Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. Originally called Ozakajō, it is one of Japan's most famous castles, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. The main tower of Osaka Castle is situated on a plot of land roughly one kilometer square. It is built on two raised platforms of landfill supported by sheer walls of cut rock, using a technique called Burdock piling, each overlooking a moat. The central castle building is five stories on the outside and eight stories on the inside, and built atop a tall stone foundation to protect its occupants from sword-bearing attackers.

The Castle grounds, which cover approximately 60,000 square meters (15 acres) contain thirteen structures which have been designated as Important Cultural Assets by the Japanese government, including:

• Ote-mon Gate
• Sakura-mon Gate
• Ichiban-yagura Turret
• Inui-yagura Turret
• Rokuban-yagura Turret
• Sengan Turret
• Tamon Turret
• Kinmeisui Well
• Kinzo Storehouse
• Enshogura Gunpowder Magazine
• Three sections of castle wall all located around Otemon Gate.