[ No photos yet ]

Be the first to share one

Osaka Castle

大阪府

Hideyoshi's mighty castle on Ishiyama Honganji ruins — fell in the Summer Siege of Osaka, symbol of the city

Founded

1583

Type

Castle

Visited

Want to go

Access

About 15 min walk from JR Osakajo-Koen Station

大阪府大阪市中央区大阪城

Open in Google Maps ↗

Info

Castle

Founded 1583

443 years

Overview

Osaka Castle, one of Japan's most iconic monuments, was built in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi on the ruins of Ishiyama Honganji as the seat of his unified rule. In the 1614 Winter Siege and 1615 Summer Siege of Osaka (Osaka no Jin), the castle fell to Tokugawa Ieyasu's forces; Hideyori and his mother Yodo-dono died in the ruins, ending the Toyotomi clan. The Tokugawa shogunate then rebuilt the castl…

Origins

Construction began in 1583 when Toyotomi Hideyoshi built atop the ruins of Ishiyama Honganji. With Kuroda Kanbei designing the layout and Kato Kiyomasa among the supervising commissioners, enormous stones were quarried from Shodoshima and elsewhere to build the honmaru, ninomaru and sannomaru in sta…

Pilgrimage Courses

100 Famous Japanese Castles

0 / 98 spots

→

Sites of Toyotomi Hideyoshi

0 / 7 spots

→

Sengoku Warlord Castles

0 / 8 spots

→

Ieyasu's Path to Unification

0 / 9 spots

→

記
Related Articles
— 17

記

Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Osaka: Rise to Power and Historic Remains

A guide tracing Toyotomi Hideyoshi's rise from humble origins to supreme power, covering Osaka Castle, Daitokuji, Fushimi, and Kitano Tenmangu through primary sources including the Taikoki.

era

›

記

Osaka Castle and Toyotomi Rule: Hideyoshi's Construction and the Fall of the Castle

A historical examination of Osaka Castle built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, covering related sites including Shitennoji and Sumiyoshi Taisha, based on primary sources.

era

›

記

Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Path to Unification: From Sandal-Bearer to Regent

A man born without a surname into a peasant family rose from Nobunaga's sandal-bearer to become ruler of all Japan. Follow Hideyoshi's life through the places he shaped: Osaka Castle, Himeji, Fushimi, and the shrines that preserve his memory.

era

›

もっと詳しく · 14

史
Related Historical Events
— 3

1585

Momoyama Culture

Late 16th-century opulent culture under Nobunaga and Hideyoshi's unification. Reflecting warlords' wealth, it fostered gilt screen paintings, colossal castles, tea ceremony, Noh, and kabuki dance. Azuchi (1579), Osaka (1583), and Fushimi castles marked the pinnacle of castle architecture. Screen masters included Kanō Eitoku ("Chinese Lions," "Scenes in and around Kyoto"), Hasegawa Tōhaku ("Pine Trees"), and Kaihō Yūshō. Sen no Rikyū perfected wabi tea (Kitano Grand Tea Ceremony, 1587). Izumo no Okuni's kabuki-odori (1603) originated kabuki. The Korean campaigns brought Korean potters to Kyushu, founding Arita, Hagi, and Satsuma ware.

1614

Siege of Osaka (Winter Campaign)

In 1614, Tokugawa Ieyasu besieged Osaka Castle with an army of 200,000, using the Hōkōji Bell Inscription Incident as a pretext. Sanada Yukimura's fortified outpost, the "Sanada-maru," repelled repeated attacks. Peace was eventually negotiated, but Ieyasu had the outer moats filled — setting the stage for the Summer Campaign that would destroy the Toyotomi clan the following year.

1615

Siege of Osaka (Summer Campaign)

In May 1615, Tokugawa forces attacked Osaka Castle — now stripped of its outer defenses. Sanada Yukimura fought brilliantly at the battles of Domyoji and Tennoji-guchi, reportedly charging to within striking distance of Ieyasu's headquarters. Overwhelmed by numbers, the Toyotomi forces collapsed. Toyotomi Hideyori and his mother Lady Yodo committed suicide as the castle burned, completing the Tokugawa unification of Japan.

人
Related Figures
— 3

The northern tip of the Uemachi Plateau where Osaka Castle stands was originally the very precinct of Ishiyama Honganji, headed by the 11th Honganji head Kennyo. After waging a decade-long death struggle with Oda Nobunaga in the Ishiyama War (1570-1580), Kennyo accepted an imperial peace order from Emperor Ogimachi and withdrew to Saginomori in Kii, setting the temple ablaze as he left. On that very site, in 1583, Nobunaga"s successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi began construction of Osaka Castle. Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Kennyo all recognized the strategic value of this natural fortress between the Yodo and Yamato rivers. The symbol of Osaka stands literally atop the memory of Kennyo"s Honganji.

Sanada Yukimura

Japan's Greatest Warrior, Hero of the Osaka Campaign

Age 16 at founding

›

During the Winter Siege of Osaka (1614), Yukimura (Nobushige) independently built an outer fortification called 'Sanada-maru' on the castle's southern flank. His volleys and sorties from Sanada-maru inflicted massive casualties on Ieyasu's forces and made his name legendary.

In 1583, Hideyoshi began construction on this magnificent castle at the site of the Ishiyama Honganji. Praised as 'unrivaled in three kingdoms,' it served as the symbol of the Toyotomi regime and the heart of Japan until its fall in the Siege of Osaka.

Posts

＋

No posts yet

Visiting Information

Hours

9:00 AM–6:00 PM (last admission 5:30 PM). Closed December 28–January 1.

Admission

Adults ¥1,200; university/high school students ¥600 (student ID required); junior high age and under free (age verification required). Groups of 15+: adults ¥1,080, students ¥540. (Rate effective April 1, 2025)

As of 2026-07-17. Subject to change.

Also Worth Visiting

石

Ishiyama Honganji Ruins

The impregnable Ikko-shu fortress that defied Nobunaga for a decade — where Hideyoshi later built Osaka Castle

The shrine of Osaka's pharmaceutical district, enshrining both Japan's and China's gods of medicine — the Shinno Festival heralds the year's end

2.1km

→