt the wonderful ninomaru (second bailey) palace, which survives to this day. In 1994, using traditional methods and made of wood and stone (no concrete!).
This is a great castle and the ninomaru palace is just as equally fascinating. I highly recommend visiting this site if you are ever in western Shizuoka.
Please don't use this image without my explicit permission. © 2010 Aim&Shoot - All rights reserved.
>>> Ceci est un close-up sur une armure du Daimyo du fief de Tanabe, autour de 1850 (Daimyo = seigneur de province, du temps du Japon féodal).
>>> This close-up shows a little part of a Daimyo's armor, region of Tanabe, about 1850 (Daimyo = local seigneur in Japan, in the middle ages).
ライトアップされたファサードと、大名通りのイルミネーション。
Illuminate facade of the Harmonie Bien with illuminations along the Daimyo street.
Tateyama Castle (館山城? Tateyama-jō) is a Japanese castle located in Tateyama, southern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Tateyama Castle was home to the Inaba clan, daimyō of Tateyama Domain, but the castle is better known for its association with the former rulers of Awa Province, the Satomi clan. The castle was also known as "Nekoya-jō" (根古屋城?).
Satomi Yoshiyori, virtually independent lord of all of the Bōsō Peninsula during the Sengoku Period, erected Tateyama Castle in 1580 to guard the entry to Edo Bay and the southern portions of his domains. After the Satomi clan was destroyed by the Tokugawa shogunate in 1614 and Tateyama Domain suppressed, the castle was allowed to fall into ruin.
In 1781, the domain was reinstated, with Inaba Masaaki as the first daimyō of Tateyama Domain under the Inaba clan. He rebuilt the fortifications of the old castle, but apparently did not erect a donjon, as his successor, Inaba Masatake was only allowed to build a jinya fortified residence. The Inaba clan remained in residence at Tateyama until the Meiji Restoration.
The current donjon was reconstructed in 1982 to boost local tourism and to function as an annex to the local Tateyama City Museum. As there are no surviving records indicating the appearance of the original donjon, the current structure was modeled after Inuyama Castle.
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.
Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden (小石川後楽園) is in Koishikawa, Bunkyō, Tokyo, adjacent to Tokyo Dome City. It is one of two surviving Edo period clan gardens in modern Tokyo, the other being Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden, and one of the oldest and best preserved parks in Tokyo.
The construction was started in 1629 by Tokugawa Yorifusa, the daimyo (feudal lord) of Mito han, and was completed by his successor, Tokugawa Mitsukuni.
Mitsukuni named this garden "Kōraku-en" (Kōraku means "enjoying afterwards") after a Chinese teaching of "a governor should worry before people and enjoy after people". The garden shows strong Chinese character in its design, as it was influenced by the West Lake of Hangzhou. (Wikipedia)
Oishi Yoshio Kuranosuke (1659-1703) was the chief retainer/adviser (karo) to Ako daimyo Asano Naganori. He is famous for leading a group of forty-seven Ako ronin in a well-planned campaign to get revenge on Kira Yoshinaka. The result is perhaps the most well-known story in Japanese history. Perhaps the most interesting part of the story regarding Oishi was that he actually divorced his wife and disassociated himself from his family. He hung out in areas of ill repute, became a drunk, and associated with prostitutes. He did all this in order to disguise his plan for revenge and dissuade attention from himself--talk about determination.
A man who had spat on Oishi during his destitute days is said to have felt such remorse after hearing of the loyal deed that he came to Oishi's grave to apologize. It is believed he committed seppuku as well. His grave is located on the premises along with the 46 ronin.
In this view looking westward from a commoner neighborhood (Yamashita-chō) toward the daimyo, or military lord, district of Soto-Sakurada, Hiroshige represents children's games and activities associated with the New Year's holiday. Projecting discreetly from either side—the one on the left from behind a close detail of the New Year's kadomatsu, or gate pine—are paddles for a game similar to badminton with the shuttlecock posed in midair. In the distance, kites dance whimsically against the upper margin
Participant dressed as a daimyo feudal lord at the Otaki-jo Samurai Festival in Otaki, Chiba Prefecture.
Japan (inscribed by Yukinoshita Sadaiyé), Edo period, 17th century.
The helmet bears the crest of the Daté family, daimyo of Sendai.
The paulownia crest , the symbol of the Toyotomi family, can be found adorning the main keep of Osaka Castle.
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.
Japan, Muromachi period, ~1550.
This armor is believed to have been given by Daté Masamune, one of the most famous daimyo of his time, to a high-ranking samurai in his service, Shiraishi Bungo.
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 structures 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.