Winter Siege of Osaka
In this battle Ieyasu Toyotomi was fighting against Hideyoshi, who had no comparable weapons to defend himself with. Toyotomi was using long range artillery from Europe, this expanded the battle field and made domestic buildings easily reachable from behind Tokugawan front lines. |
Osaka Castle-Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Osaka Castle was built on the "Great Slope" in 1586. It was built among a "bewildering maze of rivers, reed beds and ever changing islands" in the Kiso River near Osaka Bay. The multiple layers of defense result in it being a very "complex defensive arrangement". (Design and Development 143) Who Built Osaka Castle? Hideyoshi Toyotomi began to build Osaka Castle in the year 1583 AD. Built in Osaka Japan, Osaka castle was widely known as a symbol of Toyotomi’s power during this time. This castle was so beautiful that when Hideyoshi declared Osaka Castle to be his stronghold, it quelled the warring states around this area. When Toyotomi died, Ieyasu Tokugawa took over the castle in a decisive victory during the Winter Siege of Osaka and brought peace to the Tokugawa rule. Ieyasu Tokugawa knocked down the castle after winning it over in the Winter Siege of Osaka. Eventually the Tokugawa shogunate rebuilt this beautiful castle, which stayed under their power until the shogunate dissolved. Throughout these events, the main tower was reconstructed three times. The first time it was built by Toyotomi. The second time it was rebuilt by the Tokugawa shogunate. The third time it was rebuilt in 1931 after it was burned down in a fire. |