Osaka Castle

Here is the lovely Osaka Castle in where else but Osaka, Japan! It was built in 1583 and has seen several battles throughout the 1600's and 1800's. Perched high atop the land, the view from above provided a 360-degree sweep of all sides. Invading armies had a tough time trying to attach as there was a giant moat surrounding it, ridiculously tall walls made of giant stones, and no way to make a sneak attack.

The castle was the final holdout for the last feudal government of Japan, the Tokugawa shogunate, and finally fell in 1868 to imperial loyalists. Sadly, it was later burned to the ground. However, it was reconstructed in 1928 to its original 5-story-tall glory complete with gold leaf guilding.

I was able to tour the castle and go all the way up to the top floor. It is a magical place located in the heart of bustling modern-day Osaka. I took these photos on my Fuji XT-2 camera with 16-55mm f/2.5 lens and Velvia film simulation.

As always, please click each photo for a higher-res version!

The giant surrounding moat and stone wall:






View from the top:



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