CASTLE OF ŌSAKA
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You reach the interior of the castle walls by way of a bridge over the moat and moat. When the Hongan-ji Temple of Kyōto burned down, the sect Jōdo-shinshū was established here and the moat and moat were built to defend the temple. It was first besieged by Nobunaga Oda in 1574 and taken in 1580, and Hideyoshi Toyotomi decided to build the castle in 1583 on the ruins of Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple. To do this, he asked his daimyō for financial assistance and the participation of more than one hundred thousand workers. Within three years, the castle became the largest fortress in Japan. In 1598, the widow and son of Hideyoshi Toyotomi retreated there in an attempt to preserve their power, and it was not until 1615 that the Tokugawa clan succeeded in taking it over. After restoring it, the Tokugawa clan entrusted the responsibility to the governor: Masanobu Naitō. In 1868, the castle was destroyed in the war between the supporters of shōgun and the Emperor's supporters. The ramparts resisted, but the keep had to be rebuilt in 1931. The castle was restored again in 1996. The walls are built of stone, the largest of which, 5 m high and over 11 m long, was a gift from General Kiyomasa Katō (Higo ishi). The Nishino Maru Garden is located between the gates Kyōbashi-my and Ōte-my. The Cherry Trees Gate, Sakura-mon, opens onto the Hon-Maru courtyard where the dungeon stands, containing a fine collection of armour and weapons. The castle is best appreciated from the outside.
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