Castle as Palace
Castles rarely had palatial areas in or around the keep, but a couple of major exceptions were Azuchi and Osaka Castle. These were some of the only castles who did not keep their keeps as military buildings. Azuchi castle combined military and government functions. The keep became elegant rooms for welcoming guests in this castle. In Osaka castle, the reception rooms were located underground. Fushimi castle had outstanding reception rooms which can now be found in the nishi honganji temple. There was a lot of gold used in the creation of daimyo’s rooms. Lesser daimyo had less extravagant rooms, but they still reflected Japanese architecture and style. |
Accounts of Castles Then
When Luis Frois visited Gifu castle, he said, “...of all the palaces and houses I have seen in Portugal, India, and Japan, there had been nothing to compare with this as regards luxury, wealth, and cleanliness”(The Living Sites, 166-168).
Rodrigo de Vivero y Velasco visited Edo castle and said, “On the floor they have what is called tatami, a sort of beautiful matting trimmed with cloth of gold, satin and velvet, embroidered with many gold flowers. These mats are square like a small table and fit together so well that their appearance is most pleasing. The walls and ceiling are covered with wooden panelling and decorated with various paintings of hunting scenes, done in gold, silver and other colours, so that the wood itself is not visible”(The Living Sites, 166-168).
When Luis Frois visited Gifu castle, he said, “...of all the palaces and houses I have seen in Portugal, India, and Japan, there had been nothing to compare with this as regards luxury, wealth, and cleanliness”(The Living Sites, 166-168).
Rodrigo de Vivero y Velasco visited Edo castle and said, “On the floor they have what is called tatami, a sort of beautiful matting trimmed with cloth of gold, satin and velvet, embroidered with many gold flowers. These mats are square like a small table and fit together so well that their appearance is most pleasing. The walls and ceiling are covered with wooden panelling and decorated with various paintings of hunting scenes, done in gold, silver and other colours, so that the wood itself is not visible”(The Living Sites, 166-168).