Visit Osaka Castle, which boasts the largest castle tower in the world

The area where Osaka Castle (Osaka Castle at the time of its construction) is located is said to have originally been home to ancient tombs from the Kofun period. In the past, the main stream of the Yodogawa River flowed beneath the platform just north of this area, and it was a natural fortress, and as you ascended the Yodo River, it was a key transportation hub that connected you to Kyoto. There was Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple from the end of the Sengoku period to the beginning of the Azuchi-Momoyama period, but it was destroyed by fire in 1580 (Tensho 8), just after the conclusion of the Ishiyama War.
Oda Nobunaga also liked this area, and it is written in "Nobunaga Koki" that he had plans to eventually build a castle there, but on June 2, 1582 (Tensho 10), he died at Honnoji Temple in Kyoto. Ta.

Later, at the Kiyosu Conference, which decided Nobunaga's successor, it was given to Tsuneoki Ikeda, but soon after Tsuneoki transferred to Mino, it became the property of Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Construction of the castle began in 1583 (Tensho 11) under Hideyoshi, and it served as the headquarters of the Toyotomi family. The mansions of many Sengoku warlords were also built near the castle.

Osaka Castle

Address: 1-1 Osaka Castle, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
Phone: 06-6941-3044
Hours: 9:00-17:00 (Admission until 16:30)
Closed: December 28th - January 1st

Toyotomi Hideyoshi died in 1598 (3rd year of Keicho era), and the western army led by Mitsunari Ishida was defeated at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (5th year of Keicho era). As a result, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who later became the Seii Taishogun and established the Edo shogunate, distributed the territory of the western army as a reward to the eastern army.
The Toyotomi family fell from a feudal lord with a wealth of 2.2 million koku to a feudal lord with a wealth of 657,400 koku in Setsukawa Izumi, but Toyotomi Hideyori still lived in the gorgeous Osaka Castle. However, relations between the Tokugawa shogunate and the Toyotomi family gradually deteriorated, and the Osaka Winter Siege broke out in 1614 (Keicho 19). As a condition of the peace, it was agreed that the Sokei, Sannomaru, and Ninomaru of Osaka Castle would be destroyed, and Osaka Castle was turned into a bare castle with only the inner moat and main castle remaining.

Because Hideyori tried to rebuild the moat, he was deemed to have broken the terms of the peace, and in 1615 (20th year of Keicho), four months after the Winter Siege, Osaka Castle finally fell during the Osaka Summer Siege, and the Toyotomi clan fell. Masu.
Afterwards, Osaka Castle was rebuilt and became the Tenryo (directly controlled territory) of the Tokugawa family. Following the reconstruction of the castle, in 1620 (Genna 6), the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, began rebuilding the castle to eliminate the Toyotomi style. A large crowd was mobilized, centering on daimyo from the western regions.
Later, in the Meiji era, the government converted part of Osaka Castle's vast grounds into military land, and although it was gradually restored through the early Showa era, it suffered severe damage from air raids during the Pacific War.

After the war, Osaka Castle was reconstructed and the park was developed, and now it has become a famous place in Osaka that is visited by many tourists. It is a popular place for relaxation not only for tourists, but also for local residents, with runners running around the castle, viewing the plum blossoms and cherry blossoms in the spring, and the autumn leaves in the fall.