Osaka+Castle

=History= In the mighty city of Osaka, there lies a castle with a history meant to be shared. Construction on Osaka Castle began in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Finally, by 1497, the castle was finished. Sadly, once the castle was finished, Hideyoshi passed away. He passed Osaka Castle down to his son, Toyotomi Hideyori. Osaka Castle had a brutal history, full of tragedies. In 1614, a man named Tokugawa Ieyasu attempted to take control of the castle. Though outnumbered, Toyotomi fought off Tokugawa. Then, in 1615 Tokugawa returned and, this time, the Toyotomi Clan perished. In 1660 and 1650 lightning struck Osaka Castle and caught the castle on fire. It wasn't repaired until 1843. Then, once again, most of the castle was destroyed by fire. It was then converted to be used as barracks. The last restoration project on Osaka Castle was finished in 1997, and it is currently a functioning museum.

Characteristics of Osaka Castle[[image:normal_osaka_castle_8480.jpg caption="Gold gilded Tiger carving in the relief of Osaka Castle."]]
Osaka Castle is a popular sightseeing destination in Osaka and has grown to become a symbol of the city. The castle is made up of thirteen structures which are considered Important Cultural Assets by the Japanese government. Osaka Castle sits in the colorful Osaka Castle Park which contains 600 Japanese cherry trees, 95 different kinds of apricot flowers and more than 1250 trees. The wall around the moat of Osaka Castle is considered "the greatest stone wall in Japan." It stretches more than 12 kilometers and the wall is approximately 20 meters high. The moat stretches 70-90 meters in width. The main gate of Osaka Castle is known as Otemon gate and is the grand entrance into the grounds. Sengan Turret is another outstanding feature and is one of the oldest structures that is still original to Osaka Castle. Gokurakubashi Bridge is a narrow bridge that crosses the inner moat of Osaka Castle. Osaka Castle's towers are embellished with eight roof dolphins as well as fancy roof tiles with tigers carved into the relief of the tower. Many of these carvings are gilded with gold.