the greatest, most intimidating castle in Japan

Osaka Castle was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a great leader in the sixteenth centaur who rose from peasantry to become one go of the three unifiers of Japan and help end a long, bloody period of feudal warfare. It was the greatest, most intimidating castle in Japan at the time, and it provided the catalyst for the growth of Osaka, the merchant's capital and economic engine of Japan during the Edo Period . Hideyoshi's son, Hideyori, would resist the shogun who took power after his father's death and defend against two assaults using Osaka Castke as a base before committing suicide with his mother when the battle was lost. Hideyori's castle was destroyed after the battle, and once again during a fire ; the current structure is a faithful reconstruction from the 1930s. The moats and walls are almost completely originally original as is one of the turrets. The interior of the castle has been ruined into an informative and inters ting history museum, where you can learn about the assaults on the caste and se feudal armor and weaponry up close.


text / ELIE INOUE