Hamamatsu and Osaka – rebuilds of old castles and a visit to Dotonburi Osaka.

I love the shapes of these Japanese castles, they are very picturesque and so different to the grey solid stone castles which are prevalent in Ireland and which have stood the test of time.  However the wooden construction methods used in Japan meant that the originals did not survive.  The castles I visited in Hamamatsu and Osaka were relatively young but faithfully restored to show how they would have looked during their peak in the Edo period when the Shogun ruled Japan.

HAMAMATSU

View of the castle when approaching from the street level gives a sense of the commanding position on top on a hill

The original castle dated from 1571 but was completely destroyed at the end of the Edo period when the Shogun handed power over to the Emperor.

The main structure, the tower was rebuilt in 1958.  The photo provides a closer view of the stone foundations.  These were typical for the period and consist of stones piled on top of each other with smaller stones used to fill the gaps – a style known as nozura-zumi.

close up

The observation deck on the upper level gave a good view over the area and gave the guards a great view of any potential danger. 

There was a museum inside the main building with exhibits including reproductions of costumes worn by the ruler who built the castle (Ieyasu Tolugawa), weaponry from that period and a model of what the castle might have looked like in it’s heyday.  In the basement was a well which enabled the occupants to survive a siege.  The entrance fee was only about $2 (200 Yen) so it was good value.

Warrior clothing on display based on that worn by the original ruler.

The other restored structure was the gate house.  I also visited the garden area where there is a statue of Ieyasu Tolugawa where he looked a lot slimmer than he appears in some drawings from that time.  He would never have fit into the clothing above if those pictures were accurate.  The garden and castle must look stunning during the cherry blossom season.

Tenshu gate house

OSAKA

The castle in Osaka was on a much grander scale, more ornate with gold trimmings, it also had more levels – 5 on the outside but 8 on the inside including 3 underground.  Construction took place from 1583 – 1597.  It was destroyed several times, including being burnt down following lightning strikes and more recently it was bombed during WW2.  The main tower was restored in 1997 and this time it was built in concrete to ensure it would be fireproof.  The stone walls at the base are the original walls from an earlier rebuild in 1620.

Osaka castle view on approach

In a concession to modern accessibility the rebuild also included an elevator to enable visitors to enter more easily.

Side view includes the elevator to help visitors get into the museum now housed in the castle

The mix of the old and the new – the old castle moat and guard house with the city skyscrapers in the background made for another photo opportunity.  The moat walls were very impressive and extensive.  You can take a boat trip in the moat to see the walls up close.

 

Another part of Osaka worth visiting which I will include here is the popular modern city area of Dotonburi.  The narrow pedestrianised street is famous for its variety of dining and nightlife options.  The big colourful billboards and neon signs are fun.

The busy pedestrian street in Dotonburi

The famous billboard for Glico, a confectionary company featuring a runner crossing a finishing line, is seen as an icon of Osaka within Japan.  It can be best seen from the bridge over the canal.  It is now a popular place to take a selfie emulating the one legged pose of the athlete from the bridge.  

Avoiding the chaos I enjoyed a walk along the Dotonburi canal just parallel to the bustling street.   One of the buildings had a carousel like the London eye attached to the front so you could get a birds eye view of the area.  A small band played on the terrace there periodically, I assume to attract customers!

If you zoom in you can see the band playing on the balcony about a third of the way up the picture

There were many bridges crossing the canal and I thought the lighting under the bridge in the photo below was very picturesque.

Dotonbori canal – I loved the lights under the bridge