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The site of Osaka Castle, located on the Yodogawa delta in present day Higashi Ward of Osaka City, had a long history of illustrious tenets before the castle was built. [[Emperor Ojin]] and [[Emperor Nintoku]] are said to have built their palaces there, and the Buddhist priest Rennyo built the [[Jodo Shinshu]] temple of [[Ishiyama Hongan-ji]] on the site in [[1496]]. The site was increasingly fortified by the [[Ikko-ikki]] adherents of Jodo Shinshu. The fortified temple complex eventually came under attack from the warlord [[Oda Nobunaga]]. Oda began a systematic siege of the temple that lasted off and on for ten years. He cut the fortress off from outside naval aide and also succeeded in reducing the number of satellite temples that Ishiyama drew support from. Finally, after conquering three of the five interconnected strongholds in [[1572]], Nobunaga (with the intercession of the Emperor) forced its surrender in [[1580]]. The surrender was no doubt hastened by his tactic of floating junks past the fortress walls filled with the ears and noses of attempted escapees.

The site of Osaka Castle, located on the Yodogawa delta in present day Higashi Ward of Osaka City, had a long history of illustrious tenets before the castle was built. [[Emperor Ojin]] and [[Emperor Nintoku]] are said to have built their palaces there, and the Buddhist priest Rennyo built the [[Jodo Shinshu]] temple of [[Ishiyama Hongan-ji]] on the site in [[1496]]. The site was increasingly fortified by the [[Ikko-ikki]] adherents of Jodo Shinshu. The fortified temple complex eventually came under attack from the warlord [[Oda Nobunaga]]. Oda began a systematic siege of the temple that lasted off and on for ten years. He cut the fortress off from outside naval aide and also succeeded in reducing the number of satellite temples that Ishiyama drew support from. Finally, after conquering three of the five interconnected strongholds in [[1572]], Nobunaga (with the intercession of the Emperor) forced its surrender in [[1580]]. The surrender was no doubt hastened by his tactic of floating junks past the fortress walls filled with the ears and noses of attempted escapees.

After Nobunaga’s death in [[1582]], one of his former generals, [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]], began construction of a castle on the site in [[1583]]. Employing 30,000 men and 1000 shiploads of stone per day, the castle took three years to complete. From it Hideyoshi accepted the submission of [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], directed the [[Odawara Castle]] and Korean campaigns, and received Chinese delegations during the Korean invasion.

After Nobunaga’s death in [[1582]], one of his former generals, [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]], began construction of a castle on the site in [[1583]]. Employing 30,000 men and 1000 shiploads of stone per day, the castle took three years to complete. From it Hideyoshi accepted the submission of [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], directed the [[Odawara castle]] and Korean campaigns, and received Chinese delegations during the Korean invasion.

The Toyotomi version of Osaka-jo had an eight story tenshu that stood 102 feet tall on a 75 foot stone base. There were 124 other corner towers around the complex. The circumference of the grounds measured 8 miles and in area about 185 acres. The huge moats were anywhere from 80 to 120 yards wide and were up to 36 feet deep.  

The Toyotomi version of Osaka-jo had an eight story tenshu that stood 102 feet tall on a 75 foot stone base. There were 124 other corner towers around the complex. The circumference of the grounds measured 8 miles and in area about 185 acres. The huge moats were anywhere from 80 to 120 yards wide and were up to 36 feet deep.