Osaka Castle inner moat and tower
Description
- Title:
- Osaka Castle inner moat and tower
- Caption / Description:
-
Looking across the inner moat of Osaka Castle towards the castle tower, in Osaka, Japan. Crossing the inner moat (内濠; Uchibori) on the right is Paradise bridge (極楽橋; Gokuraku-bashi) in Osaka Castle , Osaka, Japan.
Osaka Castle (大坂城; 大阪城; Ōsaka-jō) was originally constructed in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi on the previous site of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, which was destroyed in 1580 by Toyotomi's predecessor Oda Nobunaga. The castle included a eight storey main tower with three storeys below ground and five above. The outside of Tenshukaku was decorated with designs covered in gold leaf to impress visitors to the castle, and was completed in 1585.
In 1614 the castle was attacked by Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had the outer moat filled in. Later in 1615 Tokugawa returned and took the castle, and the tower was destroyed. His heir, Tokugawa Hidetada, then began to rebuild the castle in 1620, with construction of the new Tenshukaku completed in 1626. Gokuraku-bashi was also built around this period, in 1626.
Tokugawa Hidetada had the large stone walls built by various samurai clans, using rocks that were be brought from quarries over 100km away. The walls were constructed so that the stones are held together by friction, with no mortar used.
In 1665 the tower was again destroyed when it burnt down after being struck by lightning. The tower was then not rebuilt until 1931 after the mayor of Osaka managed raise enough donations for the project. This third Tenshukaku was built using modern construction methods with reinforced concrete.
Tenshukaku underwent restoration in 1997, the outer walls were replastered, ornamental fixtures were restored, and gold leaf was re-applied. With the completion of this work bringing the external appearance of the tower back to its former glory, the building was designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property by the Japanese Government.
- Tags / Keywords:
-
- Asia
- Japan
- 日本国
- Nihon-koku
- Kansai region
- 関西地方
- Kansai-chihō
- Osaka prefecture
- 大阪府
- Ōsaka-fu
- Osaka city
- 大阪市
- Ōsaka-shi
- Kinki region
- 近畿地方
- Kinki-chihō
- Chuo-ku
- 中央区
- Osaka Castle
- 大坂城
- 大阪城
- Ōsaka-jō
- Donjon
- Castle tower
- Castle keep
- 天守閣
- Tenshukaku
- Stone wall
- 石垣
- Ishigaki
- Paradise bridge
- 極楽橋
- Gokuraku-bashi
- Inner moat
- 内濠
- Uchibori
- Outer bailey
- 二の丸
- Ninomaru
- Inner bailey
- 本丸
- Honmaru
Admin
- Date Original Photo Taken:
- Original File Name:
- View south across the inner moat towards the castle tower.psd
- Event:
- Rating:
- ☆
- Date this image added/last updated on website:
- Original File Dimensions:
- 3868px x 2581px
- File Type:
- JPEG
- Color Mode:
- Original Image Color Profile:
- Nikon Adobe RGB 4.0.0.3001
Location
- Location Shown:
-
- Sublocation:
- Osaka Castle
- City:
- Osaka
- Province/State:
- Osaka prefecture
- Country:
- Japan
- World Region:
- Asia
- Location Created:
-
- Sublocation:
- Osaka Castle
- City:
- Osaka
- Province/State:
- Osaka prefecture
- Country:
- Japan
- World Region:
- Asia
- Geo-location:
- 34.688988333333, 135.52709333333 View on map
Rights
- Copyright Status:
- Copyrighted
- Licensing Status:
- Rights Managed
- Available for Editorial Use:
- Yes
- Available for Commercial Use:
- No
- Copyright Notice:
- © 2009 Dave Kennard
Camera Data
- Date Digital Resource was created:
- Shutter speed:
- 1⁄160 s
- Aperture:
- f/8
- Camera Model:
- Nikon D200
- ISO:
- 100
- Exposure Compensation:
- 0
- Focal Length:
- 34mm
- Focal Length (35mm equiv.):
- 51mm
- Metering Mode:
- Multi-segment
- Flash:
- No Flash
- Exposure Mode:
- Auto
- White Balance:
- Manual
- Light Source:
- Cloudy
- Exposure Program:
- Aperture-priority AE
Additional shooting metadata
- Lens:
- Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor ED 18-70mm F3.5-4.5G(IF)
- Filters used:
-
- B+W UV 010 MRC
- Additional Optics used:
- Setup:
- Handheld, bracketed ±1EV
Post Processing
- Image Modified:
- Software used:
-
- Nikon Capture NX 2
- Adobe Photoshop CS5
- Post Processing:
NEFs converted with -0.3 exposure compensation in CNX2
EV-1 and EV0 images blended for exposure in PS CS5
Topaz Adjust 4 using Photo Pop preset selectively applied in PS CS5